Heart attack may be survivable using these tips

Chest pain is the main symptom of a heart attack, but not the only sign of the life-threatening situation.
Kelsey Griffith, of Sirius Technology, spoke about heart attack symptoms and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation Thursday at the Eunice Kiwanis Club meeting.
Other main signs of a heart attack are squeezing and tightness in the chest, he said. 
“Some people even report it feels like indigestion or heartburn, but if that chest pain lasts longer than three to five minutes or it is intermittent ... that is a sign of a heart attack,” Griffith, a certified American Red Cross instructor, said. 
Shortness of breath is another indication of heart attack, she added. 
“The pain in your chest may radiate and spread elsewhere, so it could go down your arm and it could also go to your stomach, your jaw, your back,” she said.
A cold sweat, nausea, light-headedness or dizziness are included in the heart attack symptoms, she said. 
“Most men and women feel these general symptoms of a heart attack although women are more likely to experience the nausea, the shortness of breath and back or jaw pain as opposed to pain the chest,” she said. “That’s an important distinction to remember.”
Griffith’s presentation included performing CPR on a mannequin. 
Emergency medical help should be summoned before performing CPR, which consists of 30 chest compressions about 2 inches deep followed by two breaths into the suffer’s mouth, she said. 
For children, start with the breaths and then the 30 compressions, which are 1 1/2 inches deep. 
Hands only CPR is possible because it helps the heart keep pumping blood, she said. 
Griffith is chief safety officer and director of training at Sirius.