Most people when are having a heart attack are virtually helpless. A person whose heart is beating improperly and starts to feel bad, has only about 10 seconds before it loses consciousness.
However, you can help yourself by coughing vigorously and continuously. Take a deep breath each time before you cough. The cough must be deep and prolonged, as when coughing ‘phlegm’. The breathing and the cough must be repeated every two seconds without stopping until help arrives, or until you feel that your heart beats again with regular rhythm.
Deep breathing brings oxygen into the lungs and coughing movements lead to pressure on the heart and they also maintain the circulation. The pressure on the heart helps you restore a normal heart rhythm. This way, heart attack victims can make it to the hospital.