Don’t wait: call 911 or go to an emergency room
The American College of Emergency Physicians lists these as warning signs of a medical emergency, and says to seek emergency care when they occur. If you have any of them, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room:[1]
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Chest or upper abdominal pain or pressure lasting two minutes or more
- Fainting, sudden dizziness or weakness
- Changes in vision, or difficulty speaking
- Confusion or changes in mental status, unusual behavior, or difficulty waking
- Any sudden or severe pain
- Uncontrolled bleeding
- Severe or persistent vomiting or diarrhea
- Coughing or vomiting blood
- Unusual abdominal pain
- Suicidal or homicidal feelings
The CDC adds the sudden signs of stroke — numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg, especially on one side; trouble seeing, walking or speaking; sudden severe headache with no known cause — and says to call 9-1-1 right away.[2] If you are thinking about suicide or are in crisis, call or text 988.[5]
Everything below is for symptoms that are not on that list. It is a way of deciding how soon to get care, not a way of working out what a symptom is — only a clinician who can examine you can do that.
“For many medical emergencies, time is of the essence, and delays in treatment can often lead to more serious consequences.”
Four questions for everything else
When a symptom isn’t an emergency, these four questions help decide between “today,” “this week” and “keep an eye on it.” The more answers point the same way, the clearer the decision.
1. Is it new for you?
A headache like the ones you have had for years is different from the first one like it. Something you have never felt before, or a familiar symptom that feels different this time, is worth raising sooner.
2. Which way is it going?
Symptoms that are steadily improving can usually be watched. Symptoms that are getting worse, spreading, coming more often or lasting longer each time are a reason to call now rather than wait for them to settle.
3. How long has it lasted, compared with what you’d expect?
Many everyday illnesses improve on their own within days. A symptom that is lasting well beyond what you would expect for something minor — or that keeps coming back — deserves an appointment, even if it is mild.
4. How much is it getting in your way?
Interference is a signal in its own right. If it wakes you at night, keeps you from eating or drinking, stops you working or looking after others, or makes you change how you live, book a visit. You do not need to wait until it is unbearable.
Putting it together
- Same day (call your clinician’s office or a nurse line, or use urgent care): it is new and severe, getting quickly worse, or stopping you from eating, drinking, sleeping or working.
- Within days (book an appointment): it is lasting longer than you’d expect, keeps coming back, or is slowly getting worse.
- Watch it (and set a date to check again): it is mild, familiar, and improving. If it hasn’t improved by the date you set, book.
- Whenever you are worried: call. Many health systems and insurers run a nurse advice line, and the number is often on your insurance card. Worry is a reasonable reason to ask.
If you decide to watch something, write down when it started and how it changes, so you have the facts if you do book. The symptom tracking guide shows what to note, and the appointment preparation guide covers what to bring.
When to lean toward sooner
Act sooner rather than later if you are pregnant, are caring for a baby or a frail older adult, have a long-term condition, take medicines that affect your immune system, or have been told by your clinician to report certain symptoms quickly. When in doubt, the right choice is to ask.
For the CDC’s full list of heart attack symptoms — chest pain or discomfort; feeling weak, light-headed or faint; pain in the jaw, neck, back, arms or shoulders; shortness of breath — and its advice to call 9-1-1 immediately, see its heart attack page.[4]
Sources
- American College of Emergency Physicians. Is It an Emergency? Medical Emergencies: What You Need to Know.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Signs and Symptoms of Stroke.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Stroke Facts.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery.
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.