Chest pain or symptoms of stroke

Chest pain or symptoms of stroke

If you’re experiencing chest pain or symptoms of stroke, go to the emergency room. Chest pain and stroke are both conditions that can be life-threatening if not treated immediately. Plus, going to the ER means you’ll get tested by medical professionals to make sure your chest pain isn’t caused by heart disease or another condition that requires treatment with medication or surgery. You’ll also be able to have tests done to determine whether you’re experiencing a stroke or not.

Things you shouldn’t ignore

The list is long, and not always intuitive: A sore throat that lasts for two weeks. Lump in your breast or testicle. Sudden onset of jaundice (yellowing eyes and skin). Pain in abdomen, groin, pelvis, lower back or legs that doesn’t improve with over-the-counter medications. Eye pain that increases when moving your eyes to look up and down. If you notice any concerning symptom in yourself or a loved one, call your primary care physician right away to discuss it further (many office visits are free) and get a referral to see an emergency room doctor if necessary.

Things you can wait on but shouldn’t

nagging injuries, cases of strep throat, and some backaches. These things might be worth a doctor’s visit if they persist or are starting to cause real problems in your life. Just remember that they should not affect your quality of life—if they do, go ahead and see a physician. Most doctors will just tell you to take an over-the-counter medication and wait it out unless there is anything else going on like sharp chest pains or unusual bleeding (in which case you need to get there ASAP). If you think it’s more serious but aren’t sure about how to evaluate whether something should be seen in person, err on the side of caution and make an appointment with your doctor.

Non urgent but important things that should be addressed

call family doctor first, then go to ER. Go to ER for major infection, traumatic injuries and severe hypoglycemia (severe low blood sugar) but don’t go for chronic problems that are better dealt with by your family doctor. If you have a serious allergy, go to an ER if you don’t know how to deal with it yourself. Any suspected miscarriage should be taken care of right away because women can hemorrhage more quickly than you might realize and bleed to death. Finally, if you’re experiencing anything life-threatening (or potentially life-threatening), such as chest pain; symptoms like nausea and dizziness; vision changes; or difficulty breathing — make sure to get yourself checked out immediately.