Common Conditions and Symptoms Prompting Emergency Attention

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Back Pain

It’s not easy to know if you should visit the ER when you are not feeling well. Whenever an illness or injury occurs, you need to decide how serious it is and how soon to get medical care. For example, what if you hurt your wrist, and your physician’s office is not open? Or you might wake up in the middle of the night with severe back pain?

Fever

⋅Sudden weakness or numbness
⋅Isolated acute pain
⋅Vision loss, slurred or inability to speak, confusion
⋅Loss of control over bladder or bowel movement

Broken Bones

Without a proper diagnosis including imaging, it can be difficult to know if a bone is dislocated, broken, or just a bad sprain. The following symptoms along with pain may indicate the bone is broken and you require medical care:

⋅Bruising around the impacted area
⋅Bone bulge or deformity through the skin
⋅Swelling or any irregular sound with movement

Chest Pains

CALL 911 right away if you have crushing or squeezing chest pain(s) and feel any of the following symptoms:

⋅Sweating
⋅Nausea or vomiting
⋅Signs of shock
⋅Shortness of breath
⋅Lightheadedness
⋅Fast or irregular heart rate
⋅Pain that shoots from the chest to arms, neck or jaw

Signs of a cardiac attack in women could display different types of symptoms, and may be associated with the following signs:
⋅Shortness of breath
⋅Nausea or vomiting
⋅Dizziness or lightheadedness
⋅Unusual exhaustion
⋅Discomfort in the abdomen or core
⋅Discomfort in the shoulder, upper back or neck areas

Concussion

Any injury to the head should be taken seriously and treated with extreme priority. A Direct impact to any part of the head which is associated with any of the following symptoms requires immediate emergency treatment:

Loss of brief or extended consciousness

⋅Seizure
⋅Amnesia, or memory loss pertaining to the act.
⋅Slurred speech
⋅Disorientation or confusion
⋅Worsening severe headache
⋅Vomiting

Flu

The influenza virus is common and does not normally require an ER visit. However, for the high-risk populations listed below, the Flu can be very serious.

⋅Infants/toddlers
⋅People over the age of 60
⋅Pregnant women
⋅Individuals with certain illnesses or conditions, such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
⋅Those with compromised or weakened immune systems

Life-threatening signs accompanied by the flu require immediate medical attention:

⋅Trouble breathing
⋅Uncontrollable vomiting leading to dehydration
⋅Pneumonia complications

Side or Abdomen

Pain in these regions is typically temporary. However, severe side pain can be an indication of something grave.

Severe pain, specifically in the lower right stomach, back, or sides or if the pain is associated with any of the following symptoms call for immediate medical treatment:

⋅Fever
⋅Dizziness
⋅Unrelenting vomiting or nausea
⋅Extreme bouts of diarrhea or constipation
⋅Pain and or blood during urination
⋅Recent urinary tract infection (UTI)

Severe pain lasting only seconds and non-reoccurring is no cause for alarm. However, if the pain persists for more than several minutes, medical attention is imperative regardless of any accompanying symptoms.

Diagnosis may include:

⋅Kidney/bladder infection, Stones
⋅Ovarian cyst
⋅Appendicitis

Side pain can be an indication of a number of different medical conditions. If the side pain is severe, it’s important to get it checked out by a medical professional, as this could be the sign of an underlying or preexisting condition.

Stomach Pain

Abdominal pain is a good reason to visit the emergency department if the pain is accompanied by any of the following symptoms:

⋅Stomach is tender or firm to the touch
⋅Persistent vomiting or nausea
⋅Pain in your chest, neck, or shoulder
⋅Dizziness or shortness of breath
⋅High fever
⋅Irregular heartbeat
⋅Dark stool
⋅Vomit containing blood

Stroke

CALL 911 immediately if you believe that you’re experiencing symptoms of a stroke. The faster action is taken lessens the probability of long term damage.

Signs of a stroke include:

⋅Arm or leg Numbness, weakness of the face, particularly on one side of the body
⋅Disorientation, difficulty speaking or comprehending
⋅Difficulty seeing out of one or two eyes
⋅Dizziness, loss of balance or motor skills trouble walking
⋅Sudden severe headache

Difficulty Breathing

Respirational pain can be the result of a prolonged condition such as heart failure or chronic asthma. Signs pointing to seek immediate emergency care include:

⋅Breathing interruption
⋅Sound elevating breathing, shortness of breath, or wheezing
⋅Acute Pain or tightness in the chest area
⋅Coughing up any amount of blood

Behavioral/Psychiatric Episodes

Suicide or Homicidal emergencies are complex conditions with a host of contributing factors. Therefore, emergency departments are ideal medical environments for the valuation of patients.[/expand]