When should a patient go to the ER instead of urgent care or their GP?
I’m not a big fan of telling people they have to “justify” an ER visit. If you’ve got symptoms that scare you, and you have reason to believe it could be a time-sensitive problem (like sudden onset weakness, chest pain, difficulty breathing, sudden onset severe allergic symptoms (especially wheezing or difficulty swallowing), rectal bleeding, unexplained severe pain, profuse sweating, shakiness, thunderclap headache), then by all means go to the ER. They won’t always turn out to be life threatening problems, but those are symptoms you don’t want to fool around with.Any adult (especially an older adult) with mental status changes, increased difficulty breathing, sudden dizziness or passing out, and/or an unexplained fever should get to the ER, too. Severe postoperative pain or signs of infection after surgery are also good reasons to go to the ER.We also see a lot of people with migraines, and abdominal pain. In many cases you don’t necessarily need to go to the ER with these (it’s amazing how many big strapping 30 year old men come to the ER after vomiting once!), but it’s understandable if the pain or discomfort is getting out of control. Sometimes some IV fluid, plus a couple of mild IV medications, can make a huge difference.You’re always justified, too, in going to the ER if your doctor’s office isn’t open, and you’re uncomfortable waiting until the next day to seek attention.
URGENT! SHARP PAIN WHEN BREATHING IN DEEPLY IN RIBS?
Well, I'm definitely not a Doctor but since I've had similar symptoms I'm gonna give answering this question a shot! Have you fallen down lately or bumped into anything, or had anyone or anything bump into you? If so, you may have cracked a rib. When you breath in deep your lungs expand, which makes your rib cage expand to accommodate them, so a cracked rib can cause A LOT of pain if that's what's going on. If you've have no recent injury to that area, it could be that you've pulled a muscle. Have you recently been very active or started a new exercise regemin? Both of those can cause sore/pulled muscles and the rib cage is a very muscular area. Finally, is the pain in the middle of the rib cage or more severe on one side or the other? If it's in the middle you could have a hernia. If it's more prominent on one side or the other, it might not be your ribs that are hurting at all, but one of your organs that are "tucked away" under the rib cage as you ribs don't just contain/protect your heart and lungs, but also several other organs (which ones it could be would depend on which side of your rib cage hurts). These are just SUGGESTIONS as to what it could be - as I said above, I'm not a Doctor! I know you said "please don't say 'go to your Doctor'", but if the pain continues or gets worse, you really do need to go get checked out by a trained professional. I hope this helps a bit - take care and good luck to you!
URGENT! Is a nebulizer used for chest pain?
I don;t have asthma, although I did when I was a child. Also I am not having breathing difficulties, I am just in pain between my bust which is like a crushing pain. Like someone is pushing or sitting on my chest. I am getting worried because its not subsiding or getting any better, if anything it's getting worse. I don't want to keep going to A&E incase it's nothing, although the nebulizer made it worse and at times now if I climb stairs of walk up a hill I am very out of breath and struggling a little to catch my breath...
Is chest pain while running bad?
Pain in the front and middle of the chest while running might come on slowly and feel mildly uncomfortable or suddenly and feel intensely painful. Runners who also smoke, have diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol may have an increased risk of developing chest pain while running, and men have a greater risk than women, explains the Physician’s Desk Reference website. Chest pain after running might last for just a moment or two, or for more than 15 minutes, which could indicate a serious medical condition. Pain in the chest while running could result from problems with any of the organs or muscles in the upper body. Cardiac conditions such as angina cause pain when the heart must exert considerable effort, such as while running. Similarly, respiratory conditions such as asthma, pneumonia, pleurisy,pneumothorax and pulmonary embolism can cause pain in the front and middle of the chest during vigorous exercise due to the body’s increased respiratory rate while running. Digestive problems such as heartburn and inflammatory digestive disorders can also cause chest pain during exercise, especially after eating. Doctors usually prescribe medications such as bronchodilators to treat chest pain caused by asthma attacks, and acid reducers to treat chest pain resulting from reflux. People who experience chest pain after running as a result of angina should take prescription medications to treat arterial plaque, along with aspirin and heparin to prevent blood clots in the heart, advises the Physician’s Desk Reference website. Doctors might need to perform surgery to remove blockages in the vessels of the heart in cases of angina or heart attack, and surgery is also often needed to treat chest pain resulting from pneumothorax and pulmonary embolism. People with asthma might consider running in climate-controlled environments to avoid asthma attack triggers. Avoiding running after eating a large meal can also help prevent front and middle chest pain in those with gastroesophageal reflux. If only vigorous exercise initiates the chest pain, consider jogging rather than running, or other moderate activities such as swimming, biking or fast-paced walking. The National Library of Medicine website advises to live a healthy lifestyle, including avoiding or quitting smoking and exercising for 30 minutes most or all days of the week to help avoid medical conditions that cause chest pain.
How do you decide whether to go to an urgent care center or the emergency room?
ER visits are one of the most expensive ways to get healthcare. Besides the financial expense, you should also know that if you have anything less than a true emergency, you may be waiting for hours and hours. If at all possible, you want to avoid the emergency room. Going to an urgent care center can save you time and money. They're a good option for simple, straightforward, non-life threatening problems.Urgent Care Centers Are Good For: minor soft tissue injuriessimple fracturescold & flupink eye minor localized allergic reactionanything you'd normally prefer to take to your primary care doctor but can't because they're closed or unavailable.An Emergency Room is Necessary For:Breathing ProblemsChest PainSevere BleedingSevere Pain or IllnessSignificant TraumaAny Kind of ParalysisHeadache if accompanied by other problems or if it's "the worst of your life"Sudden Difficulty Speaking or MovingSudden Change in Mental State (where someone isn't acting like themselves)Anyone Unconscious or that previously Lost ConsciousnessAllergic Reactions affecting airway or breathingOverdose or PoisoningActive Labor or Pregnancy ComplicationsThese are examples of issues that should be taken to a Hospital ER (immediately and by ambulance in most cases). Do not fool around with any of the above problems. Go directly to an ER, do not pass go.Note: I'm not a doctor and I haven't examined you. My little blurb above is a generalization with many exceptions. When in doubt, go to an emergency room. Call an ambulance if necessary.
I’m 14 years old and I have really bad chest pain and a severe headache but my parents are at work and I’m home alone, what should I do?
If this has happened before, it’s not an emergency. “Really bad” means different things from different people. At 14, you don’t have a lot of experience with pain. Any drugs involved? Have you ingested anything unusual?Time will tell; if the pain eases, you’re OK. The headache could be lack of food or oxygen to the brain. Eat a banana, if one is available. Any sweet fruit is OK and fast-acting. Can you walk? If you don’t feel dizzy, you should be OK, and after some rest, you should feel better. If you feel worse, in an hour, with more intense pain, call for help. It takes a lot to kill a human bean, esp. a healthy 14 year old; hang in there.
Chest pain with shortness of breath and sudden blue veins on left side of chest and down left arm?
I am 22 yrs old, im 5'6" and weight 200lbs. I was honorably discharged from the military in 2008 with Marfan Syndrome and am currently awaiting treatment at the VA Hospital in MN. I gradually gained the extra 60lbs after i was discharged in Jan 2008 due to inability to exercise efficiently. i suffer from anxiety but have not had and panic attacks and rarely have pain when anxious. I have been having daily chest pain directly over my heart for the past year or so and the other day i looked in the mirror and saw that i had very prominent blue veins going from what looked like my heart area over to my shoulder and down my left arm. It most often hurts when i am out and about shopping and it is a sharp pain that causes me to draw in my breath and hold it, it sometimes goes to my left shoulder and left part of my back and often is accompanied by a heart flutter. I try not to panic as that would probably make the pain worse. I have no health insurance and have been wondering if this is life threatening enough to pay for an expensive emergency room bill? I do have acid reflux but this is a different kind of pain. I do not want to wait to long and risk damage or worse. What do you think this sounds like and is this an urgent emergency?