10 Symptoms ER Doctors Say to Never Ignore

Emergency doctors see the worst scenarios, accidents of strange luck, mysterious ailments and miraculous recovery. They are not foreign to symptoms that patients did not take seriously before it was almost too late.

Here, the documents ER share 10 red flags that patients often ignore, but who should be treated urgently.

Sudden confusion or personality change

One minute, your mom is lucid and talkative – the same as every two days. The next one, she does not remember where she is or who you are, her words are blurred and she cannot invoke the name of the vegetable that she has just started to decide. “You might think, well, maybe she’s just tired,” said Dr. Yanina Pourim-Shem-tov, executive vice-president of emergency medicine with the System University Rush for Health at the Rush University Medical Center. “But it’s absolutely an emergency, and we should see these people right away.”

A sudden confusion or a change of personality could indicate a stroke, infection like sepsis or low blood sugar, she adds, which is why it is essential to obtain immediate care in the emergency room.

Unusual pain in the upper back

Always pay attention to intense pains in the upper back or between your shoulder blades, especially if it suddenly comes or is accompanied by other symptoms such as nausea or dizziness. “Do not raise your shoulders,” explains Pourim-Shem-tov. “Call 911. It could be a sign of a heart attack.”

Learn more:: When to go to the emergency room for urgent care

For some people – including women – heart attack pain is in surprising places, such as back, neck or jaw. Purim-Shem-tov patients often describe it as a “heartbreaking pain” which sometimes radiates in one or both arms. This type of pain could also be a sign of aortic dissection, or tearing the aorta, which is the main artery with the blood of the heart. While people sometimes try to endure it at home, convinced that they simply pulled a muscle, “that’s not it,” she says, “especially in patients who are in danger – for example, those who have hypertension and who suddenly have this serious pain in the back.”

Sudden and unexplained of serious itching

If you cannot stop scratching, especially if you itch everywhere instead of a single place – you could experience the start of an anaphylactic reaction. “When someone really feels that itch and uncomfortable, and all of a sudden, he begins to rinse, it’s really worrying,” said Dr. David Benaron, vice-president of the University of Nevada University Department, Reno School of Medicine. “I would like them to come and see us as soon as possible.”

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Even more alarming: if your symptoms are accompanied by nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. People often do not realize it, but digestive distress is a pillar of anaphylaxis, says Benaron. “You eat something and all of a sudden you say to yourself:” Oh my God, I am terribly nauseous, “he said. “You can get hives in your gastrointestinal tract, and it becomes really irritated and you get these gastrointestinal symptoms.”

Vomit which is a certain color

The color of your vomit can say a lot to the doctors of the ER on the way you are sick. Benaron is particularly inclined to worry when children vomit bile, which is generally green, because “this can indicate a really dangerous obstruction in their intestines,” he said. Meanwhile, if your jet looks like a coffee grounds – it is dark brown or even black – it can include blood which has been partially digested by stomach acids.

Vomit that looks like a coffee grounds “would mean for me that there are bleeding,” explains Benaron. Red vomit, however, triggers even more alarm bells, because such a bright color indicates “there is a lot of blood moves”.

A feeling of unhappiness

When extreme anxiety comes out of nowhere, take it seriously, especially if it is accompanied by difficulties in breathing, a heart of racing or stunning. It could be the body’s reaction to a heart attack or a blood clot, or a severe allergic reaction. “If it is new, intense or seems different from anxiety usually, do not ignore it,” explains Pourim-Shem-tov.

Learn more:: The difference between stress and anxiety

At Christmas, a few years ago, for example, Pourim-Sem-tov treated a 31-year-old patient who presented himself in the emergency room and to come, surmounted by anxiety and a feeling of dread. “He didn’t really complain about chest pain or shortens,” she recalls. “Everything he felt was this feeling of misfortune – he thought it was anxiety.” The man ended up undergoing a massive and fatal heart attack, which explains at home why it is important to take extreme anxiety seriously, says Purim-Shem-tov, especially if it is out of character for you.

Random ignoring

Almost fainting without clear cause can be a red flag for abnormal heart rhythms, internal bleeding or neurological problems. That said, it could also be the result of dehydration or position too quickly. “Luries or dizziness is probably the scourge of the existence of each emergency doctor,” says Purim-Shem-Tov, because it is such a vague and imprecise symptom that can indicate a wide range of possible causes.

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This is why she always advises to be passed out, especially if it happens while you are seated or you lie down, work or experience other unusual symptoms. As frustrating as it may be to meet something as ambiguous as dizzy, “we also know that we have to look for something serious,” she said.

White poop

If you have white stools, your biliary tract may be obstructed, which means that bile – which contributes to the normal color of stool – does not reach the intestines. “What is scary that is pancreatic cancer,” explains Benaron. “The pancreas wraps around the bile system and the bile is built, causing yellow in the eyes and white stools.” It is worth bringing with your doctor or in the emergency room as soon as you notice the change.

Urinary retention

People sometimes go to the emergency room for constipation earlier than they need – after three or four days not to be able to go to the toilet, before trying reliable remedies like stool softeners, says Benaron. But there is a clear sign that constipation should be treated urgently: you have stopped being able to pee. A complete and impacted intestine “can cause an obstruction of the bladder because, anatomically, it can support a lot in this pelvic region,” he said. “If someone does not come up, it’s a big problem.”

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Sometimes when doctors treat constipation by manually removing the stools from the rectum, the patient resumes being able to pee alone. Other times, however, “you have to put a catheter in their urethra to empty the bladder,” he said. Not resolving the case in a timely manner can ultimately lead to kidney failure, adds Benaron, so do not delay looking for care.

A breathless breath

Breathtaking while you are lying down or resting is not the same as you feel tight while you go up 10 stairs. Having for air when you are horizontal could point out heart failure, a blood clot in the lungs or a silent heart attack, says Purim-Shem-Tov. “Your lungs could fill with liquid, and when you lie down, it’s almost as if you are drowning in your own liquids,” she said. “Rest shortness of breath is just as important – or perhaps even more important – than shortness of breath when you exercise.”