Health concerns
Each guide follows the same structure: what it usually means, the red flags that need attention, and what you can practically do next.
Educational information only — not medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.
Symptom guides
- Symptom guide
Chest pain or pressure
Treat sudden, severe, or crushing chest pain as an emergency — especially with shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, or pain spreading to the arm, jaw, neck or back. Call 911 rather than driving yourself.
Read guide - Symptom guide
Persistent fatigue
Get care today if fatigue comes with chest pain, breathlessness at rest, fainting, or confusion. Otherwise, book an appointment if fatigue has lasted more than two to four weeks or is getting worse.
Read guide - Symptom guide
Headaches (when to worry)
A sudden 'worst headache of your life', or a headache with weakness, confusion, vision loss, fever with a stiff neck, or after a head injury, is an emergency. Frequent or changing headaches deserve a scheduled visit.
Read guide - Symptom guide
Shortness of breath
Call 911 for sudden severe breathlessness, breathlessness at rest, blue lips, or breathlessness with chest pain. Otherwise, arrange care promptly for any new or worsening pattern.
Read guide - Symptom guide
Unexplained weight changes
Book an appointment for unintended loss of about 5% of your body weight over 6–12 months, or rapid gain with swelling or breathlessness. Bring a record of weights over time.
Read guide - Symptom guide
Abdominal pain
Severe, sudden, or steadily worsening abdominal pain — especially with fever, vomiting, a rigid abdomen, or blood in stool or vomit — needs emergency evaluation. Milder recurring pain should be seen within days.
Read guide - Symptom guide
Joint pain or stiffness (when to worry)
Seek urgent care for a hot, very swollen joint with fever, or a joint that looks deformed or cannot bear weight after injury. Book a visit if pain or stiffness lasts more than a few days, keeps returning, limits daily activity, or comes with swelling, warmth, or prolonged morning stiffness.
Read guide - Symptom guide
Persistent or unexplained rash
Call 911 for a sudden rash with trouble breathing, facial or throat swelling, or feeling severely unwell. See a clinician soon for blistering around the eyes or mouth, signs of infection, fever with a rash, or a rash that does not improve after about a week of basic care.
Read guide - Symptom guide
Swollen lymph nodes
Seek care urgently for swollen nodes with trouble breathing or swallowing. Book a visit if nodes last more than a few weeks, continue enlarging, feel hard or fixed, or appear with persistent fever, night sweats, or unexplained weight loss.
Read guide - Symptom guide
Dizziness or lightheadedness
Call 911 for dizziness with chest pain, trouble speaking, weakness on one side, severe headache, fainting, or shortness of breath. See a clinician for repeated episodes, dizziness that disrupts daily life, or symptoms after a new medication.
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Ongoing health
- Ongoing health
High blood pressure
A reading at or above 180/120 with symptoms such as chest pain, breathlessness, vision change, or weakness is an emergency. Consistently elevated readings without symptoms need a scheduled visit, not panic.
Read guide - Ongoing health
Sleep problems
Get evaluated if you snore loudly with gasping or witnessed breathing pauses, fall asleep while driving, or have trouble sleeping at least three nights a week for over a month.
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