Urgent symptoms

Topics to discuss

• Severe shortness of breath, or being unable to speak in full sentences
• Blue or gray lips or fingernails
• An asthma or COPD attack that does not improve with your rescue inhaler
• Swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat, or trouble swallowing
• Coughing up blood
• Chest pain together with trouble breathing
• Feeling drowsy or confused during an asthma or COPD flare
• For any of these, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

Choosing the next step

Use the warning signs above to decide when emergency help is needed. This page cannot check your symptoms or tell you that it is safe to wait. If symptoms are severe, sudden, or getting worse quickly, seek urgent medical help. A routine appointment request is not an emergency service, and a message may not be read right away.

For a life-threatening emergency, call 911. Do not drive yourself if you feel faint, confused, or unable to travel safely. If possible, have someone stay with you while help arrives. Bring your medicine list and allergy information if they are easy to reach, but do not delay emergency care to collect records.

Sources

• Asthma — National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NIH)
• COPD — National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NIH)
• Hay Fever — MedlinePlus (NIH)
• Sinusitis — MedlinePlus (NIH)
• Cough — MedlinePlus (NIH)
• Quitting Smoking — MedlinePlus (NIH)
• Asthma attacks — NHLBI (NIH)