Emergency Warning Signs
Most symptoms can wait for a normal appointment. A small number cannot, and the difference is often minutes. This page lists the signs that mean call for emergency help now — not tomorrow, not after another paracetamol, and not after reading more of this website.
Reviewed by Dr. Mohan Gayenlast reviewed
If any sign on this page is present, stop reading and call for emergency help now. The number for your country is in the red panel just below. Do not drive yourself.
Numbers are listed for 55 countries and can change — if your country is not here, or you are not sure, 112 reaches emergency services across the European Union and works from a mobile in much of the world. Do not drive yourself.
Call an ambulance immediately for any of these
- Chest pain, pressure, tightness or heaviness lasting more than a few minutes — especially with sweating, nausea, breathlessness, or pain spreading to the arm, back, neck or jaw.
- Sudden weakness or numbness of the face, arm or leg, particularly on one side; sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding; sudden loss of vision; sudden severe unsteadiness.
- Severe difficulty breathing, or breathlessness at rest; blue or grey lips, face or fingertips.
- Unconsciousness, or any collapse where the person cannot be roused.
- A fit (seizure) lasting more than five minutes, or a second fit without recovery in between, or a first fit ever.
- Bleeding that will not stop after ten minutes of firm continuous pressure; vomiting blood; passing black tarry stools.
- A sudden, severe headache that reaches its worst within seconds — often described as the worst of someone’s life.
- Signs of a severe allergic reaction: swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, difficulty breathing or swallowing, widespread rash with faintness. Use an adrenaline auto-injector if prescribed, then call.
- Severe abdominal pain with a rigid, board-like abdomen; or abdominal pain with fainting.
- A serious injury: a fall from height, a road accident, a suspected broken hip or spine, a deep or gaping wound, a burn larger than the palm of the hand or involving the face, hands or genitals.
- Thoughts of ending your life, or an act of self-harm.
The FAST test for stroke
Stroke treatment works in hours, and the earlier it starts the more brain is saved. Any ONE of these is enough to call.
| Letter | Check | What is abnormal |
|---|---|---|
| F — Face | Ask them to smile | One side of the face droops or does not move |
| A — Arms | Ask them to raise both arms | One arm drifts down or cannot be lifted |
| S — Speech | Ask them to repeat a simple sentence | Speech is slurred, jumbled, or they cannot find words |
| T — Time | Note the time symptoms started | Call emergency services immediately and tell them the time |
In a child, additionally
- A rash that does NOT fade when a glass is pressed firmly against it.
- A baby under three months with a temperature of 38 °C or above.
- Grunting with each breath, the ribs or the hollow above the breastbone drawing in with each breath, or long pauses in breathing.
- Unusually floppy, very difficult to wake, or a weak high-pitched continuous cry.
- A bulging soft spot on a baby’s head; a stiff neck; strong dislike of bright light.
- No wet nappy for 12 hours, no tears when crying, or a dry mouth and sunken eyes.
- Any fit, or a child who is not responding normally to you.
In pregnancy, additionally
- Vaginal bleeding, or a gush or leak of fluid before 37 weeks.
- Severe or persistent headache, blurred vision or flashing lights, or sudden swelling of the face, hands or feet — these can be signs of pre-eclampsia.
- Severe pain in the upper abdomen, especially on the right side.
- A noticeable reduction in the baby’s movements.
- Fever with chills, or burning on passing urine with back pain.
Same-day medical advice, but not an ambulance
- Fever lasting more than three days, or any fever with a rash, severe headache or neck stiffness.
- Vomiting or diarrhoea that stops you keeping fluids down, especially in a child or an older person.
- Blood in the urine, even once, and even without pain.
- A new lump anywhere, a mole that has changed, or a sore that has not healed in three weeks.
- Unintentional weight loss, drenching night sweats, or a cough lasting more than three weeks.
- A blood pressure reading of 180/120 mmHg or above with no symptoms.
- Any new symptom in someone on chemotherapy, on immune-suppressing treatment, or without a spleen — particularly a fever.
This is general health information for education, not medical advice, and not a diagnosis. It cannot see you, your history, your allergies or your medicines. Never use it to start, stop or change a treatment, and never let it delay you seeking care. If you are worried about symptoms, speak to a qualified doctor; if they are severe or sudden, seek emergency help.
Where this comes from: Warning signs consolidated from widely published emergency and stroke-association guidance, including the FAST test for stroke and standard heart-attack warning signs.
Where this is written from: This site is written from Indian clinical practice. Drug availability and brand names, vaccination schedules, national health programmes and some reference cut-offs differ between countries — a schedule or a threshold that is standard here may not be standard where you are. If you are reading outside India, check anything on this page against your own country’s guidance before you act on it.
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