If this may be an emergency, stop reading and call for help

Emergency numbers

• United States & Canada — 911
• United Kingdom & Ireland — 999 or 112
• European Union — 112
• Australia — 000
• New Zealand — 111
• India — 112
• South Africa — 10177 or 112
• Anywhere else — your national emergency number

Signs that need emergency care now

Heart and circulation

• Chest pain, pressure, or tightness — especially spreading to the arm, neck, or jaw
• Fainting, or a racing heartbeat with light-headedness

Breathing

• Sudden shortness of breath, or struggling to speak a full sentence
• Blue or grey lips, face, or fingertips
• Throat tightening, swelling of the tongue or lips, or hives with breathing trouble

Stroke — act FAST

• Face drooping on one side
• Arm weakness or numbness on one side
• Speech that is slurred or hard to understand
• Time — call emergency services immediately; note when symptoms began

Neurological

• A seizure, especially a first one or one lasting over five minutes
• Sudden, severe headache described as the worst of your life
• Confusion, unresponsiveness, or loss of consciousness
• Stiff neck with fever

Bleeding and abdominal

• Coughing or vomiting blood
• Black, tarry, or bloody stool
• Bleeding that will not stop with firm pressure
• Sudden, severe abdominal pain

Poisoning and overdose

• Any suspected overdose or swallowed chemical — call emergency services or your poison control centre. In the United States, Poison Control is 1-800-222-1222.

Pregnancy

• Bleeding, severe abdominal pain, or reduced fetal movement

Signs that need a clinician soon, though not an ambulance

• Fever that is very high or lasts more than a few days
• Spreading redness, red streaks, or pus around a wound
• Unexplained weight loss, a new lump, or blood in the urine
• Symptoms in a newborn or young infant
• Any symptom that is steadily worsening