Urgent symptoms

Topics to discuss

• A fall with a head injury, especially if you take blood thinners
• Severe pain, a deformed limb, or not being able to stand or bear weight after a fall
• Sudden confusion, face drooping, one-sided weakness, or trouble speaking
• Chest pain or trouble breathing
• Uncontrolled pain or a sudden decline in someone with a serious illness
• Swelling of the face, lips, or throat after a new medicine
• If any of these happen, 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

• Osteoporosis to Prevent Fractures: Screening — U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
• Osteoporosis — National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIH)
• Older Adult Fall Prevention — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Falls and Fractures in Older Adults: Causes and Prevention — National Institute on Aging (NIH)
• Taking Medicines Safely as You Age — National Institute on Aging (NIH)
• What Are Palliative Care and Hospice Care? — National Institute on Aging (NIH)
• Palliative Care — MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine)