Instinctively, everyone knows to phone the police when a burglar breaks into your house or if somebody smells smoke. We know to phone the emergency services if somebody gets involved in a car accident.
But do you know WHEN to phone the emergency services for a medical condition?
Medical conditions are trickier to evaluate than accidents. At times, they appear to come on slowly, and before you know it, it’s a medical crisis. Medical conditions can be minor, but they could still be quite severe if not treated.
Unexpected Loss of Consciousness
The unexpected loss of consciousness or blacking out can be either something minor or something than can result in death. At one end of the scale, some individuals pass out when they see blood – and that doesn’t classify as a medical emergency. The other end of the spectrum is cardiac arrest can take place when someone is unconscious, which will be definitely be classified as a medical emergency.
Chest Pain
Chest pain is one of the most ignored medical emergencies that people tend to brush off. Many individuals often think it is heartburn or tense muscles. In truth, chest pain is the most common sign of a heart attack and might only subside when a heart attack turns into cardiac arrest.
Feeling Weak On One Side Of Your Body
Strokes can either be abrupt or entirely subtle and don’t seem to be harmful. Most people know to phone for an ambulance when they can’t speak or they’re dribbling from their mouth and can’t stop, but people often confuse weakness on one side of the body as nothing more than a pinched nerve. If any limbs on one side of your body go numb or weak at the same time – particularly if the other side is okay – phone for medical assistance right away.
Difficulty Breathing
Problematic breathing is a warning sign that comes with almost any type of medical problem. The causes of breathing difficulty can be anything from a blood clot on the lungs, shock, punctured lungs, heart attack and so forth. Problems with breathing should be examined immediately.
Seizure
Seizures are usually never-ending conditions, such as epilepsy, or they can be from an injury sustained to the brain or from things that affect the brain, such as heatstroke or having a low sugar level. If the casualty has never had a seizure or convulsion previously – or you don’t know whether they have – then phone the emergency services immediately.