8 Symptoms You Shouldn’t Ignore, and 8 You Can Probably Stop Googling
Most symptoms are background noise, but a few are not, and the difference usually comes down to three questions: is it sudden, is it severe, and is it new and not going away? Searching your symptoms at 2 a.m. tends to make harmless things look frightening and dangerous things look dismissable. This guide gives you eight symptoms that deserve prompt attention and eight that usually do not, so you can spend your worry where it counts.
This article is general education, not a diagnosis. If you are unsure, call your doctor’s office or a nurse advice line. If something is sudden and severe, call 911 (999 in the UK) rather than reading further.
8 symptoms you shouldn’t ignore
- Chest pain or pressure. It can signal a heart attack or another serious heart problem, though acid reflux is also common. Pressure or squeezing, pain spreading to the arm, jaw or back, or pain with sweating, nausea or breathlessness makes an emergency more likely. If it is sudden or severe, call 911 rather than driving yourself.
- Sudden shortness of breath. Causes include a blood clot in the lung (pulmonary embolism), asthma, COPD, pneumonia and severe anxiety. Get checked right away, especially if it does not ease with rest or gets worse when you lie down or exert yourself.
- Stroke signs: a drooping face, a weak or numb arm, slurred speech, or sudden confusion. Remember FAST: Face, Arms, Speech, Time to call emergency services. Sudden loss of balance, trouble seeing in one or both eyes, or one-sided numbness can also be stroke signs. Do not wait for it to pass.
- A sudden, severe “thunderclap” headache. A headache that peaks within minutes and feels like the worst of your life can point to bleeding in the brain or meningitis. Seek urgent care.
- Unusual bleeding. Blood in your stool, vomit or urine, or vaginal bleeding after menopause, can have causes ranging from hemorrhoids and ulcers to cancers. Get it evaluated promptly. Do not assume it is minor.
- Unexplained weight loss. Losing about 5% or more of your body weight in under six months without trying (about 8 pounds for a 160-pound adult) can be linked to conditions including diabetes, thyroid problems, depression and cancer. Call your primary care provider.
- Sudden vision changes. Flashes of light, a shower of new spots, or a curtain-like shadow over your vision can signal a detached retina, which can cause permanent vision loss. Seek care without delay.
- Sudden or severe abdominal pain. Sharp pain that comes on quickly may mean appendicitis, gallstones, diverticulitis or, rarely, a ruptured blood vessel. Go to urgent care for milder pain and the ER for severe pain.
Two more worth a phone call: leg or ankle swelling that lasts more than a few days (heart, kidney, clot or thyroid causes are possible), and a fever of 103°F or higher, or a low-grade fever lasting more than a week with no clear cause.
8 symptoms you can probably stop Googling
“Probably” is the key word. Each of these is usually harmless on its own, with the exceptions noted.
| Symptom | Why it is usually harmless | See a doctor if |
|---|---|---|
| Eye or muscle twitching | Linked to stress, tiredness, caffeine or alcohol, and some medicines; usually stops in days to weeks | It lasts more than 2 weeks, appears in more than one place, or the area feels weak or stiff |
| A bright red patch on the white of the eye | A tiny blood vessel burst, often after coughing, sneezing or straining; clears in a couple of weeks | You have pain, vision changes, or repeated episodes |
| Black stools | Iron tablets, bismuth products like Pepto-Bismol, and dark foods such as blueberries or beets can darken stool | Stools are tarry and sticky, or you have a family history of colon cancer or other bleeding concerns |
| Orange-tinted skin | Carotenemia, from lots of carrots or beta-carotene supplements | The whites of your eyes or your urine also look yellow or dark |
| A sore spot at the base of the breastbone | Often the lower tip of the breastbone (the xiphoid process) irritated by pressure; fades in about a week | It persists, or comes with chest pressure, breathlessness or sweating |
| Frequent sighing | A common physical sign of anxiety when heart and lungs are normal | It comes with chest pain or real breathlessness, or does not ease after reassurance |
| An occasional skipped or fluttering heartbeat | Extra beats are common and often harmless | It comes with fainting, chest pain or shortness of breath, or happens often |
| Brief lightheadedness on standing up | Blood pressure briefly lags when you stand quickly | You faint, it happens often, or you take blood pressure medicines |
The last two rows come from general medical knowledge rather than the pages we cite, so confirm them with your own clinician if they apply to you.
A simple rule for deciding
Ask three questions before you search:
- Is it sudden or severe? If yes, get care now.
- Is it new, and is it not going away? If it lasts more than a couple of weeks, book an appointment.
- Does it come with other symptoms, such as fever, weight loss, bleeding, breathlessness or weakness? Several symptoms together are more worrying than one on its own.
If you do book a visit, note when it started, what makes it better or worse, any medicines and supplements you take, and your family history. A written timeline helps your clinician more than a search history does.
Sources
- 10 Symptoms to Never Ignore, UC San Diego Health
- Twitching eyes and muscles, NHS
- Scary Medical Symptoms You Should Not Worry About, Consumer Reports
- Signs and symptoms of a stroke, NHS
Details on chest pain warning features, the two heart and blood pressure rows in the table, and the weight example are from general medical knowledge and were not checked against these pages. This article is educational and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. In an emergency, call 911.
