Questioning when to go to the ER can be scary. As a matter of fact, we would not want, even in the distant dream, you to go to ER. But certain conditions warrant an ER Visit. By not doing so, you could be putting the health of yourself or a loved one at stake.
Included in this article are the conditions or Symptoms that answer your “when to go to ER” question. Also, you will know when to take your infant to ER, take your child to ER, and the need of ER for adults.
Do You Need to Visit the ER For Common Symptoms?
Well, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this common question. For example, a dull pain near your navel may seem like something that you could get away without any treatment. But do you know the same pain could be indicative of appendicitis? Evidently, no symptom can be considered as each of them could be indicative of some serious underlying conditions.
In fact, there are many instances when serious conditions start with seemingly milder symptoms. These include headache, pain in the jaw, chest pain, shortness of breath, and finally a feeling that something is not right inside your body.
Moreover, ER visits are not limited to the disease conditions only. Injury, choking, burns, electrocution, and long-lasting seizures also require an ER visit.
So, is there any way that can tell you when to go to ER? There is and there is not. That being said, Severe injuries, especially to the head and spine, and burns invariably require you to go to ER. This is easier than finding out if you should go to ER if you have a headache or chest pain.
For the physical symptoms, it is always a good idea to keep note of their frequency, severity and your gut feeling.
Given below are some conditions/symptoms that warrant an ER trip for any age group:
- Choking
- Disturbed breathing
- Head injury with loss of consciousness, vomiting episodes, or mental confusion
- Injury to neck or spine. Think of going to the ER if you or your loved one experiences a lack of emotion or loses theability to move after the injury.
- Electric shock or lightning strike
- Severe burn
- Severe chest pain
- Seizure attacks for more than 3 minutes.
Rush to the ER if you or a loved one is experiencing:
- Breathing difficulties
- Loss of consciousness for longer durations
- Chest pain that radiates to the left shoulder and jaw
- A sudden episode of bad headache, something you have not experienced before.
- Sudden problems with vision, speech or movement.
- Sudden weakness on one side of the body
- Persistent dizziness
- Inhaled poisonous fumes
- Heavy loss of blood
- Signs that your bone is possibly broken. For example, severe swelling on the affected part, loss of movement, and extreme
- Severe burn
- Coughing up blood
- Unbearable pain in any part of the body with or without an obvious reason
- Symptoms of severe allergic reaction such as breathing difficulties, swelling, hives, and rashes on the skin
- High fever accompanied by headache and stiffness in the neck
- A fever that does not improve even after taking medicine
- Severe loss of fluid due to diarrhea or vomiting
- Accidentally taken a poison
- Persistent thoughts of harming yourself or others
- Long-lasting seizures
- Overdosing on drug or alcohol
- Attempting suicide
When to Take Your Infant to ER
The decision to take your infant to ER solely depends on your own assessment of the infant’s symptoms. This is because the infants and kids cannot directly tell how they are feeling. Take note of the following warning signs and symptoms.
- Refusing food and drink consistently or vomiting up foods or liquids
- Fever above 100.4 that lasts for longer durations
- Crying persistently
- Vomiting and frequent passage of loose or watery stool
- Labored breathing, wheezing or high-pitched noise when breathing
- Visible injury after a fall or accident like a bump on the head
When to Take Your Child to ER
If it’s the first time that you are parenting a child, it is critically essential that you identify the conditions when you should take your child to the ER. However, this, in no way, means that you can stay relaxed when something wrong happens to your second child or the first child the second time. In essence, experience and instinct are great assets that help you determine when you should take your child to ER.
Look out for the following symptoms in your child and rush them to ER if anything does not feel right.
- Choking
- Bluish discoloration of the skin
- Persistent high-grade fever that does not improve with common medicines
- Frequent or heavy bleeding, especially following an injury
- Severe vomiting and diarrhea characterized by sunken eyes, low urine output, excessive skin dryness, etc.
When to Go to the ER: Not for These Conditions in Most Cases
Not All Conditions Require an ER Visit. Know the Bad Reasons to Visit ER
If you visit ER with minor symptoms of a cold, you are definitely wasting your time and money, as well your doctor’s time. That being said, many conditions are not severe enough to warrant an ER visit. Instead, you can get relief by visiting your personal physician.
These conditions include:
- Sore throat
- Minor cough
- Non-severe allergic reactions that can go away with OTC medications
- Occasional headache
- Minor wound or bleeding from superficial cuts
- Sprains and strains without the signs of broken bones
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