On most shifts we come across people who need emergency medical assistance, and when we ask them what happened, they normally respond with “it just happened” or “I suddenly felt…”
Although most injuries or conditions can have a sudden onset, some take a while to manifest. Here are a few signs to look out for whether they are of a quick onset nature, or progressing over a long period of time.
- Sudden headaches
- Chest pain
- Difficulty breathing
- Numbness in the extremities
- Sudden vision or speech problems
- Dizziness
- Sudden fainting
- Uncontrollable coughing
- Coughing or vomiting up blood
- Blood in the urine or stool
Although these are but a few of the many signs and symptoms, they are among the most prominent and most serious. Most of these signs can preliminarily indicate that a possible life threatening issue has arisen.
Chest pain, for example can be the first indication of acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) while sudden vision and or speech problems can indicate symptoms of either a CVA (cerebrovascular accident) more commonly known as a stroke, or a TIA (transient ischemic attack), a mini stroke. Identifying these signs and symptoms can prevent further harm to you as patient and also aid the medics to assist you in getting you to a medical facility quickly and safely.
There are many websites with vast amounts of information regarding common signs and symptoms that can be used for research and also for information for you and for your family. So always be vigilant and listen to your body.
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