How To Identify Medical Emergencies

Medical emergencies can happen when you least expect them. Read on to learn how to identify five common medical emergencies.

Difficulty Breathing

There are many instances when it’s normal to have difficulty breathing, such as when you exercise regularly and feel like you can’t get enough air into your lungs. However, various health problems, such as respiratory illnesses like asthma, heart problems, and a pulmonary embolism, may also cause shortness of breath. In these cases, it can result in a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment.

Sometimes, sudden difficulty breathing can be a sign of a life-threatening condition. Emergency care provided by your Affinity Rescue plan can help manage a life-threatening event. Go to the nearest hospital if you have:

Severe breathing difficulty.
Chest pains and heaviness.
Heart palpitations.
A high-pitched or wheezing sound when breathing.
Pale blue skin, nails and lips.
Any sudden swelling on your ankles and feet.

Chest Pain or Discomfort

Some causes of chest pain are life-threatening, while others aren’t. It can be accompanied by sharp aches that feel like something is squeezing your chest. In worst cases, the chest pain might spread to other upper body areas and into your neck and jaw.

The most common cause of severe chest pain is chronic heartburn and underlying lung conditions. However, chest pains linked to heart and lung function can be challenging to diagnose due to various possible causes. Research suggests that if it doesn’t go away after taking medication and resting, you might be showing signs of life-threatening cardiac arrest.

Seizures

Your brain constantly receives electrical pulses from nerve cells known as neurons for effective cell communication. Any disturbances to this communication pathway can create a sudden and uncontrollable burst of electrical activity, which can lead to complications that are harmful to brain functioning.

Some genetic changes, such as epilepsy, are a common cause of seizures. However, this doesn’t mean that if you have seizures, you will be diagnosed with epilepsy. Common causes or triggers include:

An infection of the brain, such as encephalitis or meningitis.
Specific medications to treat depression or chronic pain.
Using substances such as cocaine.
Extreme intoxication.
Low sodium levels in your blood.

Severe Bleeding

Damage to your blood vessels caused by significant injuries can lead to haemorrhaging, which interferes with the blood clotting process. However, there are cases where the damage to these blood vessels happens internally. Depending on where it’s located and the severity, this bleeding can lead to low blood pressure, organ failure, or a stroke.

If your bleeding is extreme, you should seek immediate medical help, especially if you suspect that it’s internal. If you have an existing bleeding disorder such as haemophilia, you should seek emergency assistance to prevent life-threatening consequences. Other instances when you should contact Affinity Rescue are the following:

You can’t control the bleeding when you apply pressure.
Your bleeding is a result of an accident or severe injury.
You need stitches to stop the bleeding.
There’s a foreign object stuck inside the wound, causing excessive bleeding.
An animal bite causes your bleeding.

Sudden and Severe Headache

You can’t control the bleeding when you apply pressure.
Your bleeding is a result of an accident or severe injury.
You need stitches to stop the bleeding.
There’s a foreign object stuck inside the wound, causing excessive bleeding.
An animal bite causes your bleeding.

How To Identify Medical Emergencies