Most sudden dizziness is benign — caused by inner ear problems, dehydration, low blood sugar, anxiety, or medication side effects. Only about 2 to 5% of ER visits for dizziness turn out to have a serious cause. But the serious ones are very serious: stroke, brain hemorrhage, vertebral artery dissection,
Go to the ER for any headache that comes on suddenly and peaks within 60 seconds (“thunderclap headache”), feels like the worst headache of your life, comes with fever and stiff neck, is paired with weakness, numbness, slurred speech, vision changes, confusion, or seizures, follows a head injury, or develops
Sudden numbness on one side of the body, face, arm, leg, or all three, is one of the most specific stroke warning signs in medicine. The American Heart Association, CDC, and Johns Hopkins all list it as a primary stroke red flag. Until proven otherwise by an ER workup, any
Sudden blurred vision is an emergency when it appears within seconds to minutes, affects one eye or one side of vision, comes with eye pain or severe headache, includes flashes or floaters, or is paired with neurological symptoms like weakness, numbness, or slurred speech. Conditions causing this include stroke, retinal
Go to the emergency room for heart palpitations when they’re paired with chest pain, fainting, severe shortness of breath, severe lightheadedness, or a heart rate over 120 beats per minute at rest that won’t slow down. Also, go to the ER for palpitations lasting more than 20 to 30 minutes,
Chest tightness from anxiety typically feels sharp or stabbing, stays in one spot, peaks within 10 minutes, and is tied to emotional stress or a triggering thought. Chest tightness from a heart problem typically feels like heavy pressure or squeezing, can spread to the arm, jaw, neck, or back, builds
