Get emergency help now if…
- Get emergency help for severe breathing trouble, chest pressure, collapse, or coughing up more than a few spots of blood.
- Get emergency help for coughing blood with any breathing difficulty, very fast heartbeat, or chest/upper-back pain.
Contact a clinician today if…
- Contact a clinician today for isolated small blood streaks, rapid cough worsening, chest pain, fever with feeling very unwell, or breathing difficulty. Use emergency care for the combinations above.
Arrange a visit / follow-up
- Arrange a visit soon if a cough lasts 2 weeks or keeps returning. Seek earlier advice for cough with weight loss, night sweats, fever or TB exposure; ask about testing.
If symptoms worsen, your care plan gives an earlier deadline, or you are unsure, contact a clinician sooner. If you cannot reach your team, use urgent care; use emergency care for severe symptoms. Many conditions share symptoms. Possible causes are examples, not a diagnosis. Missing a listed warning sign does not mean it is safe to wait.
What could be behind this symptom?
Several conditions can cause the same symptom. These examples cannot confirm or rule out a diagnosis. A clinician may need your history, an examination, or tests.
Possible causes include infection, allergy, reflux, smoke exposure or medicines. A persistent cough needs assessment.
What to tell your care team
Use paper or your own notebook. Do not send personal medical details through this website.
- Note duration, mucus or blood, exposures and travel. List medicines and whether immunity is weakened.
Do not delay urgent care to fill in notes. Avoid changing prescription medicines based on this guide.
Adults, with extra care for some situations
For adults 18 and older. Children need advice from a pediatric care team. These pages do not assess your individual symptoms.
These guides are written for adults. Children need age-specific advice. Contact a clinician earlier if you are pregnant, gave birth in the last year, have weakened immunity, or have a serious ongoing condition. Tell them about recent surgery and any new medicines.
Pregnant or gave birth within the past year? Get medical care immediately for a severe or lasting headache, vision change, fainting, fever, chest pain, trouble breathing, severe belly pain, heavy bleeding, or a painful swollen leg. Tell the team about the pregnancy. For other new symptoms, contact your maternity team for tailored advice.
Pregnant or gave birth in the past year?Sources behind this original guide
Official references support this educational guide. Sources may open an external site in another language; the full English, Spanish, and Hindi guide is on this website.
Sources checked: · Medical and language review confirmed by the foundation · v1.0