Get emergency help now if…
- Get emergency help for sudden or severe breathing trouble, gasping, inability to speak, chest heaviness, blue/grey lips, or confusion.
- Get emergency help for breathlessness with one swollen or painful leg.
- 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 new or worsening breathlessness or coughing blood; use emergency care for sudden/severe symptoms or the warning signs above.
Arrange a visit / follow-up
- Arrange a visit for ongoing breathlessness during everyday activity or when lying down; ask for earlier care if worsening.
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 asthma, infection, anemia, anxiety, or heart and lung conditions. Do not assume it is anxiety.
What to tell your care team
Use paper or your own notebook. Do not send personal medical details through this website.
- Note when it started and which activities are harder. Bring your inhaler and medicine list.
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