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| Symptom |
What It May Mean |
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| Difficulty breathing, shortness of breath |
Obstructive pulmonary disease (asthma or emphysema), bronchitis, heart problems, panic attacks, pneumonia, a blood clot in the lungs (pulmonary embolism), pulmonary fibrosis, anemia, upper airway obstruction, overdose, or collapsed lung |
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| Chest or upper abdominal pain or pressure |
Heart attack, tearing of the aorta, pancreatitis, pulmonary embolism, inflammation around the heart, gallbladder attack, ulcers, or pneumonia |
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| Fainting, sudden dizziness or weakness |
Heart attack, stroke, abnormal heart rhythm, heart valve abnormalities, or seizures |
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| Changes in vision |
Stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), bleeding in the inside of the eye, or clotting of the blood vessels of the eye |
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| Confusion or changes in mental status |
Infection, head injury, low blood sugar, medication interaction or overdose, meningitis, or encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) |
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| Any sudden or severe headache |
Stroke, blood vessel inflammation (vasculitis), meningitis, brain tumor, ruptured aneurysm (weakened blood vessel), brain abscess, uncontrolled high blood pressure, or bleeding on the brain after a head injury |
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| Uncontrolled bleeding |
Cancer, leukemia, low platelets, or liver failure |
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| Severe or persistent vomiting or diarrhea |
Gastritis (inflammation of the lining of the stomach), gallbladder attack, appendicitis, hepatitis, pancreatitis, obstruction of the bowel, infection in the abdominal cavity, or pregnancy |
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| Coughing blood |
Tuberculosis, cancer, pneumonia, bronchitis |
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| Vomiting blood |
Inflammation of the esophagus or stomach, ulcers, varices (torn blood vessels at the end of the esophagus), or cancer |
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| Suicidal or homicidal feelings |
Depression, mental health problems |
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| Unexplained weight loss |
Overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism), depression, liver disease, cancer, diabetes, tuberculosis, AIDS, or disorders that interfere with how well your body absorbs nutrients (malabsorption disorders) |
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| Unexplained changes in bowel habits |
Bacterial or viral infection, parasitic infection, inflammatory bowel disease, colon cancer, or medication side effects |
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| Unusual weakness or fatigue |
Heart attack (especially in women or the elderly), heart failure, anemia, low thyroid (hypothyroidism), liver or kidney disease |
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| Loss of consciousness after a fall |
Bleeding around the brain (subdural hematoma), especially in people on blood thinners |
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| Thirst and frequent urination |
Diabetes mellitus, diabetes insipidus (inability to concentrate urine) |
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| New onset of seizures |
Brain tumor, bleeding on or in the brain, or vasculitis (inflammation of the blood vessels in your brain), blood electrolyte abnormalities, stroke, meningitis, or encephalitis |
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| Persistent fever |
Tuberculosis, endocarditis (bacterial infection of the heart valves), vasculitis, tumor, lymphoma, lupus, or malaria (if you've traveled to malaria-prone regions of the world), other infections |
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| Trouble swallowing or painful swallowing |
Esophageal cancer or throat cancer, infection of the throat or esophagus, neurologic problems, or AIDS |
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| Persistent hoarseness |
Throat cancer or other malignancies |
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| Severe, incapacitating back pain |
Myeloma, metastatic cancer, leaking aortic aneurysm or torn aorta, epidural abscess (abscess around spinal cord), shingles, or slipped or herniated discs |
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| Hot, tender, or swollen joints |
Joint infection, acute arthritis, gout, or vasculitis |
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| Severe diarrhea |
Infection due to viruses, bacteria, or parasites, inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis), or AIDS |
Excerpted from How Not to Die by Jan Garavaglia, M.D.
Copyright © 2008 by Atlas Media Corp. and Jan Garavaglia, M.D.
Permission granted by Crown Publishers, New York, NY |
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