Adapted from Pain relief without drugs or surgeryMedical Editor: Melissa L. Colbert, MD, Instructor in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School; Interim Medical Director, Spaulding Rehabilitation Outpatient Clinic.
Most pain can be managed without a trip to the doctor. A bruised knee, a pulled muscle – these can be treated at home with a combination of rest, ice and heat. But some types of pain require immediate attention from trained medical personnel.
- Chest pain. Call 911 immediately. You may have a heart attack or another serious medical event such as a pulmonary embolism (a blockage of an artery in the lung). Typical heart attack symptoms include heavy pressure or tightness in the chest; crushing pain that goes to the neck, jaw, left arm, or back; and pain accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, dizziness or nausea.
- Pelvic pain. Severe new pelvic pain may be a sign of appendicitis or, in women, a ruptured ovarian cyst or an early ectopic pregnancy.
- Sudden severe headache. Get immediate care if you get one headache it is the worst you have ever experienced, or if the pain is accompanied by fever, vomiting, stiffness, cramps, rash, vision disturbances, difficulty speaking or weakness. You may have a stroke or have an infection in the brain such as meningitis. Also, seek medical attention for any head injury that could cause a concussion or life-threatening swelling of the brain.
- Severe or persistent abdominal pain. If abdominal pain is severe, persistent, or accompanied by symptoms such as fever, abdominal tenderness, or blood in the stool, you may have a serious medical problem (for example, appendicitis, diverticulitis, or pancreatitis) that requires immediate medical attention.
- Eye pain. See an eye doctor for evaluation if you are hit directly in the eye, you have stabbing pain in the eye, your eye turns red with pain, your vision is reduced, or you see sudden flashes of light. These symptoms may indicate a serious eye problem such as an infection, glaucoma, a detached retina, or inflammation inside the eye (iritis or uveitis).
