When it comes to severe medical situations, emergency medicine doctors see it all. They’re the physicians who folks of all ages rush to when something serious goes wrong. But just what does “serious” mean? What kinds of pain constitute a visit to the emergency department? Experts say that it’s a hard question to answer.
“Unfortunately, it can be so variable from patient to patient, and sometimes people that even have minor pain may have something very serious going on. So [pain is] not something that anybody should ignore,” said Dr. Michael Turturro, a professor of emergency medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
Meaning, you should take pain seriously and see a doctor if you have any concerns. It’s better to be told nothing is wrong than to regret not seeing a medical professional sooner. (We know there are financial considerations that come along with this — more on that below.)
While all pain is worth taking seriously, experts told HuffPost there are certain pains that are generally across-the-board alarming and reason enough for medical attention. Here’s what they are:
1. Sudden Pain That Doesn’t Go Away
“Generally, pain that is sudden and severe and does not go away is something that should really get your attention,” Turturro said. This goes for pain anywhere on your body, he noted.
A medical professional will need to evaluate the pain and determine if it’s serious or not, but if you have a sudden and alarming new pain, it’s a good idea to get it checked out and not to ignore it.
“We’d rather people err on the side of caution,” Turturro added. “If they’re concerned enough that they feel something is not right and they need to be evaluated, then they should be evaluated whether or not it’s related to something serious or not.”
Say you’re worried about new hand pain that came out of nowhere. Instead of brushing it off, consider seeing a doctor.
“If it’s concerning enough that it is troubling to you, and particularly if it’s a pain you’ve never experienced before, that’s something you should really consider getting urgent medical attention for,” he added.
2. Chest Pain
Chest pain is often (and rightfully) associated with heart attacks, which makes this type of pain important to take seriously.
“Chest pain is definitely a concerning one to us. If people are developing that sudden onset of chest pain, something they’ve never felt before, or they’ve had it before [and] they’ve been told that they have heart problems, they should be checked out sooner rather than later,” said Dr. Mark Conroy, emergency medicine physician at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
Turturro said chest pain is particularly worrisome in older people and for folks who have risk factors for heart disease, such as hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol.
Beyond heart attacks, sharp chest pain could also mean other serious issues, such as a blood clot in the lung or a tear of major vessels in the chest, Turturro said.
But it’s impossible to say exactly what chest pain could signify in one person versus another, and it isn’t always serious. “Chest pain could be rather related to very benign causes as well, such as heartburn,” Turturro added.
Since lots of things can manifest as chest pain, you shouldn’t totally panic, but you also shouldn’t discount your chest pain (or, once again, any pain). Instead, you should see a doctor who can determine what’s going on.
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3. Calf Pain Along With Calf Redness
According to Conroy, lower leg pain, specifically in the calf, can be worrisome when it’s accompanied by leg swelling and/or redness of the calf.
“I always get concerned that they might have the concerning symptoms for a blood clot, or what we call a DVT, deep venous thrombosis,” Conroy said.
“That would be a concerning pain that I would definitely want someone to get seen sooner rather than later for, especially if they recently had surgery and they’ve been just laying in bed, or … they had a long plane ride recently,” he noted.
4. Upper Back Pain That Feels Like A Tearing Sensation
Back pain is a common affliction that can happen in a number of scenarios, such as sleeping in a bad position, working out improperly, sitting in a chair that doesn’t provide support and more. While it’s always worth taking care of your back pain, there is one specific type that Conroy said needs medical attention.
If you have back pain that feels like a tearing sensation through your upper back or at the back of the chest, you should see a professional as soon as possible.
“Having that tearing sensation can represent a problem with the main large blood vessel in your body, called the aorta,” Conroy said.
5. Certain Lower Abdomen Pains
“The abdomen is one of those [pains] I think every emergency physician gets a little bit nervous about because there’s just so many things that can go on,” Conroy said. “So instead of specific conditions, it’s really more, how are the symptoms presenting?”
“If you’re having abdominal pain, or what we call flank pain … kind of the right or left portion of your lower back or lower abdomen, then certainly that could be concerning for things like kidney stones, or if you’re having fevers with it, it can be a kidney infection,” he said.
It could also be appendicitis if the flank pain is accompanied by nausea and vomiting, Conroy added.
If you have this kind of lower abdominal pain along with any of the above problematic symptoms, it’s a good idea to see a doctor quickly.
Bottom Line: Any Pain You’re Worried About Is Reason Enough To Visit A Doctor.
While going to the doctor, and especially an emergency medicine department, can feel foreboding, you should never ignore or dismiss your pain.
Seeing a doctor about an alarming problem is the best move for your health, even if the pain ends up being nothing at all — which is the ideal outcome.
“It may be that you get a brief evaluation, you get some kind of screening labs or screening tests, and hopefully, some reassurance that the worst-case scenario is not what’s going on,” Conroy said.
It can certainly be frustrating to hear nothing is wrong while still having to pay for health care costs, particularly if you’re paying emergency room prices, which tend to be much higher than routine visits or scheduled specialist visits.
If you need fast medical attention but not emergent medical attention, you can consider visiting your local urgent care, which tends to be cheaper than a visit to the ER. You can also call your primary care provider’s office to see if they have after-hours or last-minute appointments available, which would also be cheaper than an ER visit. That said, certain issues do require immediate emergency department visits and are worth the cost for your safety. Urgent care staff or your doctor should be able to help you determine if emergency care is needed — and, if you’re not sure if you need emergent attention, it’s best to go to the ER.