1. Worst headache ever.  A sudden onset, severe headache that continues to get worse is a potentially life threatening emergency, especially if associated with visual disturbances, loss of balance, impaired speech, or confusion.
2. Disorientation, fainting or loss of consciousness. Sudden disorientation can mean anything from low blood sugar to seizure to stroke and should be treated quickly.  Loss of consciousness can be a sign of many internal problems, including heart attack, bleeding, infection, and shock even with an absence of pain.
3. Can you repeat that? Following a blow to the head, people often cannot remember what happened and repeat the same question or phrase over and over and over…This is a sign of concussion and should be examined.
4. Pain or discomfort in the jaw. Heart attacks commonly present with pain or discomfort in areas other than the chest, like your shoulders, arms, or jaw. Associated symptoms may be cool, clammy skin or difficulty breathing.
5. Acute behavioral changes. People often discount or stigmatize mental illness as a weakness or flaw rather than an actual medical emergency. Suicidal expressions or thoughts should never be ignored. These situations can get out of control quickly and professional intervention is often needed.
6. Chest “Discomfort”. Pain is interpreted differently by different people. If you have tightness, pressure, a dull ache, inability to take a full breath or other descriptions of discomfort, a heart attack is a real possibility. It can happen at rest or be provoked by activity. Other associated symptoms include difficulty breathing, radiated pain (shoulder, back, jaw, abdomen) pale clammy skin, heart palpitations, light-headedness, or nausea. Ignoring these can have deadly consequences.
7. I can’t breathe. Severe asthma attacks, acute bronchitis, pneumonia, exacerbation of C.O.P.D. , and congestive heart failure are all medical emergencies. With young children, croup and epiglotitis can happen suddenly and quickly become life threatening. Even if you have never been diagnosed with a breathing disorder, a sudden onset breathing problem should be treated without delay.
8. This is not a normal stomach ache. Sharp stomach pains that worsen when you move or prevent you from sleeping should be examined quickly. Abdominal pain can also present as a constant deep ache that will not cease. If the pain is accompanied by fever, swelling, tenderness, nausea, vomiting, clammy skin, changes in bowel movements (color, diarrhea, constipation), bleeding, or radiated pain, this increases your risk of a serious condition. Any of these acute symptoms associated with pregnancy should also be examined quickly.
9. 9. I got hurt yesterday but now…Traumatic injuries are frequently ignored. Things like neck pain after a vehicle accident or deep pelvic/abdominal pain following a skiing mishap are often discounted as normal for what just happened. The truth is that non-displaced fractures and internal bleeding are sometimes self diagnosed as deep bruising and can become life-threatening if left untreated. A quick, precautionary trip to the doctor sooner can replace a more emergent trip later.
10. I’ve fallen and I can’t get up! It’s a favorite line from a commercial for everyone to spoof, but a ground level fall can be devastating for the elderly. Family members often put them back in their favorite chair or into bed and pass off an ache or pain as a sign of aging. In many circumstances, the elderly are also dealing with other medical conditions or pain and can ignore a new injury or simply do not want to go to the hospital. Even if you’re not sure, a 9-1-1 call to assist is always a good idea. The paramedics can do a quick head-to-toe evaluation and determine if a hospital visit is needed or not.
11. When in doubt, CALL!! Transport to the hospital via ambulance following a 9-1-1 call is not required or, in some cases, needed. If it’s not, we’ll tell you. If you’re uncomfortable driving yourself or a family member to the hospital, we’ll take you. We don’t mind, really! We would rather have someone call right away than wait too long. So, save a life and call 9-1-1. It may even be your own.

Cooking is the number one cause of home fires and cooking fires peak during the busy holiday season. Help prevent fires before they start by teaching your community the importance of following safe cooking practices. For more tips to help prevent fires and burns while cooking holiday meals, visit the “Home Cooking Safety” link of MySafeHome.org.