Another symptom that means a definite trip to a medical facility is shortness of breath.
Shortness of breath is a sudden feeling that you’re breathing faster than you should, similar to hyperventilating.
Shortness of breath that comes with no obvious explanation and worsens if you lie down or exert yourself can be a sign of several lung diseases.
Asthma, pneumonia, and severe bronchitis could be behind a sudden onset of breathing issues.
Or it could be a pulmonary embolism, just with a different startling symptom to get your attention.
A less serious, but no less intense reason for sudden shortness of breath can be an anxiety or panic attack.
But a doctor should really make the call on if it’s emotional distress, or something more threatening and the symptom should never be dismissed.
