Heart Disease Health Center

Has your angina gotten better but not gone away after using your home treatment plan?

Are you having angina more often?

Is your angina getting more severe?

Do you have angina with activities that have not caused angina in the past?

Does angina wake you up at night?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

Did you have chest pain or discomfort?

Did you have pressure, heaviness, or tightness in the chest, upper belly, or jaw?

Did you have pain or numbness in your shoulders or arms, especially on the left side?

Did you have pain in the upper back or neck?

Did you have shortness of breath, sweating, or nausea?

Did you have severe tiredness or exhaustion that came on suddenly?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

Do you have severe pain after a chest injury but no other symptoms?

Have you coughed up blood after a chest or back injury?

Do you have blood in your urine after a chest or back injury?

Do you have moderate to severe belly pain after an injury to the chest?

Do you feel or hear a crackling or popping noise with deep breathing and you are having pain with breathing, but you do not have shortness of breath?

Do you have mild difficulty breathing after a chest injury?

Do you have a fever after a chest injury?

Do you have a new cough after a chest injury?

Do you have moderate pain in your chest without other symptoms that is not getting better 6 hours after the injury?

Do you have mild to moderate pain in your chest when you take a deep breath that has not improved after 24 hours of home treatment?

Do you have mild pain that has not improved after 24 hours of home treatment?

Do you have any pain in your chest that has lasted longer than 1 week after an injury?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

Does your pain become severe when you take a deep breath?

Are you coughing up blood or sputum mixed with blood?

Do you have pain deep in your leg or calf that is not from a leg injury?

Do you have pain and you have had a pulmonary embolus or a blood clot (deep vein thrombosis, or DVT) in the past?

Do you have mild to moderate pain when taking a deep breath but no other symptoms?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

Do you have severe chest wall pain?

Are you coughing up blood or sputum mixed with blood?

Do you have pain deep in your leg or calf that is not from a leg injury?

Do you have new, moderate pain that does not have an obvious cause, such as a muscle strain or other injury to the chest wall?

Do you have new, moderate pain that does not have an obvious cause, such as coughing, wheezing, sneezing, or difficulty breathing?

Have you had ongoing, violent coughing for longer than 24 hours and you are unable to rest or sleep?

For the past 24 hours, have you had sudden, sharp pain that comes and goes but only lasts for a few seconds?

For longer than 2 days, have you had mild pain when you cough or take a deep breath?

Have you had any chest wall pain for longer than 1 week?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

Do you have moderate to severe pain in your chest and a fever?

Do you have a fever of or higher?

Do you think that you have a high fever but you are unable to measure your temperature?

Do you have a fever of to that persists after 4 hours of home treatment?

Do you think that you have a moderate fever but you are unable to measure your temperature?

Have you had a fever of to with mild chest pain for 3 full days?

Do you think that you have had a mild fever for 3 full days but you have been unable to measure your temperature?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

Do you have pain with a band-shaped rash on one side of your chest?Note: Call your doctor as soon as possible. If shingles is causing your symptoms, there may be a medicine you can take that will limit the pain and rash. Medicines are most effective if begun within 2 to 3 days of the start of the rash.

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

Has mild chest pain interfered with your daily activities?

Has mild chest pain caused you to limit your usual activities for longer than 1 week?

Have you had any chest pain for longer than 1 week?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

Do you think your chest pain may be caused by a medicine?Note: If your answer is Yes:Call the doctor who prescribed the medicine to determine whether you should stop taking the medicine or take a different one. An appointment may not be necessary. Do not take another dose of the medicine until you have spoken to your doctor.If you are taking a nonprescription medicine, stop taking the medicine. Call your doctor if you feel you need to continue taking the medicine.

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

You have answered "Yes" to a question that indicates you may need immediate care. Call your health professional now to discuss your symptoms and arrange for your care.

• Symptoms are likely to worsen without medical care.
• If you do not have a health professional, seek emergency care.
• Emergency transportation is not needed. However, if you are not able to travel safely either by driving yourself or having someone else drive you, call an ambulance.

You do not need to answer any of the other questions.

You have answered "Yes" to a question that indicates you need to call your health professional to discuss your symptoms and arrange for care.

• An appointment today is usually needed.
• Symptoms are unlikely to improve without medical care.

Return to the Check Your Symptoms section and answer the questions. You may need to see a health professional sooner if you have other more serious symptoms.

You have answered "Yes" to a question that indicates you may wait to see if your symptoms improve over the next 24 hours (or the specified time period). If symptoms improve, no appointment is needed.

• If symptoms do not improve after 24 hours (or the specified time period), an appointment within the next 24 hours is usually needed.
• If appropriate, try home treatment to relieve your symptoms.
• Check your symptoms in 24 hours, or sooner if there is any change.
• Call your health professional if symptoms get worse.

Return to the Check Your Symptoms section and answer the questions. You may need to see a health professional sooner if you have other more serious symptoms.