Symptom Guide
What your symptoms can mean
Background reading on common symptoms — what tends to cause them, and the signs that mean you should stop reading and speak to someone.
This is not a symptom checker, and it does not diagnose. Nothing here can tell you what you have. Symptoms overlap heavily between harmless and serious conditions — telling them apart needs examination and often testing. What this page can do is help you understand the words, so the conversation with your doctor or pharmacist is a better one.
Get help immediately if any of these apply
- Chest pain or pressure, especially with sweating, nausea, or pain spreading to the arm, neck or jaw
- Sudden difficulty breathing, or breathlessness at rest
- Sudden weakness or numbness on one side, a drooping face, or slurred speech
- A sudden, severe headache unlike any you have had before
- Confusion, a seizure, or difficulty staying awake
- Uncontrolled bleeding, or vomiting blood
- A stiff neck with fever and a rash that does not fade under pressure
- Severe abdominal pain that comes on suddenly
- Swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty swallowing after a sting, food or medicine
- Thoughts of harming yourself
In India dial 112 for emergency services, or 1800-116-117 for the national poison helpline. Elsewhere, use your local emergency number. Do not wait to see whether it passes.
Common symptoms explained
38 symptom topics, each covering what it is, what commonly causes it, and when it needs attention — sourced from MedlinePlus and cited on the page.
- Abdominal PainStomach aches can be painful. Find out what might be the cause of your abdominal pain.
- Bad BreathThere are many reasons why you might have bad breath (also known as halitosis) including a lack of dental hygiene. Learn about how you can prevent it.
- BleedingBleeding is the loss of blood, inside or outside the body. A hemorrhage is severe bleeding. Learn about the causes of bleeding and how to treat it.
- Breathing ProblemsWhen you have breathing problems, such as shortness of breath, it's hard for you to take in the oxygen your body needs. Find out what can cause this.
- BruisesLearn about how bruises, or contusions, form. They happen when you get a blow or injury that breaks the small blood vessels under the skin.
- Chest PainChest pain can be caused by a heart attack, but it can have other causes. Learn about what they are, and when you should get immediate medical help.
- ChokingDo you know how to respond if you see someone choking? Learn how to respond with back blows, the Heimlich maneuver (abdominal thrusts), and CPR.
- Chronic PainChronic pain lasts longer than three months or the time in which you should have healed. It is not always curable, but treatments can help.
- ConstipationFeeling "backed-up" or like you need to "go" but just can't? Read some of the reasons why this could be happening and learn some prevention tips.
- CoughCoughing helps your body heal or protect itself. There are two types of coughs: acute and chronic. Learn the causes of chronic cough.
- DehydrationDehydration means your body doesn't have enough fluid. Learn about the signs and symptoms of dehydration, and what to do about it.
- DiarrheaDiarrhea can range from mild to severe and can be dangerous in children. Find out what you can do to treat symptoms and when to call your doctor.
- Dizziness and VertigoGet the facts on symptoms, causes, and treatments for dizziness. Know how dizziness differs from vertigo, which is feeling that the room is spinning.
- EdemaEdema is swelling caused by fluid in your tissues. It can be anywhere in the body, but is often in the feet and legs. Learn the causes and treatments.
- FaintingFainting, or syncope, is a brief loss of consciousness when blood flow to the brain suddenly drops. Know the causes and what to do if someone faints.
- FatigueAre you tired? Find out about some of the common and uncommon causes of fatigue and how to help yourself.
- FeverAre you running a temperature? Learn what can cause a fever and how to know when a fever can be dangerous.
- FrostbiteDid you know that frostbite can cause permanent damage? Learn how to identify frostbite symptoms and what to do if you think you have frostbite.
- GasPassing gas can be embarrassing. But everyone does it. Find out the causes of gas and how to control burping and flatulence.
- Gastrointestinal BleedingGastrointestinal bleeding can be a a signal of a serious disease. Find out about GI tract symptoms, tests, and related conditions.
- HeadacheNearly everyone has had a headache, the most common form of pain. Learn the different types, the different symptoms of, and when to see a doctor.
- HeartburnLooking for heartburn remedies? Find out more about heartburn (pyrosis) and how to relieve this type of indigestion.
- Heat IllnessDuring hot weather, especially with high humidity, sweating isn't enough and your temperature can rise and cause heat illnesses like heat exhaustion.
- HivesHives is a skin rash that can cause the skin to be red and have itchy bumps. Learn possible reasons to have rashes and treatments.
- HypothermiaPeople with hypothermia suffer from low body temperature, which is usually below 95 degrees. Read about the common ways to get hypothermia.
- IndigestionIf you've ever overindulged in a favorite dish, you've probably experienced indigestion (dyspepsia). Read about causes and therapies here.
- ItchingPruritus, or itchy skin, is tingling or irritation that makes you want to scratch the area. It's a symptom of many health conditions. Learn the causes.
- JaundiceJaundice is a yellow coloring of the skin or eyes caused by too much bilirubin in the body. Jaundice can happen for many reasons. Learn about it here.
- Motion SicknessMotion sickness can start suddenly, with a queasy feeling and cold sweats. Read about how you can prevent motion sickness while traveling.
- Nausea and VomitingYou call it barfing, puking, or throwing up; your doctor calls it vomiting. Read more about nausea and vomiting and the conditions that cause them.
- PainPain is a feeling triggered in the nervous system. You may feel it as a prick, tingle, sting, burn, or ache. Read about the causes and what can help.
- Pelvic PainPelvic pain is pain in the area below your belly button. It can affect women and men and may be acute or chronic. Learn about the causes and treatments.
- Rare DiseasesA rare disease is one that affects fewer than 200,000 people in the United States. There are nearly 7,000, affecting more than 25 million Americans.
- Raynaud PhenomenonRaynaud phenomenon is a disorder of the blood vessels. It causes your fingers and toes to become cold and numb when you get cold or stressed. Learn more.
- SciaticaSciatica is a symptom of a problem with the sciatic nerve causing pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling. Read about causes, tests, and treatment.
- Speech and Communication DisordersSpeech and communication disorders affect our ability to communicate. From saying sounds incorrectly to being unable to understand others talking.
- StutteringLearn about stuttering, or stammering, a speech disorder that affects the flow of your speech. It is more common in children, who often outgrow it.
- Vaginal BleedingVaginal bleeding is different from a period. It may last for weeks, or is between periods, before puberty, during pregnancy, or after menopause. Learn about the causes.
How to describe a symptom usefully
Most of the diagnostic value in a consultation comes from the history, not the examination. Being able to answer these turns a vague complaint into something a clinician can work with:
- When did it start, and was the onset sudden or gradual?
- Is it constant or does it come and go? If it comes and goes, what brings it on?
- What makes it better or worse — food, movement, rest, position, time of day?
- Has it changed since it started — worse, better, moved, spread?
- What else is happening alongside it, even if it seems unrelated?
- What have you already tried, and did it help?
Take your medicines — or a list of them, including anything bought over the counter and any supplements. Interactions and side effects account for a surprising share of new symptoms, and a medicine page will tell you what is already known to be associated with a given drug.
Symptom topics are drawn from MedlinePlus.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.