3 Times You Shouldn't Resist Seeking Immediate Medical Care

Many people hesitate to visit a doctor when they experience troubling symptoms. They just want to wait and watch in case it's just the body working out a few kinks. With some symptoms, though, a visit to the doctor shouldn't be put off.

If your child wakes up in the middle of the night flushed and hot

While parents do usually want to rush to the emergency room at the first sign of a fever in a child, fear of ridicule for making a big fuss over nothing often holds them back. One out of five parentslooking for doctors in Dallas, Texas, though, do find out that their child's symptoms are serious enough to warrant treatment in the emergency room.

If a child under 1 year develops a low fever at night, you should usually wait and watch. If the fever is higher than 104°F, though, a visit to the ER would be a good idea. A low-grade fever should be looked at, too - but only once it's lasted for more than two days.

A headache may be more serious than a fever. If your child has a headache that's serious enough to make it difficult for him to distract himself with his favorite activities, it's time to see the emergency room physician.

High fevers and serious headaches could indicate any of a wide range of illnesses - serious ones like meningitis included.

You experience a sudden spike in your blood pressure

When the top number of your blood pressure reading goes over 180 mm and the bottom number reaches 120 mm at any time, it's a hypertensive crisis. You need to rush to the emergency room.

It's important to understand why a very high blood pressure reading is a crisis. High pressures damage your blood vessels. They experience inflammation and begin to leak blood. Your heart, then, is unable to properly circulate blood. When your body experiences such a crisis for longer than a few hours, you could experience the rupture of an important artery like the aorta, a stroke or the failure of an important organ.

If you experience chest pain, a buzzing in the head, a feeling of extreme restlessness or nausea, you need to have someone take you to the hospital. You may not even be able to drive safely when you experience some of the symptoms of extreme high blood pressure. Once you are safely at the ER, the doctors can treat you with oral or intravenous medicine to lower your blood pressure or they can have you check in for further treatment.

When you experience inexplicable nausea or vomiting

Some people simply experience regular nausea each time they are in a car. Such motion sickness is life-long. Even unexplained nausea doesn't have to be serious enough to see a doctor over unless it stays for more than a day. Certain kinds of nausea do need to be checked out by a doctor, though.

Bouts of nausea and painful vomiting, together with a serious headache.

Nausea or vomiting that lasts for eight hours and that makes it impossible to hold anything down.

Your vomit looks unusual - is greenish or reddish - it could be a severe stomach virus.

Even if your vomiting isn't anything serious on its own, it could turn serious just by dehydrating you. If you feel lightheaded when you stand, have a very dry mouth and have pee that is dark, you need to see a doctor at least for intravenous rehydration.

Anthony Jensen has been in the healthcare industry for many years. He writes to help people better understand their health and make responsible decisions.