symptom.md Blog

Not every symptom needs a doctor visit, but some are red flags that require prompt evaluation. Learn which warning signs shouldn't wait.

symptom.md explains different types of chest pain — which need emergency care and which are likely muscular, digestive, or anxiety-related.

symptom.md helps you identify your headache type and know when a headache needs urgent medical attention.

symptom.md reviews the most common medical causes of unexplained fatigue — from thyroid problems to sleep apnea to iron deficiency.

symptom.md maps common causes of abdominal pain by location — upper, lower, right side, left side — to help you communicate with your doctor.

symptom.md explains what causes numbness and tingling — from carpal tunnel to vitamin deficiency to stroke warning.

Night sweats affect 10% to 41% of primary care patients and most cases are not serious. Here are the common causes, the red flags that change the picture, and the first-line tests.

A blood pressure drop of 20 systolic or 10 diastolic within three minutes of standing defines orthostatic hypotension. Here is how to measure it at home, what causes it, and how to tell it apart from POTS.

Most unexplained bruising is sun-thinned skin, a blood-thinning drug or supplement, or a forgotten bump; here are the platelet thresholds, the red flags, and the four tests doctors order first.

Losing 5% of your body weight in 6 to 12 months without trying is the threshold doctors use. Cancer explains 19% to 36% of cases; here are the other causes, the red flags, and the baseline tests that find the answer 72% of the time.

Only 1.1% of unexplained swollen lymph nodes in primary care are cancer. Here are the size thresholds by location, the red flags such as a node above the collarbone, and what the four-week rule means.

A cough past 8 weeks is chronic. Usual causes: postnasal drip, asthma, acid reflux, an ACE inhibitor, smoking, or post-infection cough. Red flags: blood, weight loss, fever.

Always cold? Hypothyroidism affects nearly 5 in 100 Americans and iron-deficiency anemia causes cold hands and feet. See 10 causes, the 4 tests to ask for, and red flags.

Itching with no rash is usually dry skin, but itch lasting 6+ weeks can signal liver, kidney, thyroid, iron, blood, or nerve problems. Causes, tests, red flags.

A pulse oximeter only shows oxygen saturation, not effort. Asthma, anemia, heart problems, low fitness, and anxiety can cause breathlessness at 95% to 100%.

A metallic taste (dysgeusia) often comes from medicines like metformin, colds, dental issues, or pregnancy. About 3 in 100 metformin users notice it at first.

Waking with a pounding heart is usually an adrenaline surge. Sleep apnea, nocturnal panic, evening alcohol and low blood sugar are the most common causes.