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In a medical crisis, it’s good to know you can get aid quickly. That’s the whole point of the 911 emergency call system. It offers the reassuring certainty that you’re only three numbers away from help.

You call. Someone answers. Help is sent.

But what reassures some people may make others reluctant. “Is this really an emergency? What if my chest pain turns out to be gas instead of a heart attack? Maybe I should wait and see if things get worse….”

That’s why it’s important to learn the signs of a medical emer-gency, while always remembering that it’s better to be safe than sorry.

A matter of life or limb. In a nutshell, that’s how the American College of Emergency Physicians defnes a medical emer-gency. If you believe that quick medical care is needed to save someone’s life or limb, you should call 911.

Of course, health crises aren’t always as crystal clear as that may suggest. So you should also watch for these other general signs and symptoms of a medical emergency: ■■ Diffculty breathing. ■■ Chest pain.

■■ A racing heartbeat at rest, par-ticularly with shortness of breath. ■■ Loss of consciousness. ■■ Sudden dizziness, weakness or confusion.

■■ Sudden trouble walking, speak-ing or understanding speech. ■■ A major bone fracture, such as a broken leg.

■■ Severe bleeding that won’t stop. ■■ A serious allergic reaction. ■■ Severe, persistent pain. Call 911 for any of the above, but keep in mind that this isn’t an all-inclusive list. If you think you might have an emergency, phone for help. The 911 dispatcher can assess your situation.

tired? It’s probably because you’re not get-ting enough sleep.

A lump under your armpit? It’s prob-ably just a cyst.

Or maybe you were afraid it wasn’t just a cyst, and that fear kept you from calling the doctor.

Most minor symptoms aren’t a sign of a serious disease. But that still doesn’t mean you shouldn’t run them by your doctor.

CHECK IT OUT “Generally, when some-one calls my ofce with a complaint like being tired, they are going to be advised to come in for a checkup,” says J. Fred Ralston Jr., MD, FACP, 2010 president of the American College of Physicians (ACP). “Seeing them face to face, I can ask questions to fnd out what is going on.” Maybe the person is depressed, says Dr. Ralston, or perhaps he or she is over-weight and out of shape.

“Or I may fnd out that they have heart disease,” he says.

Whatever the outcome, the visit isn’t going to be a waste. If it looks like the person is tired because of excess weight, the doctor may talk about eating a healthy diet and increasing activity levels. “Tese lifestyle changes can help the current problem of fatigue and make it less likely that the person will have heart disease in the future,” he says.

And if it turns out the fatigue is an early warning sign of heart disease? Ten both doctor and patient can get an early jump on treatment that can either stop or slow the progression of the disease.

To make sure you and your doctor head of dangerous problems as soon as possible, it can help to know the early symptoms of four common diseases: cancer, heart dis-ease, diabetes and chronic obstructive pul-monary disease (COPD). Tey are among the leading causes of death in the U.S. Keep in mind that having one or more of these symptoms doesn’t mean you have a serious disease. But it’s a good idea to let your doctor give you that reassuring news.

CANCER’S WARNING SIGNS Symp-toms of cancer can depend on many things—including where in the body the disease is, how big a tumor might be and whether the cancer has spread.

For instance, a tumor pressing on

an organ can cause pain. Cancer can also sap the body’s en-ergy supply, resulting in fatigue. And the disease can weaken the immune system,

leading to recurrent infections.

Te ACP, American Cancer Society and other experts list the following common symptoms of cancer. Some are general to cancer as a whole; others are specifc to certain types:

● Unexplained weight loss, such as 10 pounds or more.

● Fatigue that doesn’t improve with rest. ● Pain.

● Change in bowel or bladder habits. ● Sores that don’t heal.

● Change in the appearance of skin. ● Unusual bleeding or discharge. ● Tickening or a lump in a breast, tes-ticle or other area of the body.

● Hoarseness, nagging cough or trouble swallowing.

Heart disease is a broad term for several diferent diseases that afect the heart, including coronary artery disease (CAD), the No. 1 killer of both men and women in the U.S.

With CAD, plaque builds up in the arteries that supply the heart with blood. Tis can cause the arteries to narrow, re-ducing or even blocking blood fow to the

heart.

Te most com-mon symptom of CAD is angina—a type of chest pain or discomfort that tends to get worse with activity and go away with rest. Angina pain may also be felt in the shoulders, arms, neck, jaw or back.

Another common symptom of CAD is shortness of breath, which happens when CAD triggers heart failure. With heart failure, the heart doesn’t pump blood as well as it should.

Finally, some people with CAD display no signs of the disease until they have a heart attack. Call 911 immediately if you have any of these symptoms of a heart attack:

● Chest pain or pressure.

● Discomfort in one or both arms, the back of the neck, the jaw or the stomach. ● Shortness of breath. ● Light-headedness. ● Nausea or vomiting. ● Breaking into a cold sweat.

duce the risk of serious complica-tions—like dam-age to the eyes, nerves, heart and kidneys. Symptoms of diabetes include: ● Frequent urination. ● Extreme thirst or hunger. ● Unusual weight loss.

● Extreme fatigue and irritability. ● Frequent infections, especially of the gums, skin or bladder. ● Blurred vision.

● Tingling in the hands or feet. ● Sores that are slow to heal.

SYMPTOMS OF COPD COPD is a pro-gressive lung disease. It is almost always linked to a current or past smoking habit.

With COPD, air sacs in the lungs become damaged. They may lose their elasticity and shape, no longer infating and de-fating like they should. Te airways also become constantly infamed and irritated, which makes breathing difcult. Te disease develops slowly. But treat-ment and lifestyle changes can help you stay active and feel better longer, according to the National Institutes of Health. If you have any of the following symp-toms, ask your doctor about a spirometry test to check your breathing:

● Cough and mucus production that lasts for more than one month. ● Wheezing.

● Shortness of breath, especially with activity.

● Frequent colds, fu or other respiratory illness.

Tese warning signs of COPD should also encourage you to quit smoking now and reduce the damage to your lungs.

TAKE NOTES TO YOUR CHECKUP No matter what your symptoms, it might be helpful to write them down before you talk with your doctor.

Be sure to note when the symptoms started, whether they came on gradually or suddenly, and whether they’re continuous or intermittent. Also, let your doctor know if you tried to relieve your symptoms—and what did, or did not, work.

And remember this: “You know your body better than anyone else does,” says Dr. Ralston. “And if you think it isn’t act-ing right, it is never a bad thing to call your doctor.”