Urgent help

Know the line between a question and an emergency

Most website research can wait. Fast, severe symptoms cannot.

EMERGENCY

A severe allergic reaction needs urgent help

Anaphylaxis, the most serious kind of allergic reaction, can set in within a few seconds or minutes, and it can kill. Dial 911, or get to the closest ER.

Warning signs on MedlinePlus include a hard time breathing or swallowing, a puffy face or tongue, hives, dizziness and passing out.

INJECTIONS

A shot needs more checking than a pill

FDA has told sellers that injectable products can cause serious harm because they pass some of the body’s normal defenses against toxins and germs.

That is why it matters to know which licensed pharmacy made a shot, and that it was made germ-free (sterile).

REPORTING

A product problem can be reported

MedWatch is FDA’s free reporting program for patients, consumers and health professionals who want to report a medical-product problem.

A report helps FDA watch for patterns. It does not prove that a product caused the event.