Pulmonary Embolism : Symptoms

Healthline's Premium Tools

Pill Finder
Search by color, shape and markings. click here
Drug Interaction Checker
Check any 2 drugs for interactions. click here
Drug Compare
Compare any two drugs side by side. click here
Healthline Part D Plan Selector Medicare Part D
Medicare's drug plans are subsidized by the US federal government and offered through insurers.
Advertisement
Marketplace
Symptoms of pulmonary embolism may be vague, or they may resemble symptoms associated with other diseases. Symptoms can include: Sudden onset of shortness of breath at rest or with exertion; Splinting of ribs with breathing (bending over or holdin...
Source:ADAM
Date:March 1, 2007
Pulmonary embolism is caused by emboli that travel through the blood stream to the lungs and block a pulmonary artery. When this occurs, circulation and oxygenation of blood is compromised. The emboli are usually formed from blood clots but are oc...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Arterial emboli are usually a complication of heart disease where blood clots form in the heart's chambers. Gas emboli are caused by rapid changes in environmental pressure that could happen when flying or scuba diving. A pulmonary embolism is cau...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
An arrhythmia is any disorder of your heart rate or rhythm. It means your heart beats too fast, too slow, or with an irregular pattern. When the heart beats faster than normal, it is called tachycardia. When the heart beats too slow, it is called bradycardia.
Source:ADAM
Date:May 15, 2008
An arrhythmia is an abnormality in the heart ' s rhythm, or heartbeat pattern. The heartbeat can be too slow, too fast, have extra beats, skip a beat, or otherwise beat irregularly.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Detailed information on arrhythmias, including symptoms, diagnostic, and treatment information
Source:StayWell
Detailed information on arrhythmias, including symptoms, types, diagnosis, and treatment
Source:StayWell
Detailed information on problems involving heart rhythm
Source:StayWell
The guidelines for how long to wait before driving after having an ICD implanted have been revised, to reflect the growing number of people who receive the device preventively.
Source:StayWell
Stress can come from any situation or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or anxious. What is stressful to one person is not necessarily stressful to another. Anxiety is a feeling of apprehension or fear. The source of this uneasiness is not always known or recognized, which can add to the distress you feel.
Source:ADAM
Date:July 27, 2007
Anxiety is a bodily response to a perceived threat or danger. It is triggered by a combination of biochemical changes in the body, the patient ' s personal history and memory, and the social situation.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine
This report features up-to-date information on the signs, causes, and treatments of many common phobias and anxiety disorders.
Source:StayWell
Anxiety is familiar to everyone due to the many stresses and complexities of modern life.
Source:StayWell
Anxiety is a multisystem response to a perceived threat or danger. It reflects a combination of biochemical changes in the body, the patient ' s personal history and memory, and the social situation.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Unlike the relatively mild, brief anxiety caused by a stressful event such as a business presentation or a first date, anxiety disorders are chronic, relentless, and can grow progressively worse if not treated.
Source:StayWell
Fears, Phobias, and AnxietyEverybody experiences fear at some time or another. Fear is a powerful emotion that arises in situations that are interpreted as dangerous.
Source:StayWell
Anxiety is a multisystem response to a perceived threat or danger. It reflects a combination of biochemical changes in the body, the patient's personal history and memory , and the social situation at hand.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health
Anxiety disorders are a group of disorders that can affect adults, adolescents and children. They overwhelm people with chronic feelings of anxiety and fear.
Source:StayWell
This guide is designed to help you learn about anxiety disorders. Knowing more, you may feel more comfortable talking with a health professional about your experience and your symptoms.
Source:StayWell
Anxiety is a condition of persistent and uncontrollable nervousness, stress, and worry that is triggered by anticipation of future events, memories of past events, or ruminations over day-to-day events, both trivial and major, with disproportionate fears of catastrophic consequences. Stimulated by real or imagined dangers, anxiety affects people of all ages and social backgrounds.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Children's Health
A condition of persistent nervousness, stress, and worry that is triggered by anticipation of future events, memories of past events, or ruminations about the self Stimulated by real or imagined dangers, anxiety affects people of all ages and social backgrounds. When it occurs in unrealistic situations or with unusual intensity, it can disrupt everyday life.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Childhood and Adolescence
Treating AnxietyAnxiety—feeling frightened, tense, uneasy—is a normal response to a threat. Anxiety can disrupt your life, but it’s nothing to be ashamed of.
Source:StayWell
You may suffer from generalized anxiety disorder if you go through the day worried, tense or anxious about your family, health or work, even when you know there are no signs of trouble.
Source:StayWell
Despite their age, benzodiazepines still provide unique benefits and are unlikely to be entirely superseded by newer medications. Includes a comparison chart of newer and older drugs for insomnia, anxiety, and depression.
Source:StayWell
Discussion of the effect of anxiety disorders on children and how they can be treated.
Source:StayWell
When I get nervous, I get a tic that affects the left side of my face, including my eye. What can I do about this? Is there anything I can take for it?
Source:StayWell
There is evidence that certain herbs and supplements may be effective in treating certain types of anxiety disorders.
Source:StayWell
Research suggests that for patients who are starting treatment for depression, their type of attachment anxiety should be taken into consideration as a factor in determining the best course of treatment.
Source:StayWell
Separation anxiety is common in children, but most grow out of it. However, in a small percentage of children (and more rarely, in adults) it becomes a disorder. Typical treatment methods include cognitive and behavioral therapy.
Source:StayWell
Anxiety:  Progressive Muscle Relaxation and Guided ImagerySymptom and DescriptionIt is common to feel stress or anxiety when you have cancer. Anxiety can be a vague or uneasy feeling of distress.
Source:StayWell
Understanding Social Phobia (Social Anxiety Disorder)You have to give a presentation next week. Just thinking about it makes your heart race.
Source:StayWell
Blood-tinged sputum is distinguished from frank hemoptysis—or coughing up blood without or with very little sputum—which can be a potentially life-threatening condition requiring immediate medical attention. Sputum that is streaked with blood may be due to something as benign as irritation of upper-airway passages due to dry ambient air, or it may a sign of a more serious medical condition, such as pneumonia or a blood clot in the lung, especially if accompanied by other symptoms..
Source:HealthLine
Date:September 30, 2007
Cyanosis is a physical sign causing bluish discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes. Cyanosis is caused by a lack of oxygen in the blood.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Cyanosis is a physical state characterized by bluish discoloration of the skin and mucus membranes. This elderly woman's lips turned purple due to central cyanosis, a condition most commonly due to slow blood circulation, leading to a bluish skin coloration.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health
Blue fingernails may represent a type of cyanosis caused by a lower level of lack of circulating oxygen in the red blood cells. It may also represent a high level of an abnormal form of hemoglobin in the circulation.
Source:HealthLine
Date:September 30, 2007
Blue lips may represent a type of cyanosis caused by a lower level of circulating oxygen in the red blood cells. It may also represent a high level of an abnormal form of hemoglobin in the circulation.
Source:HealthLine
Date:September 30, 2007
New onset chest pain always requires evaluation by your doctor. If the pain is severe, you should seek immediate medical care.
Source:StayWell
If hospitals become accredited as "chest pain centers," it could make deciding where to go for treatment easier, and also increase recovery rates.
Source:StayWell
Doctor-patient communication can improve the treatment outlook for those with chronic chest pain.
Source:StayWell
The benefits of chest pain regarding acute coronary events.When it comes to exercise, that old chestnut “No pain, no gain” is passé. But it may still apply to heart attacks. People who have chest pain (angina) with activity in the months or weeks before a heart attack tend to have smaller heart attacks, better survival, fewer heart rhythm problems, and better recovery of heart function than those without chest pain. In May, a team that included cardiologists from Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital reported in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology that angina protects against the muscular remodeling of the left ventricle that can follow a heart attack and lead to heart failure. It didn’t seem to help people with diabetes, though.
Source:StayWell
Women who suffer from chest pain but show clear arteries on an angiogram may have a different type of blocked artery, where plaque builds up evenly on the inner surface or bulges outward.
Source:StayWell
A new drug has been approved to treat angina, though it is intended for those who have not had success with other angina medications, and is meant to be used in combination with another such drug.
Source:StayWell
Every now and then I get a sudden, sharp pain on the left side of my chest, like a knife. I get a little dizzy, and then it disappears as quickly as it came on. Even though the test results were fine, it still scares me. Should I be concerned about this?
Source:StayWell
What would cause me to have chest pains when I eat a full meal? Howard LeWine, M.D., is chief editor of Internet Publishing at Harvard Health Publications. He is recognized as an outstanding clinician and teacher and is a recipient of the Internal Medicine Teacher of the Year award at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Dr. LeWine continues to practice Internal Medicine; most recently he became a hospitalist after practicing primary care for over 20 years.
Source:StayWell
A Harvard Medical School physician answers your question about when chest pain may be heartburn, and when it may be a sign of something more serious.
Source:StayWell
Chest pain is discomfort or pain that you feel anywhere along the front of your body between your neck and upper abdomen.
Source:ADAM
Date:April 29, 2008
Are sharp pains in the ribs a typical symptom of an asthma attack? The throat also felt tight.
Source:StayWell
Clammy skin is cool, moist, and usually pale .
Source:ADAM
Date:February 19, 2008
Coughing up blood is the spitting up of blood or bloody mucus from the lungs and throat (respiratory tract).
Source:ADAM
Date:November 12, 2007
Hemoptysis is the coughing up of blood or bloody sputum from the respiratory tract. The blood can come from the nose, mouth, throat, airway passages leading from the lungs, or the lungs.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer
Hemoptysis is the coughing up of blood or bloody sputum from the lungs or airway. It may be either self-limiting or recurrent.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Detailed information on excessive sweating, including symptoms and treatment
Source:StayWell
A Harvard Medical School physician discusses excessive sweating while eating in diabetics, called diabetic gustatory diaphoresis.
Source:StayWell
My friend has a week-and-a-half old baby, who has been profusely sweating. The baby even became soaked with sweat while lying in his bassinet in only a diaper and socks. What could be the cause of this? Mom has had to give him sugar bottles because of constipation. She is worried the baby could be diabetic, because dad is diabetic.
Source:StayWell
Dizziness is lightheadedness, feeling like you might faint, being unsteady, loss of balance, or vertigo (a feeling that you or the room is spinning or moving). Most causes of dizziness are not serious and either quickly resolve on their own or are easily treated.
Source:ADAM
Date:April 3, 2007
Dizziness is classified into three categories- vertigo, syncope, and nonsyncope nonvertigo. Each category has a characteristic set of symptoms, all related to the sense of balance.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine
As a disorder, dizziness is classified into three categories: vertigo, syncope, and nonsyncope nonvertigo. Each category has its own set of symptoms, all related to the sense of balance.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Children's Health
As a disorder, dizziness is classified into three categories- vertigo, syncope, and nonsyncope nonvertigo. Each category has a characteristic set of symptoms, all related to the sense of balance.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Dizziness is a general term that describes sensations of imbalance and unsteadiness, such as vertigo, mild turning, imbalance, and near fainting or fainting. Feelings of dizziness stem from the vestibular system, which includes the brain and the parts of the inner ear that sense position and motion, coupled with sensory information from the eyes, skin, and muscle tension.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Neurological Disorders
Falls or accidents can lead to pain, broken bones, and fear of future falls. Protect yourself and others by preparing for episodes. Simple steps can help increase your safety at home and wherever you go.
Source:StayWell
Can arthritis in neck and shoulders be the cause of "positional vertigo?" In the past, when I've experienced vertigo symptoms I've visited my chiropractor for an adjustment that would successfully relieve my misalignment, which was pinching a nerve in my neck and causing the dizziness. My last episode was not as successful, though.
Source:StayWell
Fainting is a temporary loss of consciousness due to a drop in blood flow to the brain. The episode is brief (lasting less than a couple of minutes) and is followed by rapid and complete recovery. You may feel lightheaded or dizzy before fainting. A longer, deeper state of unconsciousness is often called a coma.
Source:ADAM
Date:May 17, 2007
Fainting is a temporary loss of consciousness, weakness of muscles, and inability to stand up, all caused by sudden loss of blood flow to the brain. Fainting is a relatively common symptom caused by a variety of problems relating to changes in blood pressure.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Neurological Disorders
Detailed information on syncope, also called fainting, including causes, symptoms, diagnostic, and treatment information
Source:StayWell
Fainting is loss of consciousness caused by a temporary lack of oxygen to the brain. Known by the medical term " syncope, " fainting may be preceded by dizziness , nausea, or a feeling of extreme weakness.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
If your blood pressure drops too low, your brain may not get enough oxygen-rich blood. Your body responds by losing consciousness briefly. You also slump or fall down. This problem is called syncope, fainting, or a blackout.
Source:StayWell
When the brain receives conflicting signals, or when there is a problem with blood flow, dizziness or fainting can occur.
Source:StayWell
Syncope, or fainting, is a temporary loss of consciousness, usually caused by decreased blood flow to the brain . Syncope is a symptom, rather than a disease itself, and has many causes.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health
Fainting is a loss of consciousness, falling down or needing to lie down, followed by spontaneous recovery. Fainting by itself is not a problem, but it could be a sign of a serious health condition.
Source:StayWell
Every time I have blood drawn, I have vasovagal reaction. Does that prevent me from blood donation? Any advice how to combat this?
Source:StayWell
A drug trial shows that beta blockers do not reduce the incidence of fainting spells.
Source:StayWell
The heart rate, usually measured by checking the arterial pulse or sounds counting the times of the heart beat, is considered one of the vital signs. Vital signs - body temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure provide information about the state of health of a person and, if abnormal, offer clues to problems.
Source:HealthLine
Date:September 30, 2007
A Harvard Medical School physician answers your question about rapid heart beat.
Source:StayWell
Fidgeting is usually used to describe someone who is seen as not being able to sit still. Fidgety people move in their seats constantly, move their hands and feet and appear to be in perpetual motion.
Source:HealthLine
Date:September 30, 2007
The heart rate, usually measured by checking the arterial pulse or sounds counting the times of the heart beat, is considered one of the vital signs. Vital signs - body temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure provide information about the state of health of a person and, if abnormal,offer clues to problems.
Source:HealthLine
Date:September 30, 2007
When the airways are blocked or narrowed by inflammation, secretions, a foreign object, mass, swelling or spasm, the breath sounds become noisy. If the high pitched breath sounds are a sign of difficulty breathing then immediate medial attention is required..
Source:HealthLine
Date:November 30, 2007
Breath sounds are the noises produced by the structures of the lungs during breathing.
Source:ADAM
Date:November 12, 2007
Hyperventilation is rapid or deep breathing, usually caused by anxiety or panic. This overbreathing, as it is sometimes called, may actually leave you feeling breathless. When you breathe, you inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. Excessive breathing may lead to low levels of carbon dioxide in your blood, which causes many of the symptoms that you may feel if you hyperventilate.
Source:ADAM
Date:June 8, 2006
Moist skin is an indication that the body is sweating (perspiring). Perspiration is the release of liquid from the sweat glands of the body, a normal body function to help the body stay cool.
Source:HealthLine
Date:September 30, 2007
Definition and classification Pain is a universal human experience. The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) defines pain as " an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage or described in terms of such damage.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Neurological Disorders
Expert-reviewed information summary about pain as a complication of cancer or its treatment. Approaches to the management and treatment of cancer-associated pain are discussed.
Source:StayWell
Pain, medically termed "nociception," is a response to noxious stimuli that is conveyed to the brain by sensory neurons . The discomfort signals actual or impending injury to the body.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health
Communicating About PainResourcesAmerican Pain Foundation888-615-7246www.painfoundation.orgAmerican Chronic Pain Associationwww.theacpa.orgThe National Pain Foundation www.painconnection.orgYou have a right to have pain treated. Untreated pain can...
Source:StayWell
Pain is an unpleasant feeling that is conveyed to the brain by sensory neurons. The discomfort signals actual or potential injury to the body.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Measuring Your PainA pain scale helps you rate pain intensity. In the scale, 0 means no pain, and 10 is the worst pain possible.
Source:StayWell
Pain is an unpleasant feeling that is conveyed to the brain by sensory neurons. The discomfort signals actual or potential injury to the body.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine
Pain is an unpleasant feeling that is conveyed to the brain by nerves in the body. Pain arises from any number of situations.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Children's Health
This comprehensive report describes the many causes of pain, the latest treatments, and the best preventive strategies.
Source:StayWell
I have recurring sores in my mouth, most generally on the sides of my tongue, and the tip of my tongue gets very tender and sore. Do I have a vitamin deficiency? What else could be the cause of this?
Source:StayWell
Examines the role of forgiveness in personal health and happiness, ranging from reduced stress to improved relationships.
Source:StayWell
Children who experience verbal abuse are at as much risk for developing anxiety or depression as those who are abused physically or sexually. This may be due to the fact that verbal abuse is likely to persist over a lengthy period of time.
Source:StayWell
Painful respirations may be an indicator of a serious underlying medical problem requiring prompt medical intervention. For any unexplained chest pain or if there is difficulty breathing immediate medial attention is generally required.
Source:HealthLine
Date:November 30, 2007
Cyanosis refers to a bluish cast to the skin and mucous membranes caused by a lower level of circulating oxygen carried by the red blood cells. It may also represent a high level of an abnormal form of hemoglobin in the circulation.
Source:HealthLine
Date:September 30, 2007
A normal breathing rate for an adult at rest is 8 to 16 breaths/minute. For an infant, a normal rate is up to 44 breaths/minute. Tachypnea is a medical term that your doctor would use to describe your breathing if it is too fast, particularly if you have rapid, shallow breathing due to an associated lung disease or other medical cause. In contrast, the term hyperventilation is usually used if you are taking rapid, deep breaths because of anxiety or panic. The terms may be used interchangeably, however.
Source:ADAM
Date:November 13, 2006
Rib cage pain includes any pain or discomfort in the area of the ribs. See chest pain .
Source:ADAM
Date:January 22, 2007
Breathing difficulties involve a sensation of difficult or uncomfortable breathing or a feeling of not getting enough air. See also difficulty breathing - first aid.
Source:ADAM
Date:April 12, 2007
Shortness of breath, or dyspnea, is a feeling of difficult or labored breathing that is out of proportion to the patient ' s level of physical activity. It is a symptom of a variety of different diseases or disorders and may be either acute or chronic.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Struggling to Breathe: A Nurse’s Tips for Managing DyspneaDyspnea is the technical word for difficulty breathing. It's a common symptom in people who have lung cancer or have cancer that has spread to the lungs.
Source:StayWell
Detailed information on the most common breathing problems in a newborn
Source:StayWell
I had a quadruple bypass seven years ago. A few months back I found myself taking frequent short breaths when I climbed the stairs. Once I stopped