Top 3 pains that doctors say you should not ignore

Added: 2026-05-12

[00:00:02]Now with a GMA health alert, we've all done it. Blame heartburn or a stomach ache on a big lunch, [music] gobble aspirin for a recurring headache, just push through and keep going. But there are some pains not [music] only you should not ignore, but should address right away. Our medical correspondent Dr. Darian Sutton, ER doctor, is here to tell us all about the top three. All right, I want to start with chest pain, right? How do you know the difference between something that might be like heartburn or something you should seek immediate attention for? It can be really difficult. I have to say I often talk to patients in the emergency room that are coming in with chest pain and they're often just as confused. I don't know if this is something that is an emergency or if it's just due to a bad lunch. So it's really about the history where you begin to understand the risks.

[00:00:42]Number one, heartburn is it often feels something that we can probably associate that burning acidic feeling that you can get after eating a fatty meal or even an acidic meal and this often comes after either A, you've eaten something or B, you've eaten something and then change your position. For example, you quickly lay down. You know, those are the moments where that can increase the risk of heartburn. Now chest pain can feel like heartburn, but the history is important. If you're getting chest pain while you're exerting yourself, running to catch a bus or running up a flight of stairs or in the middle of an argument, those are concerning signs that your heart is having stress in a moment of exertion and that pain can not just present as pain, but also a heaviness, a squeezing, sometimes a pressure that feels like it radiates to your arm or your back. And women are so important to talk about these symptoms because they may not present as we textbook or classically see them in the textbook.

[00:01:29]For women, they can present a sudden nausea, crushing fatigue or even an impending sense of doom. These are all symptoms that you want to pay attention to again in the environment that increases that risk when you're exerting yourself.

[00:01:40]>> Okay, what about headaches because people get headaches a lot. When do you know it's something more serious and you should go to the ER? Another important question. The main thing we focus on in the emergency room or at least what ER doctors are listening for is if this is sudden and severe. If it's the worst headache of your life, those are reasons why you should talk to a medical professional and get examined. And also, pay attention to the symptoms that come with it. Are there other symptoms that signal your brain is having a difficult time communicating with your body?

[00:02:05]Difficulty talking, numbness, tingling, weakness. Those are signs that are concerning and should be evaluated. And then after trauma, you know, we all have hit our head at least once or twice. But if you hit your head and lose consciousness, that is a medical emergency that you need to be evaluated for. What about stomach pain? What are the red flags there? Yeah, well, sudden stomach pain, what we pay attention to is whether or not not only is it sudden or severe, but is it focal? Meaning is there a specific pinpoint place where you're feeling that pain? When I'm talking to patients with abdominal pain, my favorite question is to point with one finger where that pain is at. That helps me understand what testing we need to do to get to the bottom of the answer. Also, understanding your risk.

[00:02:40]If you've had a history of surgery, if you know you have a history of gallstones, another common problem that causes stomach pain, or even if you're on certain medications that can increase your risk of emergencies like pancreatitis. We talk about GLP-1 products a lot. A common risk or a rare risk that is common to understand is pancreatitis, gallstone problems that can come with taking those medications.

[00:02:58]If you have any of that history, you need to be evaluated to make sure you don't have those risks so that we can make sure to get you out of the hospital as healthy as you came in. Okay, life-saving information. Dr. Darian Sutton, thank you, as always.