Staying well
When to get medical help
Far from home, it is easy to wait too long. Some signs need the emergency number straight away. For everything else, a little preparation makes it much easier to see a doctor.
Not medical advice. Musafir Health gives general health information only. It cannot diagnose you or tell you which medicine to take. Talk to a doctor, nurse or pharmacist about your own health, and in an emergency call the local emergency number.
Call the emergency number at once for
- Chest pain or pressure, especially with shortness of breath, sweating, feeling sick, or pain spreading to the arm, back, neck or jaw (possible heart attack).
- Signs of a stroke (F.A.S.T.): Face drooping on one side, Arm weakness, Speech that is slurred or strange; Time to call. Note the time the signs started.
- Heatstroke: hot skin, confusion or collapse after being in the heat.
- Severe allergic reaction: swelling of the face, lips or tongue, trouble breathing or swallowing, or fainting.
- Serious trouble breathing, heavy bleeding, a seizure, a bad head injury, or someone who will not wake up.
- Thoughts of suicide or harming yourself or others.
Get ready before you need a doctor
- Find out on your first days where the nearest clinic or hospital is, and how your employer or college arranges health care.
- If you have a health insurance card, carry it with your ID. Keep a photo of it on your phone.
- Write down any long-term conditions, allergies and the generic names of your regular medicines, in English, and keep the list with you.
When to see a doctor soon (not an emergency)
- A fever that lasts more than a few days or keeps coming back.
- A cough that lasts more than three weeks, or coughing up blood.
- Vomiting or diarrhoea that means you cannot keep fluids down.
- Pain, a lump, or any change that worries you and does not go away.
- Low mood that lasts two weeks or more (see Missing home).
At the doctor
- Bring your ID, insurance card and your list of conditions and medicines.
- Beware of fake cures and medicines sold online, through social media or by people who are not pharmacists. Buy medicines from a licensed pharmacy.
- If you do not understand, ask for an interpreter or bring someone who speaks the language. You have the right to understand what the doctor tells you.
- Ask for the name of any medicine in writing, and follow the instructions on the packet; ask a pharmacist if you are unsure.
Official sources
- NHLBI: heart attack symptoms
- NINDS: stroke signs and symptoms
- MedlinePlus: anaphylaxis
- CDC: heat-related illnesses
Health advice is updated over time. Check the sources above and ask a health professional about your own situation. Last checked November 2026.