A cough, a fever, or trouble breathing: find the right page

Trouble breathing, or something happening right now

The first-aid page lists every first-aid card on this site.

• When it’s hard to breathe→An asthma attack, yours or someone else’s; an inhaler that isn’t lasting, or that you can’t afford; you or your child have just been told it is asthma; or something at home, in the air or at work sets it off. Keeps nothing.
• When someone is choking→Someone can’t breathe, cough or speak, a baby is choking, or they are coughing hard but still breathing. Keeps nothing.
• When it might be a severe allergic reaction→A tight throat, a swollen tongue, hives all over or trouble breathing after a food, a sting or a medicine, yours or someone else’s; a first reaction; epinephrine you are afraid to use, or can’t afford; or a child with a serious allergy. Keeps nothing.
• When it might be carbon monoxide→The carbon monoxide alarm is sounding, people at home have headaches and feel sick, or the heat is about to come on. Keeps nothing.
• When panic hits→For a panic attack: a breathing circle to ride the wave, what each body feeling means and when to call 911, words to hold onto, a card to show someone when you can’t talk, a private log with patterns, and a panic plan that prints with a wallet card. What you type is kept only in this browser.
• First aid: what do you see?→One page to find the right first-aid page fast. Keeps nothing.

A cough, a fever, or an illness that is going around or getting worse

These seven are for any age.

• Flu: the signs, early treatment, the emergency warning signs, and the flu vaccine→For anyone with flu symptoms, or caring for someone who has them. Keeps nothing.
• COVID-19: the emergency signs, testing, treatment within days, when to go back, and the vaccine→For anyone who has, or may have, COVID-19, or looks after someone who does. Keeps nothing.
• RSV: the signs in babies and adults, when to call, care at home, and the shots that protect→For anyone with a baby, a child or an older adult who has a cold that might be RSV. Keeps nothing.
• Pneumonia: the signs, getting care, getting better, and the vaccines that help prevent it→For anyone with a cough and fever that is getting worse instead of better, a baby who is breathing hard, an older parent who is suddenly weak or confused, a pneumonia diagnosis and medicine to finish, or a slow recovery. Keeps nothing.
• Whooping cough: the signs, early treatment, protecting babies, and the vaccines→For anyone worried about whooping cough (pertussis) in themselves, a baby or a child. Keeps nothing.
• Measles: the signs, what to do if you were near it, the vaccine, and when to get care→For anyone who thinks they or their child may have measles, or who was near someone who has it. Keeps nothing.
• Sepsis: the signs, acting fast, who is at higher risk, and getting better after→For anyone with an infection that is not getting better, anyone looking after someone who has one, and anyone home after sepsis. Keeps nothing.

A baby or child with a fever, a cough, a sore throat or an earache

All four were written about a baby or child. The RSV, whooping cough and pneumonia pages above also have parts about babies.

• Fever in a baby or child: when to call, and what helps→For anyone looking after a baby or child with a fever, at any hour. Keeps nothing.
• Cough or cold in a baby or child: what helps, the medicine ages, and when to call→For anyone looking after a baby or child with a cough or a cold. Keeps nothing.
• Sore throat in a child: a virus or strep, what helps, and when to call→For anyone looking after a child with a sore throat. Keeps nothing.
• Ear infection in a baby or child: what helps, and when to call→For anyone looking after a baby or child whose ear hurts. Keeps nothing.

A cough that won’t go away, getting winded, breathing at night, or quitting smoking

• Tuberculosis (TB): the signs, getting tested, finishing treatment, and protecting the people around you→For anyone with a cough that will not go away, a positive TB test, a call from the health department, or months of TB medicine to finish, and for anyone who lives or works in a shelter or spent time in a jail or prison. Keeps nothing.
• When it’s COPD→For people who have COPD (emphysema, chronic bronchitis, or both), who have a cough that won’t go away or get winded easily, or who look after someone who does. Keeps nothing.
• When it’s Long COVID→For anyone who had COVID-19 and never got back to how they were, for parents who think it is happening to their child, and for the people beside them. Keeps nothing.
• When it’s heart failure: when to call 911, symptoms, the ejection fraction number, medicines, the morning weigh-in, salt and fluid, and what to ask→For people who have heart failure (congestive heart failure), people who get short of breath or have swelling and do not know why, and the people beside them. Keeps nothing.
• Sleep apnea: when breathing stops in your sleep→For anyone who snores, gasps or stops breathing at night, who is worn out all day and does not know why, or who has been told they have sleep apnea, and the people who sleep beside them. Keeps nothing.
• When you want to quit smoking→For people who smoke cigarettes and want to stop, and the people beside them. Keeps nothing.

Before you call or go in

These three are for anyone’s appointment or call. They were not made for coughs or breathing.

• Symptom diary: write it down, show your doctor→Write down what you notice when it happens, with your own number from 0 to 10. What you type is kept only in this browser.
• Get ready for your appointment→Ten minutes before you go: what has been happening, your medicines, your questions and what helps you, on one page to hand to your doctor, therapist or psychiatrist, with room to write down the plan. What you type is kept only in this browser.
• Call script: know what you will say before you dial→A phone call you keep putting off? Write who you are calling, the sentence that says what you want, what to have ready and what to ask. What you type is kept only in this browser.