[24F] Experiencing chest pain, cough, trouble breathing, dizziness, headache, and blurry vision

Patient Description

A 24-year-old female presents with a constellation of symptoms including constant blurry vision that is out of focus for 2 days, sharp chest pain rated 10/10 in severity when coughing and difficulty breathing for a couple of months, a rough cough for about a week that causes eye watering and facial redness, dizziness with a spinning sensation and lightheadedness rated 5/10 in severity for 3 days, and a pounding headache at the back or crown of the head rated 2/10 in severity for 3 days. Additionally, the patient reports swelling and pain in both legs, a fever, and an allergy to penicillin. No pre-existing conditions, chronic illnesses, or medications were reported. The patient has not experienced these symptoms before, and there is no history of coughing up blood or heart palpitations.

Arora's Assessment

What might be happening

Based on the information you've provided, there are several conditions that could be causing your symptoms:

Pneumonia: This is an infection that inflames the air sacs in one or both lungs. Symptoms can range from mild to severe and include cough, fever, shortness of breath, and chest pain. The severity of your symptoms suggests that this could be a possibility.
- Treatment usually involves antibiotics, fever reducers, and cough medicine.
COVID-19: This is a viral infection that primarily spreads between people during close contact. Symptoms can appear 2-14 days after exposure and can include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and fatigue. Given the current pandemic, this is a possibility.
- Treatment involves supportive care to help relieve symptoms. Severe cases require hospitalization.
Asthma: This is a condition in which your airways narrow and swell and produce extra mucus. This can make breathing difficult and trigger coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. Your symptoms could be indicative of an asthma attack.
- Treatment involves the use of inhalers to quickly relieve symptoms or long-term medications to prevent symptoms.
Anxiety: This is a mental health disorder characterized by feelings of worry, anxiety, or fear that are strong enough to interfere with one's daily activities. Symptoms include excessive worrying, restlessness, and trouble concentrating. Anxiety can also cause physical symptoms like rapid breathing, increased heart rate, and gastrointestinal problems. Given the range of your symptoms, this could be a possibility.
- Treatment typically involves psychotherapy, medication, or both.

Please note that these are possibilities based on the information you've provided and not a definitive diagnosis.

What you can do

Given the severity of your symptoms, especially your difficulty breathing, it is important that you seek immediate medical attention.

In the meantime, try to stay calm and take slow, deep breaths. If you have a fever, you can take over-the-counter medication like acetaminophen to help reduce it.