If it's something related to a specific area of your body, try using the symptom checker tool below.
If you’ve had a persistent cough for 3 weeks or more, or you’ve been coughing up blood, you should contact your GP practice, especially if you are or have been a smoker. They’ll be able to check it over for you and see if there’s anything they can do to help.
If you have new, persistent hoarseness (your voice doesn’t go back to normal), you should contact your GP practice. They’ll be able to check it over and see if there’s anything they can do to help.
If you’re having difficulty or pain when swallowing, which is new for you, for 3 weeks or more, you should contact your GP practice. It’s probably nothing serious, but they’ll be able to check it over for you and see if there’s anything they can do to help.
Mouth ulcers are very common and most of them heal fairly quickly. However, if you have a mouth ulcer that isn’t healing, or you notice red or white patches inside your mouth that aren’t going away, you should visit your dentist in the first instance. If you aren’t registered with a dentist, you can find more information here.
It’s probably nothing serious, but it’s definitely worth getting checked. Remember, you’re not wasting anyone’s time.
If you have an unexplained lump in the neck for 3 weeks or more, you should contact your GP practice. It’s probably nothing serious, but they’ll be able to check it over and try to identify what’s causing your symptoms. Remember, you’re not wasting anyone’s time.
Headaches are extremely common, but you should keep an eye out for new headaches especially if they have any of the following features: worse in the morning or wake you up at night, worse when you cough, strain, bend over or shout, make you sick or vomit, are getting steadily worse and are not helped by painkillers.
It’s worth contacting your GP practice, especially if accompanied with other new symptoms like problems with your memory or vision, speech difficulties, loss of power or sensation in your arms/legs or loss of balance.
It’s not unusual to feel out of breath every now and then, but if you’re experiencing new breathlessness, or a change in breathlessness for 3 weeks or more, you should contact your GP practice, especially if you are or have been a smoker.
For sudden difficulty breathing and severe chest pain, please call 999 for urgent medical advice.
If you’re experiencing pain in the chest, that may change when you breathe, and you’ve had these symptoms for 3 weeks or more, you should contact your GP practice, especially if you are or have been a smoker. It might be nothing, but they’ll be able to check it over for you.
For sudden difficulty breathing and severe chest pain, please call 999 for urgent medical advice.
If you find a lump in your breast, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have cancer, but it’s important to get checked.
If you find a lump in your armpit and it does not go away on its own within 6 weeks, it’s important to get it checked.
If you notice any change to your nipples (leaking, bleedy or crusty) or the skin on your breast, it’s important you contact your GP practice. They’ll be able to check it over, just to make sure it’s nothing serious.
If you have an infection in your breast that doesn’t settle (comes back after 1 course of antibiotics), get in touch with your GP practice again.
Heartburn and indigestion are very common, especially after eating a large or spicy meal. But if you’ve been experiencing new heartburn or indigestion that doesn’t go away, and you didn’t get before, you should contact your GP practice. It’s probably nothing serious, but it’s definitely worth getting checked. Remember, you’re not wasting anyone’s time.
If you have a noticeable lump or swelling in your belly, or you’ve got unexplained stomach pain that’s new or getting worse, you should contact your GP practice. It might not be anything serious, but it’s definitely worth getting checked over. Remember, you’re not wasting anyone’s time.
If you’ve noticed blood in your poo or you’ve been experiencing bleeding from the bottom, you should contact your GP practice. You should also contact them if you’ve noticed persistent changes in your bowel habits, especially if you’ve been experiencing looser poo, or pooing more regularly, for 4 weeks or more.
While blood in your pee can be caused by a number of conditions, it’s important to get checked.
If you’ve noticed that you need to pee more often, or more urgently than normal, and don’t have a urine infection, you should contact your GP practice. It might be nothing, but it’s definitely worth getting checked. Remember, you’re not wasting anyone’s time.
If you notice anything different or unusual in either of your testicles such as painless swelling, a lump in either testicle or a dull ache in the tummy or groin, especially if unusual and persistent, you should contact your GP practice. These symptoms don’t necessarily mean it’s something serious, but it’s definitely worth getting checked early. Remember, you’re not wasting anyone’s time.
If you notice anything unusual on your skin that doesn’t go away in 4 weeks, contact your GP practice. This could include:
Jaundice causes your skin and the whites of your eyes to turn a yellow-ish colour. If you notice these symptoms, you should contact your GP practice. They’ll be able to help you understand the cause of your symptoms. Remember, you’re not wasting anyone’s time.
If you’ve had a persistent cough for 3 weeks or more, or you’ve been coughing up blood, you should contact your GP practice, especially if you are or have been a smoker. They’ll be able to check it over for you and see if there’s anything they can do to help.
If you have new, persistent hoarseness (your voice doesn’t go back to normal), you should contact your GP practice. They’ll be able to check it over and see if there’s anything they can do to help.
If you’re having difficulty or pain when swallowing, which is new for you, for 3 weeks or more, you should contact your GP practice. It’s probably nothing serious, but they’ll be able to check it over for you and see if there’s anything they can do to help.
Mouth ulcers are very common and most of them heal fairly quickly. However, if you have a mouth ulcer that isn’t healing, or you notice red or white patches inside your mouth that aren’t going away, you should visit your dentist in the first instance. If you aren’t registered with a dentist, you can find more information here.
It’s probably nothing serious, but it’s definitely worth getting checked. Remember, you’re not wasting anyone’s time.
If you have an unexplained lump in the neck for 3 weeks or more, you should contact your GP practice. It’s probably nothing serious, but they’ll be able to check it over and try to identify what’s causing your symptoms. Remember, you’re not wasting anyone’s time.
Headaches are extremely common, but you should keep an eye out for new headaches especially if they have any of the following features: worse in the morning or wake you up at night, worse when you cough, strain, bend over or shout, make you sick or vomit, are getting steadily worse and are not helped by painkillers.
It’s worth contacting your GP practice, especially if accompanied with other new symptoms like problems with your memory or vision, speech difficulties, loss of power or sensation in your arms/legs or loss of balance.
It’s not unusual to feel out of breath every now and then, but if you’re experiencing new breathlessness, or a change in breathlessness for 3 weeks or more, you should contact your GP practice, especially if you are or have been a smoker.
For sudden difficulty breathing and severe chest pain, please call 999 for urgent medical advice.
If you’re experiencing pain in the chest, that may change when you breathe, and you’ve had these symptoms for 3 weeks or more, you should contact your GP practice, especially if you are or have been a smoker. It might be nothing, but they’ll be able to check it over for you.
For sudden difficulty breathing and severe chest pain, please call 999 for urgent medical advice.
If you find a lump in your breast, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have cancer, but it’s important to get checked.
If you find a lump in your armpit and it does not go away on its own within 6 weeks, it’s important to get it checked.
If you notice any change to your nipples (leaking, bleedy or crusty) or the skin on your breast, it’s important you contact your GP practice. They’ll be able to check it over, just to make sure it’s nothing serious.
If you have an infection in your breast that doesn’t settle (comes back after 1 course of antibiotics), get in touch with your GP practice again.
If any of below symptoms relate to you, especially if you’re aged 50 or over, get in touch with your GP practice so they can help you find the cause of your symptoms:
Experiencing one or more of the following unexplained symptoms, occurring most days over the last 4 weeks:
And/or new symptoms within the last 12 months that suggest irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) such as bloating, change in bowel habit and more frequent poo, especially if you are aged 50 or over.
Heartburn and indigestion are very common, especially after eating a large or spicy meal. But if you’ve been experiencing new heartburn or indigestion that doesn’t go away, and you didn’t get before, you should contact your GP practice. It’s probably nothing serious, but it’s definitely worth getting checked. Remember, you’re not wasting anyone’s time.
If you have a noticeable lump or swelling in your belly, or you’ve got unexplained stomach pain that’s new or getting worse, you should contact your GP practice. It might not be anything serious, but it’s definitely worth getting checked over. Remember, you’re not wasting anyone’s time.
If you’ve noticed blood in your poo or you’ve been experiencing bleeding from the bottom, you should contact your GP practice. You should also contact them if you’ve noticed persistent changes in your bowel habits, especially if you’ve been experiencing looser poo, or pooing more regularly, for 4 weeks or more.
If you’ve been experiencing unusual bleeding during or after sexual intercourse, persistently between periods or after the menopause you should contact your GP practice. It might not be anything serious, but it’s definitely worth getting checked. Remember, you’re not wasting anyone’s time.
Please note, it’s common to have irregular vaginal bleeding or spotting in the first few months after you start taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT). This usually settles down within 6 months and is not usually a sign of anything serious. You can find out more information here.
If any of below symptoms relate to you, especially if you’re aged 50 or over, get in touch with your GP practice so they can help you find the cause of your symptoms:
Experiencing one or more of the following unexplained symptoms, occurring most days over the last 4 weeks:
And/or new symptoms within the last 12 months that suggest irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) such as bloating, change in bowel habit and more frequent poo, especially if you are aged 50 or over.
While blood in your pee can be caused by a number of conditions, it’s important to get checked.
If you’ve noticed that you need to pee more often, or more urgently than normal, and don’t have a urine infection, you should contact your GP practice. It might be nothing, but it’s definitely worth getting checked. Remember, you’re not wasting anyone’s time.
If you notice anything unusual on your skin that doesn’t go away in 4 weeks, contact your GP practice. This could include:
Jaundice causes your skin and the whites of your eyes to turn a yellow-ish colour. If you notice these symptoms, you should contact your GP practice. They’ll be able to help you understand the cause of your symptoms. Remember, you’re not wasting anyone’s time.
If you’ve had a persistent cough for 3 weeks or more, or you’ve been coughing up blood, you should contact your GP practice, especially if you are or have been a smoker. They’ll be able to check it over for you and see if there’s anything they can do to help.
If you have new, persistent hoarseness (your voice doesn’t go back to normal), you should contact your GP practice. They’ll be able to check it over and see if there’s anything they can do to help.
If you’re having difficulty or pain when swallowing, which is new for you, for 3 weeks or more, you should contact your GP practice. It’s probably nothing serious, but they’ll be able to check it over for you and see if there’s anything they can do to help.
Mouth ulcers are very common and most of them heal fairly quickly. However, if you have a mouth ulcer that isn’t healing, or you notice red or white patches inside your mouth that aren’t going away, you should visit your dentist in the first instance. If you aren’t registered with a dentist, you can find more information here.
It’s probably nothing serious, but it’s definitely worth getting checked. Remember, you’re not wasting anyone’s time.
If you have an unexplained lump in the neck for 3 weeks or more, you should contact your GP practice. It’s probably nothing serious, but they’ll be able to check it over and try to identify what’s causing your symptoms. Remember, you’re not wasting anyone’s time.
Headaches are extremely common, but you should keep an eye out for new headaches especially if they have any of the following features: worse in the morning or wake you up at night, worse when you cough, strain, bend over or shout, make you sick or vomit, are getting steadily worse and are not helped by painkillers.
It’s worth contacting your GP practice, especially if accompanied with other new symptoms like problems with your memory or vision, speech difficulties, loss of power or sensation in your arms/legs or loss of balance.
It’s not unusual to feel out of breath every now and then, but if you’re experiencing new breathlessness, or a change in breathlessness for 3 weeks or more, you should contact your GP practice, especially if you are or have been a smoker.
For sudden difficulty breathing and severe chest pain, please call 999 for urgent medical advice.
If you’re experiencing pain in the chest, that may change when you breathe, and you’ve had these symptoms for 3 weeks or more, you should contact your GP practice, especially if you are or have been a smoker. It might be nothing, but they’ll be able to check it over for you.
For sudden difficulty breathing and severe chest pain, please call 999 for urgent medical advice.
If you find a lump in your breast, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have cancer, but it’s important to get checked.
If you find a lump in your armpit and it does not go away on its own within 6 weeks, it’s important to get it checked.
If you notice any change to your nipples (leaking, bleedy or crusty) or the skin on your breast, it’s important you contact your GP practice. They’ll be able to check it over, just to make sure it’s nothing serious.
If you have an infection in your breast that doesn’t settle (comes back after 1 course of antibiotics), get in touch with your GP practice again.
Heartburn and indigestion are very common, especially after eating a large or spicy meal. But if you’ve been experiencing new heartburn or indigestion that doesn’t go away, and you didn’t get before, you should contact your GP practice. It’s probably nothing serious, but it’s definitely worth getting checked. Remember, you’re not wasting anyone’s time.
If you have a noticeable lump or swelling in your belly, or you’ve got unexplained stomach pain that’s new or getting worse, you should contact your GP practice. It might not be anything serious, but it’s definitely worth getting checked over. Remember, you’re not wasting anyone’s time.
If any of below symptoms relate to you, especially if you’re aged 50 or over, get in touch with your GP practice so they can help you find the cause of your symptoms:
Experiencing one or more of the following unexplained symptoms, occurring most days over the last 4 weeks:
And/or new symptoms within the last 12 months that suggest irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) such as bloating, change in bowel habit and more frequent poo, especially if you are aged 50 or over.
If you’ve noticed blood in your poo or you’ve been experiencing bleeding from the bottom, you should contact your GP practice. You should also contact them if you’ve noticed persistent changes in your bowel habits, especially if you’ve been experiencing looser poo, or pooing more regularly, for 4 weeks or more.
While blood in your pee can be caused by a number of conditions, it’s important to get checked.
If you’ve noticed that you need to pee more often, or more urgently than normal, and don’t have a urine infection, you should contact your GP practice. It might be nothing, but it’s definitely worth getting checked. Remember, you’re not wasting anyone’s time.
If you notice anything different or unusual in either of your testicles such as painless swelling, a lump in either testicle or a dull ache in the tummy or groin, especially if unusual and persistent, you should contact your GP practice. These symptoms don’t necessarily mean it’s something serious, but it’s definitely worth getting checked early. Remember, you’re not wasting anyone’s time.
If you’ve been experiencing unusual bleeding during or after sexual intercourse, persistently between periods or after the menopause you should contact your GP practice. It might not be anything serious, but it’s definitely worth getting checked. Remember, you’re not wasting anyone’s time.
Please note, it’s common to have irregular vaginal bleeding or spotting in the first few months after you start taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT). This usually settles down within 6 months and is not usually a sign of anything serious. You can find out more information here.
If any of below symptoms relate to you, especially if you’re aged 50 or over, get in touch with your GP practice so they can help you find the cause of your symptoms:
Experiencing one or more of the following unexplained symptoms, occurring most days over the last 4 weeks:
And/or new symptoms within the last 12 months that suggest irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) such as bloating, change in bowel habit and more frequent poo, especially if you are aged 50 or over.
If you notice anything unusual on your skin that doesn’t go away in 4 weeks, contact your GP practice. This could include:
Jaundice causes your skin and the whites of your eyes to turn a yellow-ish colour. If you notice these symptoms, you should contact your GP practice. They’ll be able to help you understand the cause of your symptoms. Remember, you’re not wasting anyone’s time.
Worried about something else?
Some cancers do not present with typical alarm symptoms but instead with general symptoms, e.g. unexplained weight loss, nausea or fatigue. These symptoms are called ‘non-specific’ because they don’t point to one particular type of cancer.
Non-specific symptoms could be a sign of an underlying problem, especially when they are unusual for you, persistent or worsening.
Screening can find cancer before you even notice anything wrong. Find out which NHS Scotland screening programmes you’re eligible for and when to expect your invite.
If you’re worried about any possible symptoms, or if you’ve noticed a change to your body that’s unusual and unexplained for you and isn’t going away, the best thing to do is contact your GP practice. You’re not wasting anyone's time.
Your first appointment might be by phone but the nurse or doctor will invite you in if any further examination or tests are required. Just let the receptionist know what your symptoms are and how long you have had them.
If you are worried about unexplained bleeding, an unusual lump, unexplained weight loss or something that doesn’t feel normal for you, we want to know. Don’t be embarrassed or sit at home worrying, give your GP practice a call. It probably won’t be cancer but if it is, finding cancer earlier can mean a much wider range of treatment options being available, and a better chance of living well again.