Should I see a doctor for a sprained ankle?

Most sprained ankles heal at home and never need a waiting room. The standard self-care - protect it, rest it, ice it, compress it, elevate it - handles the typical rolled ankle, and the NHS treats 'getting worse or not improving after treating it yourself' as the line for booking a GP visit. Some signs skip the GP and go straight to urgent care or the ER: hearing a crack when it happened, the ankle or foot changing shape or pointing at an odd angle, numbness, tingling or pins and needles, skin turning blue, grey, or cold - those point to a broken bone, and you will need an X-ray. Between those poles sits the judgment call: if you cannot put any weight on it at all, the pain is severe, or a week of home care has not moved it, get it looked at. One practical note from the NHS: do not drive yourself to the emergency department with a possible fracture - get a lift or call for help, and bring your regular medicines. Once healed, sprains weaken the ankle for a while, so a bit of rehab - gentle circles, balance work - cuts the chance of rolling it again. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, that can walk you through home care or help you decide if it needs an X-ray.