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With the upcoming extended Memorial Day weekend and many other long weekends during the year, we go out like worriers jumping into strenuous workouts, sailing, 20-mile bike ride, local marathons, or just getting to those long overdue jobs around our home. Yes, we think that we can do anything, its vacation time!
Not so fast sparky, this is when we are most prone to sprains, breaks, bodily injuries and or the common cold. But wait, your primary care doctor is away enjoying that same long break, it may be days before you can see her, the alternative is looking for your closest Urgent Care facility, happily, you are seen in a very short amount of time. Problem solved.
These freestanding clinics are spreading faster than the common cold. Whether, its that long weekend break or any other time of the year, we have put together 6 times when you should visit Urgent Care.
Emergency Room or Urgent Care
There is a vast difference between how serious each scenario is. While many TV series have glamorized the ER as a place that offers every healthcare solution under one roof, it is not meant for treatment of minor cuts and bruises. ER is a place you visit in a life or limb threating situation, like the second scenario. For any other situation where you might need immediate medical attention but your primary healthcare provider isn’t available, urgent care is the place to be.
With more than 9000 urgent care centers across the US, a visit to UC can cost you less than an ER visit and you are likely to leave within an hour. Besides, you can find an urgent care center almost everywhere, like shopping centers and malls.
However, just because a situation isn’t life-threatening, doesn’t mean you should delay seeking medical attention. You should seek medical help within 24 hours. Here are six situations where you should not delay your UC visit.
1. When You Suspect a Fracture
A fracture doesn’t always mean there will be a broken limb or a bone sticking out of the skin. Sometimes, fractures can be a minor crack. A small fall or slip can, like in our very first scenario, can also cause a fracture. If it is not visible, it doesn’t mean it isn’t there. If you delay proper care, you might risk more damage to the bone and tissues around it. If you are experiencing a lot of pain and the area seem even the slightest bit swollen, rush to an urgent care center near you.
2. When You Have Flu or Strep Throat
Strep throat and flu don’t sound like an emergency situation. You might even think that you can wait for your doctor’s appointment. You might even consider waiting for the symptoms to vanish on their own. That is not how these infections work. Flu and strep throat are contagious. They can spread within a matter of minutes. Within a few hours, you’ll end up giving flu to most of your family and colleagues. The sooner you rush to urgent care, the less damage you will cause.
3. When You Have a Toothache or Earache
Only someone who has suffered from a toothache or an earache can realize how painful the experience is. At that time, it might even feel like a life-threatening situation. That is why it warrants a quick visit to an urgent care center. A toothache and Earache are usually caused by infections. As we said before, infections can spread quickly. Timely medical care will save you from a lot of suffering. Self-medication, which tends to involve heavy dosage of painkillers, is never recommended.
4. In Case of Sprain or Strain
Sprain and strain are common in the world of sport, but they may also affect people who aren’t too active. In both cases, there is a chance of a tear in your muscle tendon or ligament. Surprisingly, different people experience a different level of pain and the severity of pain doesn’t indicate how severe the injury may be. It is best to visit urgent care as quickly as possible and let a doctor examine the extent of the damage.
5. Cuts that Require Stitches
Minor cuts are not fatal but if there is a lot of pain and bleeding, you should seek medical help as soon as possible. Such cuts require stitches. A simple bandage won’t help it. Bleeding means that the cut is deep and runs the risk of contracting infections such as tetanus. A quick visit to urgent care center will prevent more blood loss. The caregivers will give you the necessary shots and antibiotics to avoid infections.
6. Fever, Constant Vomiting and Diarrhea
Vomiting, fever and diarrhea are common symptoms of many health problems that require urgent attention. It could be acid reflux, food poisoning, or dehydration. In any case, these are not the kind of symptoms you can ignore. Your body loses an immense amount of essential fluids and that can be dangerous. Instead of relying on home remedies, visit urgent care center for quicker relief.
So, these are the six times when you shouldn’t delay your visit to urgent care. While your symptoms may not appear too severe to you, it always best to be safe than sorry. If you can’t visit a medical facility, at least schedule an online appointment with your GP using a reliable telemedicine platform.