Most people take breathing for granted. It’s something we don’t think about until we have a problem. When you have trouble breathing it feels like you’re a fish out of water. Your breath is one of the most important things you have — it’s right up there with your heart beating.
According to the 2016 report from the Urgent Care Association of America, the most common illnesses diagnosed at urgent care centers had to do with people having trouble breathing. The symptoms range from acute upper respiratory infection to acute sinusitis or a bad cough where the person could not get their breath.
People with difficulty breathing tend to be children and older people. It could be because they are more likely to have weaker immune systems. It’s been reported that urgent care centers saw around 12,000 patients in 2015. That comes out to around an average of three visits per hour or 32 visits per day. In addition, only 3% of patients who go to the urgent care center will need to be sent on to an emergency department according to Becker’s Hospital Review.
Between 44% and 65% of all ER visits could have been taken care of at an urgent care facility according to a recent study. If you’re having chest pain, you should go straight to the closest 24-hour emergency care center. There will be able to receive effective treatment. Urgent care locations are not always equipped for such emergencies.
Breathing difficulties can also happen from our environment. With all the automobiles on the roads today giving off all that pollution it’s no wonder people have trouble breathing. Even electric cars have gas-powered back up systems. Wildfires also contribute to breathing difficulties with the smoke from them. Breathing difficulties should never be taken lightly. Firefighters seem to have more problems with breathing than the average person. They have oxygen masks to help when they enter a building but when they come out they take the mask off and are exposed to all the fumes and toxins from the structure burning. They put their lives on the line each and every time they answer that call. And they do it willingly without thought of their own safety.
Breathing difficulties are nothing to sneeze at. They can be very scary no matter who you happen to be. When you have trouble breathing you should not mess around. It could be a matter of life and death. Call 911 or get to the nearest emergency care, open 24 hours a day.