When you are sick or have a minor injury that is bothering you, it can be tempting to just weather it out and hope that it goes away soon. Many people do not want to sit for hours in an emergency room or doctor’s office for a sprained ankle or the flu. But going to an urgent care clinic can help your sickness or injury heal quickly.
One of the best things about urgent care clinics is how accessible they are. There are thousands of urgent care centers across the united states and eighty-five percent of those clinics are open seven days a week. These accommodating hours help make it easy to visit before or after work so you don’t have to take a personal day to get treated. An urgent care clinic is a great place to go if something happens during a vacation or holiday and you cannot get to your regular doctor.
Oftentimes, you can see a doctor within an hour at an urgent care clinic. These doctors will treat anything from pediatrics, physicals, fracture and minor wound care, to common illnesses like the flu and strep throat.
While there are many medical situations that an urgent care clinic can treat, it is important to know when you should seek medical attention at an emergency room instead. The most important thing to remember when trying to decide which place to go is whether or not the situation is life-threatening or not. There are some emergencies that should be treated within the first 24 hours, such as a cut that needs stitches, but if the emergency is severe, such as a compound fracture when the bone is protruding from the skin, it is important to go to the emergency room immediately.
Other instances an emergency room is the better choice are cases of seizures, poisoning, serious head neck or back injury, severe abdominal pain, and difficulty breathing.
Proper and professional care will always be provided at an urgent care clinic you visit in the same way that you would experience in an emergency room. Going to an urgent care clinic to help a non-life-threatening situation can save you time and money and help you feel better faster.