When Should I Go to Urgent Care?

Urgent Care for Illnesses

In general, you should get urgent care for an illness that is not serious enough to be life-threatening but still requires timely treatment. For example, you should go to urgent care for a severe sore throat and fever in order to be tested for strep, which requires prompt treatment with antibiotics. Other reasons to go to urgent care for illness include when you have the flu, a fever that lingers or gets worse, a severe cough, a urinary tract infection or eye irritation. You should also go to urgent care for skin rashes or frequent or prolonged cases of diarrhea or vomiting that put you at risk of dehydration.

Urgent Care for Injuries

You should head to urgent care if you have an injury from an accident or fall that is not life-threatening or severe. Other injuries that can be treated at urgent care include minor fractures, sprains, strains and cuts or wounds that might require stitches.

Other Urgent Care Services

Urgent care offers more than treatment for illnesses and injuries. You can also receive diagnostic services at these places, such as X-rays, or have other lab tests done as needed. Going to urgent care for these means you don’t have to wait to schedule an appointment at your regular doctor’s office.

Emergency Room Visits

If you have a medical emergency, you should seek immediate care at the emergency room. Illnesses and injuries that are considered emergencies are ones that are serious and severe without prompt care. Examples of conditions that require emergency care include severe fractures, deep wounds, and severe or moderate burns. You should also seek emergency care for heart attack symptoms, stroke symptoms, poisoning, severe head injuries, heavy bleeding, and seizures.

Going to an emergency room for care helps ensure that you or a loved one gets proper care as quickly as possible. This helps prevent complications and other serious problems from occurring with certain illnesses and injuries.

If you need more information on urgent care services, contact Park Avenue Medical Professionals today. Our doctors have experience in treating a wide range of conditions.