So, you’re about to search for “urgent care near me,” and you stop short. You wonder if you should be searching for an ER near you instead. And you just realize, you don’t know when it’s a better choice to go to an urgent care instead of the emergency room.
Whether it’s you or a loved one who needs medical attention, you’ll want to ensure that you know when to go to urgent care and when to go straight to the emergency room.
When Should You Search for an “Urgent Care Near Me?”
Before we discuss the five signs you need to visit an urgent care, let’s first differentiate between these facilities.
Emergency Rooms
An emergency room is the best option if faced with a life-threatening illness or critical injury, including severe trauma from an accident, a heart attack, or something as serious. ERs are open 24/7 and are often equipped with the latest diagnostic and treatment equipment and a team of specially trained medical professionals.
Urgent Care Centers
Urgent care centers are for patients who need non-emergency treatment but need immediate attention, but their regular doctor isn’t available and waiting for an appointment is not an option. Some instances include when one gets sprained or cut. Urgent care centers offer other services like basic laboratory tests and X-ray. Many urgent care centers are open 24/7, but for those that are not, they mostly have extended hours and are open on weekends, too.
Walk-In Clinics
Often confused with urgent care centers, walk-in clinics cater to minor illnesses that might not necessarily need immediate medical attention, like colds and sore throats. Basic medical services like physical exams and vaccinations are provided in walk-in clinics, too.
5 Signs You Should Choose to Go to an Urgent Care Center
Now that we know the basics of the three facilities, let’s focus on the signs that tell you an urgent care visit is your best option.
Sign #1: A Case That’s Urgent But Not Life-Threatening
If you’re hurt and you can’t tell if you should be calling 911, but you don’t think you should wait to see your doctor the next day, that’s when to go to urgent care. You’re dealing with something that might not warrant a trip to the ER, but waiting for your GP could turn those minor injuries into major ones. An urgent care is the best place to get patched up fast and keep the injury from worsening.
Sign #2: A Mild Fracture
Accidents while playing sports or even when you’re just walking around the neighborhood. If you’re experiencing minor injuries with localized pain and swelling or if you cannot move the part that’s hurt, don’t hesitate to go to urgent care. They can get an X-ray done and brace the area if necessary.
Sign #3: A Cut or Burn
If you’ve cut or burned yourself while you’re cooking, don’t wait until your GP is available to get it checked, especially if you’re bleeding and it doesn’t stop. You should also visit an urgent care clinic if the injury is looking infected – if it’s swollen, red, or has pus. Waiting for such injuries to get treated by your GP could exacerbate the problem.
Sign #4: Sudden or Unexplained Symptoms
It happens sometimes. You’re fine one minute, and suddenly you feel sick. It could be nausea or an unexplained abdominal pain or persistent diarrhea. It’s something more than a common cold, but you don’t know exactly. If the symptoms are concerning, you should visit an urgent care center to have your symptoms checked right away so you can get the right treatments or have necessary tests performed.
Sign #5: You Need Quick Diagnostic Services
If you’ve been feeling a bit off and you can’t determine the reason, finding out why is crucial. You wouldn’t want to wait for days or weeks for your GP, not when urgent care clinics are available to give you on-the-spot diagnostics. You want to know what health issue you’re experiencing so you can get the treatment started as well.
When Is a Walk-In Clinic the Right Choice
Walk-in clinics provide convenient access to medical care without an appointment necessary. If you have mild flu-like symptoms, rashes, ear pain, red eyes, or you require physicals for work or sports, a walk-in clinic is a good choice.
When Is a Trip to the Emergency Room Necessary
So what warrants a trip to the ER? Simply put, any life-threatening injury or condition is best handled in the emergency room. These include chest pain, difficulty breathing, slurred speech, any head or eye injury, concussion, seizures, severe cuts, and others. If you think you are dealing with something serious, don’t take chances and go to the nearest ER.
How to Prepare for Your Urgent Care Visit
It’s recommended that you prepare for your urgent care visit if you have time to do so. Some of the things you should bring include a record of all the medications you take, including any vitamins and supplements, and, if possible, indicate how much and how often you take them.
It’s also important that you inform the physician checking you of any previous medical procedures you’ve had, any surgeries performed, and when, as well as any allergies to food or medication that you might have.
Knowing When to Go to Urgent Care and When to Choose the ER Is Crucial
It’s not just a matter of which facility is closer to you. Knowing which one best serves your needs is important. Not only will the right choice save you time and get you on the way to recovery faster, but choosing a reliable urgent care facility like Centers Urgent Care over an ER visit could also mean you’re helping someone get the emergency medical attention they deserve by not taking up space in an ER unnecessarily.
Centers Urgent Care provides an array of services from pediatric to geriatric care, as well as tests like DOT Physicals, STD testing, and so much more. Get in touch with one of our urgent care facilities in New York to learn more about our services!
