No matter what is wrong it is likely that you will be able to benefit from the choice of urgent care over the emergency room. While some of the most common problems you would think to take to urgent care include the cough and cold, breaks and sprains, pain and other smaller injuries, the many conditions that these medical staff members handle could be quite surprising.
What is Urgent Care?
Urgent care is similar to the emergency room, usually open 24 hours a day and offering professional medical care for almost everything you could possibly imagine. With sprains, strains and other athletic injuries that take place every day, these doctors and nurses are highly needed so that patients don’t have to wait for hours at the ER. More immediate care is offered at urgent care, and there is likely one just around the corner from your home. Luckily, there are about 20,000 American physicians in practice at urgent care today, making plenty of experienced medical knowledge available at these clinical at all hours.
When To Visit Urgent Care
Sometimes the emergency room seems most reliable when there is an illness or injury that needs immediate care. However, the ER is rarely immediately available, with the key priority placed on life-threatening conditions like heart attack or stroke. So, the urgent care centers that are nearby and taking patients consistently, provide much faster care. Walk-in clinics can treat sprains and strains, and the potential broken bones that will be placed at the back of the list at the ER. Urgent care also has a testing lab, helping to stabilize these injuries in case they need further treatment. Illnesses like a heavy cough, chest congestion, ear infection, sinus infection, colds, flu, or others may just need a prescription, and urgent care is able to help. With about one billion colds suffered annually, and between 5% and 20% of Americans facing the flu, it is helpful to have these walk in clinics available for treatment.
Rehabilitation Available at Urgent Care
Considering the staggering rates across the country for heroin use and opioid addiction, there is a great value to the detox process offered at urgent care. With fast admission and immediate treatment, this is helpful regarding the drug overdose death rates rising regularly. Rehabilitation is also available for alcoholism. Even more troublesome due to the fact that alcohol is legal, this is a helpful factor in getting alcoholics treated and drunk drivers off the road.
The Most Frequent Issues Treated at Urgent Care Clinics
The best things to be handled at walk-in clinics include sprains and strains, and the potential broken bones that will be placed at the back of the list at the ER. These are still often urgent, and should not wait for the next available appointment at your family physician, so urgent care clinics are able to get you in the door right away. With experienced medical professionals at urgent care, you can get prescriptions immediately without having to wait for hours at the ER to even be seen.
Additional Unexpected Services Offered at Urgent Care
There are also simple conditions like insomnia and ADHD, ADD, hormone loss, pain and others that would require a wait for a physician appointment. However, if immediate care is needed the urgent care center has a number of doctors who are able to provide prescriptions, treatment, and referrals to the proper specialist if need be.
With the ability to receive many treatments immediately there is no reason to rush to the ER anytime that something uncomfortable happens. These centers can help addicts through the toughest time of the first steps of rehab, along with providing treatments for insomnia, pains, stomach aches, and others. There is no reason to have your issues put to the back of the list when you are able to walk in any hour of the day for immediate care.
