When To Go To Urgent Care
Posted on: 4 May 2019
Under normal circumstances, you want to go in to see your own doctor when you are injured or not feeling well. There are other times when you would obviously go straight to the hospital, such as if you were seriously injured or you had a life-threatening event or a severe illness that needed emergency attention.
You should really try not to go to the hospital if your situation doesn't warrant a true emergency. Going to the ER when it's not necessary takes emergency care away from those with a real need, and the bills you incur will be quite expensive for emergency care. If you are sick or injured, and your doctor can't get you in or they are closed, here are some times when it may be best for you to go to a walk-in urgent care center over a hospital.
You don't have a high fever
If you are sick enough you feel like you may need medication, but you haven't been running a high fever, then you may want to think about going to a walk-in urgent care instead. An urgent care can have a look at you, diagnose you, and prescribe you with medication. When you haven't had a high fever, there is less of a chance that you are seriously dehydrated because a high fever causes you to dehydrate faster.
You don't have a serious rash
If you have a rash, but it doesn't cover a large part of your body, doesn't include painful lesions, and doesn't appear too serious in other ways, then a trip to a walk-in urgent care may be best. If they find that your rash can't be taken care of with an antihistamine, or it needs tests that they aren't able to take care of at their facility, then they may then refer you to the hospital or tell you to follow up with your doctor if they feel it isn't serious enough and that you can wait for an appointment with your regular health care provider.
You think you have a sprain
If you think you have a sprain, then you can go to the walk-in urgent care. They can treat a sprain by wrapping it correctly and giving you care instructions. If they feel it is broken, then they may be able to give you an x-ray and let you know you need to see an orthopedist as soon as possible to have a cast put on.
If you need medical attention but feel your condition is urgent rather than emergent, go to a walk-in urgent care center such as La Costa Urgent Care.
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