The cold season is coming. This means it’s time for you to get your flu vaccination and general check-up! Medical care isn’t just a necessity to stay healthy — it’s an absolute must to keep others healthy, from young children to high-risk populations like the elderly and chronically ill. If you’re not sure which form of medical assistance to seek out, however, you may want to keep reading. The difference between your local hospital, a walk-in clinic and urgent care express is something everyone needs to know so they’re not unnecessarily spending extra money when they need care.
What Are Common Illnesses?
We’re all familiar with the common song and dance of colds, flus and fevers once the cold season rolls around. This is due to a variety of factors, such as the cold weather weakening the immune system and more people clustering indoors due to the rain and snow. Other illnesses that can crop up are shingles, impetigo, psoriasis, lethargy, stiffness, pneumonia and more. Urgent care express centers are a necessity if you need assistance as soon as possible but are unable to wait for assistance by your regular doctor or clinic.
How Can I Prevent Common Illnesses?
While seeing urgent care express is necessary to combat common illnesses and injuries, there are proactive steps you can take to stay healthy and reduce these occurrences. Since it’s easy to spread bacteria due to being confined to close quarters throughout the winter, you need to wash your hands regularly to avoid infecting others. Regularly wipe off cell phones, doorknobs and keyboards with alcoholic wipes to eliminate common forms of bacteria from frequently used objects. Last, but not least, take a few days off work or school if you find yourself sick — it is very easy to get others ill, causing a ripple effect that can negatively impact businesses and institutions in your neighborhood.
What Are Common Injuries?
An urgent care express sees a wide host of injuries walking through its front door day after day. Around 60% of all urgent care centers have a wait time of around 15 minutes, with 65% having a physician on-site all times to address any and all injuries. Around four out of five urgent care centers (totaling to 80%) provide assistance with fractures. It’s estimated one in five urgent care centers have over 450 patient visits on a weekly basis, totaling to 21% in many cities.
When Should I Call An Ambulance?
It’s important to know the difference between a basic injury and a life-threatening situation. If you or someone you know is having trouble breathing, moving or reacting, it is essential you get help as soon as possible. Some common life-threatening issues include heart attack, stroke, epilepsy, allergic reaction, shock and head trauma. Although seven in 10 urgent care centers can provide intravenous fluids on a necessary basis, it’s important to know when and where to seek out help should an accident or incident occur.
When Should I See Urgent Care Express?
If you get injured or sick, seeing urgent care express can give you the treatment you need to recover faster. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around half of all adult ER patients who weren’t sick enough to visit the hospital went to the ER because their physician’s office were closed. The majority of centers will remain open until 7:00 p.m. or later on weeknights, with two out of five remaining open for longer — double-check the hours of your local urgent care express so you’re not left in the dark when you need help the most. With a proactive attitude, everyone can stay healthy and fit come winter!
