The 3 Most Common Injuries and Illnesses at Urgent Care
In a world of alternative clinics and upscale doctor offices, many people ask, what is urgent care for? According to the Urgent Care Association of America, approximately three million patients visit urgent care centers each week with a wide array of illnesses, infections, and emergencies. Below are the three most common cases urgent care doctors see.
- Respiratory Illnesses: On average, a child catches six to ten colds per year, and that number may only slightly decrease with age. Urgent care centers see daily cases of people suffering from bronchitis, influenza, sore throats, sinus infections, and the common cold. In some cases when you need medical attention it is difficult to make a choice between the emergency room and urgent care, but when most people feel the symptoms of the illnesses mentioned above, they turn to urgent care. With these common symptoms, it is likely they only need a simple prescription to get back to normal.
- Sprains and Strains: Ankle, foot, and toe sprains and strains are the most common injury seen in urgent care offices. Approximately 25,000 Americans suffer from ankle sprains daily. Symptoms of sprains and strains are tenderness and swelling, and sometimes the inability to put weight on the area. They differ in that sprains involve a ligament connecting bone and cartilage and strains involve stretched or torn muscles and tendons. Both are easily treated by urgent care medics and should be looked at sooner rather than later for the fastest recovery possible.
- Dizziness: Approximately 70% of the population of the United States will experience dizziness in their lifetime, making it the second most common complaint heard in doctor’s offices. Dizziness is a major answer to the question, “What is urgent care for?” as it can be a symptom of a wide variety of causes. Some possible causes are inner ear imbalance, low iron levels or blood sugar, motion sickness, circulation problems, and overheating or dehydration. If dizziness is causing a major disturbance in your day to day life, see an urgent care doctor to find the exact root of the issue.
So what is urgent care for? Urgent care is made for cases when you do not have days to wait for a doctor’s appointment, but your symptoms are not serious enough to warrant a trip to the emergency room. When you need a quick fix for a non-life threatening illness or injury, visit your nearest urgent care for quick and accurate medical attention.
