When to Go to Urgent Care?

The people who are seen at urgent care clinics need medical attention that is not life-threatening. They come in for many of the more common injuries and illnesses, like:

• Colds and flu
• Sore throat
• Abdominal pain
• Allergic reactions
• Diarrhea and other gastrointestinal issues
• Ear and eye infections and irritations
• Sprains and strains
• Fractures and dislocations
• Cuts, wounds, lacerations, and burns
• Urinary tract infections
• Strep Throat
• Mononucleosis
• Infections
• Respiratory infections
• Vomiting
 
Urgent care clinics are set up with diagnostic equipment such as X-rays and lab testing. This allows for fast and accurate diagnoses. The diagnostic equipment provides quick results to help provide urgent care.

There are many reasons why you should seek urgent medical attention. Some of these will require a visit to the ER, and some, while being urgent, don’t require the specialized staff and equipment found at the ER. Many times, the illnesses or injuries that you encounter can be treated at an urgent care clinic.
 
Here are some symptoms that should be addressed at an ER:

• Chest pain
• Difficulty breathing
• Stroke symptoms, like slurred speech, numbness on one side, weakness
• Serious burns
• Loss of consciousness
• Head injury
• Concussion or confusion
• Fever with a rash
• Seizures
• Problems related to pregnancy
 
Some problems that require medical attention but may not require a visit to the ER include:

• Vomiting or persistent diarrhea
• Fever, without a rash
• Wheezing or shortness of breath
• Dehydration
• Abdominal pain
• Moderate flu-like symptoms
• Cuts that are bleeding excessively
• Sprains and strains
• Simple fractures
• Earaches and ear infections

If you are in immediate or very near future need of medical services, you can probably be considered to be in urgent need of care. These can be situations when you are not able to bear the pain that you are dealing with. These are medical issues that, if left untreated for more than 24 hours, could lead to more complicated health problems. These are not the kinds of conditions that will lead to a disability or death.
 
Urgent care clinics fill the gap between a family physician and an ER. If you go to the ER with a sprain or earache, you could end up waiting for hours to be treated after the more serious issues are being addressed. An urgent care clinic will address those acute situations more quickly and often for much less money than you would pay at an ER.

Emergency care treats emergencies. If you have a life-threatening condition, then emergency care is what you need. If you need care to prevent you from becoming disabled or care that will require a hospital stay, then you need emergency care.
 
The difference between emergency care and urgent care comes down to the severity of the medical situation. If the condition has the potential to end your life, go to the ER. If your condition needs attention but you know you will be home when the treatment is done, you can go to an urgent care clinic. You will likely be out of there in about an hour, unlike an ER, which can take hours.
 
SoCal Urgent Care is available to meet many of the acute medical conditions that you encounter, from cuts, broken bones, flu, and colds. We are open until midnight on weekdays and are open 24 hours on weekends. You don’t need an appointment, we are open for walk-ins. We are conveniently located at 710 S Brookhurst St. Suite A, Anaheim, CA 92804. For more information, contact us or schedule an appointment online. We serve patients from Anaheim CA, Buena Park CA, La Palma CA, Cerritos CA, Placentia CA, Stanton CA, and surrounding areas.