When Should You Visit Urgent Care vs ER?

At SoCal Urgent Care, we specialize in treating urgent medical conditions—health issues that require prompt attention, typically within a few hours, but are not immediately life-threatening. Common examples of urgent conditions treated include high fevers that don’t respond to over-the-counter medication, minor fractures and sprains, COVID testing, ear infections, and moderate asthma attacks. Addressing these situations quickly at urgent care can help prevent them from becoming more serious.

It’s important to understand the difference between an urgent medical condition and a true emergency. Medical emergencies—such as chest pain, severe shortness of breath, major trauma, uncontrolled bleeding, loss of consciousness, stroke symptoms, or severe allergic reactions—require immediate intervention in a hospital emergency department or by calling 911.

For urgent, but not life-threatening, medical concerns, SoCal Urgent Care is here to help you and your family get fast, effective treatment. For true emergencies, always seek immediate care at the nearest emergency room or call 911.

Urgent care is dedicated to providing fast, effective treatment for a wide range of non-life-threatening medical issues—helping you feel better without the long wait or high cost of an emergency room visit. Our clinic is fully equipped to handle a variety of common illnesses, including upper respiratory infections such as the common cold and sinus infections. We also provide care for mild to moderate asthma reactions.

If you’re dealing with skin problems, urgent care can help. For injuries, our experienced medical team manages minor fractures, sprains, strains, and simple dislocations. We also offer prompt care for minor cuts, lacerations, and wounds that may need stitches, as well as minor eye injuries or removal of foreign bodies from the eye.

Additionally, we treat mild to moderate asthma attacks and dehydration. However, please remember that for life-threatening emergencies—such as chest pain, severe difficulty breathing, heavy bleeding, or symptoms of a stroke—you should call 911 or go directly to the emergency room.

When to Go to the Emergency Room: It is critical to seek emergency care—not urgent care—if you or a loved one is experiencing symptoms or injuries that are life-threatening or could result in serious harm without immediate attention. Head straight to the ER or call 911 if you experience:

• Signs of a heart attack: Chest pain or pressure (especially if it radiates to the jaw or left arm), shortness of breath, sweating, or nausea.
• Stroke symptoms: Sudden numbness or weakness (especially on one side of the body), difficulty speaking or understanding, confusion, vision changes, severe headache, or loss of balance.
• Severe breathing issues: Extreme shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.

Uncontrolled bleeding or major injuries (such as broken bones with visible deformity, deep or large wounds, or head injuries with loss of consciousness or vomiting).

• Severe allergic reactions: Swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat, or trouble breathing.
• Seizures: Seizures lasting more than five minutes or multiple seizures without regaining consciousness.
• Poisoning: Swallowing a poisonous substance.

Severe burns or sudden, severe pain.

• Mental health emergencies: Thoughts of self-harm or suicide.
• Pregnancy complications: Heavy bleeding or severe abdominal pain during pregnancy.

Sudden loss of vision or unexplained fainting.

When to Visit Urgent Care: SoCal Urgent Care is your go-to for non-life-threatening conditions that still require prompt treatment. Visit us for:

• Minor injuries and illnesses
• Mild to moderate infections
• Simple fractures or sprains
• Cuts requiring stitches (without severe bleeding)
• Colds, flu, sore throats, and ear infections
• Minor burns or rashes
• Lab testing for non-emergent conditions

If you’re ever unsure whether your symptoms require urgent care or an ER visit, err on the side of caution and seek emergency services. Time is often critical in serious situations.

Deciding whether your symptoms require a trip to the emergency room or whether urgent care is appropriate can be confusing. At SoCal Urgent Care, we’re here to help you make the right choice for your health.

When to Seek Emergency Care:
Certain symptoms are best evaluated immediately at the emergency room. These include:

• Chest pain or pressure
• Severe difficulty breathing
• Sudden weakness or numbness, especially on one side of the body
• Confusion or loss of consciousness
• Heavy, uncontrollable bleeding
• Severe abdominal pain
• Head injuries with loss of consciousness or persistent confusion
• Any symptoms following a major accident

For infants and young children, signs such as trouble breathing, unresponsiveness, or a high, unrelenting fever may also require emergency attention.

When Urgent Care Can Help:

For less severe symptoms—such as minor injuries, mild to moderate allergic reactions, sore throats, ear pain, minor cuts, sprains, or fevers—SoCal Urgent Care is a great alternative to the ER. Our experienced medical team can quickly diagnose and treat a wide range of non-life-threatening conditions, often with shorter wait times and lower costs than a hospital emergency room. For more information, please contact us or request an appointment online. We are conveniently located at 710 S Brookhurst St. Suite A, Anaheim, CA 92804 (less than 3 miles away from Disneyland). We serve patients from Anaheim CA, Fullerton CA, Garden Grove CA, Cypress CA, Stanton CA, Buena Park CA, La Habra CA, Yorba Linda CA, and surrounding cities.