5 Reasons to Visit an Urgent Care for Your Health

• May 20, 2022
• Tony Guo
• no comments

5 Reasons to Visit an Urgent Care for Your Health

An urgent care is the place to go when you have an injury or illness that’s too serious to wait until the next business day to address, but not severe enough to require emergency treatment at an ER. You don’t have to be in immediate danger in order to get valuable treatment from an urgent care—there are many reasons why you might visit one and want to know more about it before you walk through their doors. Here are five of the most common reasons why you should consider making a trip to your local urgent care center instead of your doctor’s office, hospital, or even the ER.

1) Shoulder Pain

Can’t keep up with your busy schedule? Don’t have time to make it into a primary care doctor’s office? Urgent care clinics are popping up all over, offering walk-in services that help patients who need medical attention but can’t fit a doctor appointment into their schedules. If you’re suffering from shoulder pain, visiting an urgent care could be ideal solution.

2) Herniated Disc

Spinal discs act as shock absorbers between bones in your spine. If a disc herniates, it can cause pain and numbness in nearby areas by pinching nerves. Visiting a specialist at an urgent care clinic can help relieve symptoms of nerve compression and reduce your risk of surgery or permanent damage.

3) Sprained Ankle

Sprained ankles are caused by an injury or trauma, causing ligaments to overstretch and become inflamed. Symptoms of a sprained ankle include: pain, swelling, bruising and loss of range of motion. An injured ankle can sometimes become even more painful after resting; if you feel like your symptoms are getting worse rather than better, seek medical help right away. The sooner you can get your ankle checked out and treat any minor injuries that occurred during your sprain, the faster you’ll recover.

4) Upper Respiratory Infection

An Upper Respiratory Infection (URTI) is a viral or bacterial infection of your nose, throat and sinuses. Common symptoms of URTI include: a runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, cough and sneezing. If you experience one or more of these symptoms, it’s best to get in touch with your doctor right away; especially if these conditions persist beyond 10 days.

5) Food Poisoning

If you feel like something you ate has made you sick, it’s a good idea to see a doctor as soon as possible. Food poisoning is most common in restaurants and food establishments where food is handled improperly or left out too long. If you’ve recently eaten out and feel like something isn’t right, don’t wait it out—visit your nearest urgent care center.