Urgent Care clinics are fast, convenient, and more affordable than your average cost to the emergency room. As such, it might be tempting to visit an urgent care clinic for every small health issue you may experience.
Unfortunately, this might take valuable time away from people who do need to visit an urgent care clinic. Though there are always exceptions to the rule, here are some times where you shouldn’t visit a walk in clinic.
When you have the common cold: Stay home
Unless you have a weakened immune system, are very young, or are very old, there’s no real reason for you to visit a walk in clinic. The common cold is, well, common. It’s not a cause for alarm like the flu or a rare virus or infection.
The average common cold should last a week to ten days. If you’re experiencing high fever or symptoms beyond this time frame, then you should think about visiting an urgent care clinic. You should also visit if you’ve knowingly been in contact with someone who has a disease or if you’ve been out of the country recently.
When you have seasonal allergies
Unless you have a deathly allergic reaction to certain triggers, like peanuts, you normally don’t have to visit an urgent care for allergies, particularly seasonal allergies.
Fall brings a cloud of ragweed pollen wherever the wind blows, causing allergies across the United States. If you’re not used to sneezing, itching, and coughing, it might be tempting to visit an urgent care clinic. Try taking an allergy pill or other antihistamines before you visit your local Hollywood FL urgent care.
When you have small cuts and scrapes
Small cuts and scrapes, especially in kids, are common. Simply clean the affected area with warm soap and water and apply a bandage to stem the bleeding. If the cut is a little deeper than normal, you can also clean the area with rubbing alcohol to sterilize the wound. Of course, if the wound doesn’t heal quickly enough or looks infected, you shouldn’t hesitate to visit a medical clinic near you. If a wound is deep enough, you might need stitches.
Urgent care clinics are a saving grace when you need immediate care for a variety of medical issues. Around three million people rely on urgent care centers to treat their ailments every week, according to the Urgent Care Association of America. When you need the best treatment for your medical condition or emergency room alternative, visit your urgent care facility in Hollywood FL today.