Making the decision to go to an urgent care center can sometimes be a tricky one. If you’re anything like most other people out there, you’ll try to work through your situation logically in an attempt to decide whether you need to see someone immediately or not. Of course this can be a difficult decision. What if what you’re experiencing is a false alarm? When is the right time to go? Do you need to go at all?

Fortunately for you, the team at Medics USA is here to help you work through that decision. We should say before we get started though that if you’re in need of medical attention right now, stop reading, and call for help. Because every situation is different, we want to urge you to err on the side of caution. Although making this decision can be tough, the thing to remember that puts it all into perspective is that you only get one life. If you feel like you should see a doctor immediately, you definitely should.

How to Tell If You Should Visit Urgent Care

One other note–if you’re having a heart attack or you’re experiencing serious bleeding, you need an emergency room. To put it simply, urgent care is designed by be used by those who are ill or injured and can’t wait until the next day to visit a doctor. An emergency room should be used in the event that what you’re experiencing is life threatening. Having said that, there are a handful of situations where it just doesn’t make sense to go to an emergency room. Here are a few of them:

You Think You Need Stitches

What happens when you get a cut that won’t stop bleeding? You’ve properly treated and dressed the wound, but you think you need a bit more help. It’s not exactly a life threatening emergency, but it does need to be dealt with pretty quickly. You might need stitches. Visiting one of our facilities allows you to get the treatment you need to get back to your life without making a trip to the ER.

You Have a Fever

Everybody gets a fever at some point or another. It’s just a fact of life! Sometimes, however, no matter what you do, you just can’t quite seem to get the fever to break. This may be a sign that you need to seek medical care. Again, it’s not an emergency, but you need to find some relief from your fever before it drives you crazy. You can count on us to help.

You Have Trouble Breathing

There are a number of reasons that one might experience shortness of breath rather suddenly. Although it can happen, it’s certainly no walk in the park when it happens to you. In fact, it can be pretty frightening. If what you’re experiencing is causing extreme anxiety, you have a decision to make–you can take a trip to the ER or head to an urgent care clinic. Depending on the severity of the problem, your choice could go either way and only you truly know what’s best for you.

We’re Here to Help

No matter what your situation looks like, you can count on us to be there to provide you with help. You see, it’s our goal to give the best help possible to everyone who walks through our doors. Whether it’s a fever, a headache, an infection, a cut, a rash, a burn, or a sprain, our urgent care facility is equipped to provide you with the help you need.

Best of all, no appointment is necessary for us to see you. You can simply head to one of our locations (in Ashburn, Falls Church, Winchester, Dupont Circle in DC, or Columbia Heights in DC) to get assistance with whatever it is that ails you. Of course like we mentioned before, if it’s an emergency that is life threatening, you should call 911 or head to the nearest emergency room.

Have a question? Rather schedule an appointment with your primary care provider? Not a problem! You can feel free to contact us online by filling out the form here on our website or you can give us a call at one of the Medics USA nearest to you. However you decide to get in touch with us, we’re looking forward to providing you with the help that you need!