Have you visited an urgent care clinic before? Chances are that there is an urgent care center located near you. If you are unfamiliar with all of the available services provided by urgent care clinics, then you may be interested in learning more.

It’s not uncommon for people to sustain injuries or become ill after regular doctor’s office hours. This may particularly be the case before or after work as well as over the weekend. Most urgent care centers are open to see patients every day of the week, which is the case with 85% of these facilities. The Urgent Care Association of America has estimated that three million patients are seen by doctors every week at various urgent care locations. Currently, there are 20,000 doctors that practice this growing medical specialty.

There are a variety of medical issues that are treated at urgent care clinics. In 2012, for example, the most common diagnosis was for upper-respiratory conditions. The most common procedure performed at that time was for wound repair. In addition to diagnosing and treating these types of issues, urgent care clinics may see patients that have sustained sports injuries such as ankle sprains or fractures.

Common illnesses such as colds and flus can be treated at these facilities as well. It’s been estimated that Americans come down with approximately one billion colds every year, and five percent to 20% of the American population also gets the flu. While some people may choose to suffer through these illnesses, an urgent care facility can provide or prescribe a variety of treatments. When someone has a high fever that won’t go down, for example, this would be a good time to visit a walk-in clinic. Other symptoms such as severe headaches, nausea, vomiting, and coughing can also be evaluated and treated by an urgent care physician.

When you visit an urgent care clinic, you can learn more about the various convenient and quality services they provide. When medical care is urgently needed, it’s important to remember that advance appointments aren’t required. This can make a significant difference if you have sustained a minor injury, are feeling short of breath or dizzy, or suffering with a severe cold or flu.

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Did you know that there are nearly 6,800 urgent care walk in clinics in the U.S. today? Patients both young and old visit these clinics for a wide variety of ailments. Though you may be able to guess the most common reasons — nearly 7 million people in the U.S. break a bone every year, for example, and many of these individuals end up going to urgent care centers — here are 5 surprising services the majority of urgent care walk in clinics offer.

1. Get a Cotton Ball Stuck in Your Nose

It happens, especially with children — a cotton ball or lego becomes lodged in the nose or ear and can?t be retrieved. Your best bet, of course, is not to try and do this yourself (which can lodge objects further) — but there?s often no need to take this to the ER. Instead, check out your local urgent care doctor for removal help.

2. STD Testing

STD tests are incredibly important for having healthy relationships and not accidentally contracting or spreading diseases that can have potentially lifelong ramifications — especially if left untreated. You might be surprised to hear that many urgent care facilities offer STD tests for both men and women.

3. Pediatric Care

Need a check-up for your 6-year-old but the doctor?s waiting list is two months long for an appointment? Many urgent care centers offer pediatric care — essential for many parents who may rely on the convenient longer open hours that also accompany these centers.

4. Bee Sting

If you?ve had a particularly bad bee or wasp sting, an urgent care can come in handy for helping to remove the stinger or treat the painful aftermath. Just keep in mind that urgent cares are not intended to treat immediately life threatening problems — so if someone is going to anaphylactic shock from a sting, the right place to go for this is still the ER.

5. Immunizations

No need to schedule an appointment with your doctor — many urgent care centers will offer the shots that ward off illness, that you’ve been searching for (or more likely, required to obtain in order to work or attend school).

Have you ever been to an urgent care clinic to treat an unusual ailment or problem? Let us know.

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It is after 6:00 pm and you just wiped out on the tennis court, what do you do? It is Satruday afternoon and your child’s ear infection is getting worse, where should you go? For many people, the answer is the emergency room but it does not have to be. All over the country medical urgent care clinics have sprung up.

Why should I choose a medical urgent care clinic over the ER?

• The wait time cannot be beat. Nearly 60% of people who seek treatment at an urgent care facility are seen within 15 minutes of their arrival. About 80% get in and out within 80 minutes. That is much less time than it takes to be seen in any emergency room. In an emergency room, the personnel has to put you in line with other sicker people or those with much more serious and life threatening injuries and it can take hours to see a physician.
• The hours are conducive to most busy schedules. Urgent care facilities can be better for an illness or injury that cannot wait until the doctor’s office opens but it not a true medical emergency. Many of these medical urgent care centers have hours before 9:00 am (at least 66% of these clinics are open then) and a large number are open on the weekends. Nearly 46% are open on Saturdays and another 31% have hours on Sundays. Nearly 90% of all medical urgent care clinics are open after 7:00 pm during the week.
• Treatment at urgent care centers is more cost effective. Getting medical treatment at the emergency room is the most expensive way to get it. By contrast, medical urgent care clinics are much less expensive. If you have health insurance, you are in luck. Most insurance companies perfer that patients seek care from an urgent care clinic rather than an emergency room and the copayment is a lot less. Check with your insurance carrier for more information.
• Most urgent care clinics have x-ray and do lab tests. Think you broke a bone? You can go to an medical urgent care clinic to find out. Many of the tests that you would have doen in an emergency room can be done in an urgent care center. Some also have pharmacies on site so that you have your prescriptions available for you when you leave. If you are concerned about strep throat or an ear infection, this can be a better place to get care than an emergency room.

There are times when you DO need to seek treatment at an emergency room. If you are having chest pains or have suffered what could be a life threatening injury, you should call 911. If you have other major injuries to your head or have a very high fever, the emergency department is for you. These are just a few examples and you can call your doctor for advice about this. The medical urgent care clinic can also tell you if your situation warrants a trip to the hopital.

For a wide arrage of other illnesses and injuries, urgent care centers offer a very cost effective, fast and convenient way to get good medical care for things that are pressing but not real emergencies. They can also be a lot less traumatic for young children who have never been to an emergency room. There are no ambulances coming and going from urgent care clinics. Ask your insurance carrier what thier policy is and know where the clinics are before you need them. Then you will be in the best position to decide if and when the time comes to seek care for you or a family member.

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