Quick: Where should you go if you’re having these symptoms—the emergency department or urgent care? An earache, crushing chest pain, and numbness in the face or arm.
Whether it comes out of nowhere or sneaks up on you gradually, a medical problem can jump to the top of your priority list. That’s when you have to decide the best place to get care.
If you or a family member has an earache, or a similar problem like a sore throat that might be strep, urgent care offers prompt diagnosis and treatment if your regular doctor can’t fit you in. On the other hand, obviously alarming symptoms like crushing chest pain point you clearly to the emergency room.
Numbness in the face or arm, meanwhile, may seem like a milder symptom but can actually be a sign of stroke. Generally, if you’re unsure, the emergency department is the right place to go.
Is It An Emergency?
Expert emergency care prevents death and disability by quickly diagnosing and treating serious and life-threatening medical problems. Emergency symptoms include difficulty breathing, uncontrolled bleeding and sudden, severe pain.
In general, symptoms that are sudden or severe are red flags pointing you to the emergency department. That could be “the worst headache you’ve ever had,” or abdominal pain that has you doubled over.
Heart Attack Symptoms
A possible heart attack or stroke should always be evaluated in the emergency department. Know the warning signs so you can recognize them in yourself or someone else. The signs of heart attack symptoms include:
- Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
- Upper body discomfort. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
- Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
- Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
Stroke Symptoms
To recognize the signs of stroke, remember “BE FAST”:
- Balance. Is the person suddenly having trouble with balance or coordination?
- Eyes Trouble. Is the person’s vision suddenly blurred? Are they experiencing sudden or persistent double vision or another kind of vision trouble?
- Face drooping. Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile. Is the person’s smile uneven?
- Arm weakness. Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
- Speech difficulty. Is speech slurred? Is the person unable to speak or hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence like “The sky is blue.” Is the sentence repeated correctly?
- Time to call 911. If someone shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 911 and get the person to the hospital immediately. Check the time so you’ll know when the first symptoms appeared.
When to Go to Urgent Care
For minor injuries and illnesses, urgent care is an alternative to the emergency department. Urgent Care Centers allow people to receive quality care that’s faster and less expensive than if they went to the Emergency Department. Visiting your primary care doctor is also a great alternative for addressing minor injuries and illnesses.
With its lifesaving resources and technology, the emergency department can be a more costly place to get care. Also, the most seriously sick and hurt patients have to be treated first.
Urgent care centers commonly treat ear infections, strep throat, urinary tract infections, yeast infections, conjunctivitis (pinkeye) and bronchitis. Minor cuts, burns, sprains and fractures can also be managed in urgent care.
The Power of Prevention
Many urgent and emergency situations happen unexpectedly. But some can be anticipated or even avoided if you have a regular relationship with a primary care physician.
Think of your doctor’s office as your medical home base. Getting an appointment as a new patient can take days or weeks, while established patients can often be seen within a day or two. If you can’t be seen right away, your primary care office can advise you when to go to urgent or emergency care.
Regular checkups and screenings can catch risk factors and early warning signs of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other serious health problems. If you make lifestyle changes, take appropriate medication and see your doctor regularly to monitor your health, you can head off some problems before they become urgent or an emergency.
