5 Signs Your Illness Requires Urgent Medical Care


Not everyone is fortunate enough to have access to doctors, hospital and urgent care facilities when needed, and the fast increasing cost of even the most basic medical procedures causes many people to resort to self treatment methods. The fact of the matter is that most people don't care to make doctor appointments unless the symptoms of their ailments fail to go away on their own. You're even less likely to make a trip to the emergency room unless you have a good reason to be concerned about your immediate health.

On the other hand, going to an urgent care facility, like Billings Clinic, can prevent you from incurring emergency room bills when you aren't able to see your primary doctor right away. If you exhibit any of these five signs, your illness severe enough to necessitate an immediate visit to an urgent care facility.

1. Labored Breathing - Whether you have asthma, severe allergies or no unknown breathing issues, not being able to catch your breath and get enough oxygen can be a serious concern. Go to your nearby urgent care facility if you are unable to breath normally.

2. Sudden Drop in Blood Pressure - Low blood pressure can occur after you are cut and start to lose too much blood. Additionally, low blood pressure can be a sign of diminishing vital statistics, such as heart rate. If you don't normally have low blood pressure while in a resting state, urgent care may be needed.

3. Prolonged Vomiting - This unpleasant symptom is something that most people would rather not think of, but too much vomiting can be a sign that your health is in your danger. Strange, dark colored vomit or noticing blood coming up when you expel the contents of your stomach is another reason that you may be concerned enough to see an urgent care physician.

4. Dizziness and Numb Body Parts - Two major indicators of a stroke include confusion and dizziness as well as numbness and loss of feeling in the limbs. Other serious to mild illnesses include dizziness and numbness as symptoms, but victims of strokes can deteriorate in a matter of hours. Get to a doctor, hospital or urgent care clinic as soon as you experience unexplained numbness or dizziness.

5. Severe Swelling - Swelling in any part of the body can be an indicator of an infection or an allergic reaction. Remember that allergies can develop in people at any time, so you may be having a reaction and not have a clue as to what caused it. Swelling so severe that it causes pain or tenderness can mean that urgent care is necessary.