When you are ill, your inclination may be to visit your emergency room for care. Unfortunately, your emergency room was not actually designed for everyday illnesses. Instead, an emergency room is exactly what the name implies – a place to go to seek medical treatment in the event of a true emergency. Should you visit your doctor or the emergency room? Let’s find out.
What Constitutes an Emergency?
Your idea of an emergency may not be the same as the medical professions idea of an emergency. If you are having a heart attack or symptoms of a heart attack, you need the emergency room. If you are gushing blood or have a serious burn, you need the emergency room. If you’ve broken a bone, or think you’ve broken a bone, you need the emergency room. If you have passed out, you probably need the emergency room. If you are running a fever greater than 104, you need the emergency room.
If you are unsure, stop and think about your doctor’s office. Can the condition that you are experiencing be treated by your doctor, in his or her office? If so, this is probably the better option, unless you feel that your life is threatened by the condition. If it is the weekend, and you feel bad and you are running a slight fever, you don’t need the emergency room.
When is it Better to Visit the Doctor?
Any condition that is not mentioned above – or any condition that can be treated by your doctor should be treated at your doctor’s office. You will save a significant amount of money. Most doctors will see you, without an appointment, if you have an illness that warrants such a visit. Give them a call. Describe your symptoms. If they feel that this is something that they cannot handle, they will direct you to the emergency room.
Typically, if it is a situation that they could handle, but they simply do not have the time that day to see you, and they understand your discomfort, they will offer an alternative solution for you, which will not include the emergency room. If you aren’t sure, call them to find out what you should do. Most doctors have an answering service for after hour calls.
Is there an Alternative other than the Doctor or the ER?
There is an alternative when it comes to health care. If what you are experiencing is not an actual emergency, but it is an illness or condition that is making you uncomfortable enough to want care right now – where you cannot wait for your doctor’s office to open or for an appointment – you should check to see if you have an After Hours Care facility in your area.
These facilities may also be known as walk-in clinics. They operate just as a doctor’s office does, in terms of the level of care that is available, but the care is offered after regular business hours, on weekends, or during regular business hours. They are typically twenty-four hour operations. The cost is higher than that of a doctor’s office, but most will accept insurance. The cost is also significantly lower than that charged by the hospital emergency room.
Related Posts
As a parent, you are always looking for signs or symptoms that could indicate that your child is coming down with some type of illness. What we have never been able to understand,...
Have you ever experienced a sharp pain on your right side and wondered if your appendix was the problem? The truth of the matter is that while there will be pain, there will be...
Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction. It requires immediate medical attention, and if medical attention is not sought fast enough, the result could be death. Just as everyone...
If you have been in a situation where you have had sexual intercourse without protection, you need emergency contraception pills. Emergency contraception pills are used to prevent...
If you are in an accident or emergency situation that calls for the services of an emergency air ambulance, you probably won’t be in a position to request a particular service....
Leave a Reply
