If you like the old days of doctors making house calls, then an urgent care Huntington NY clinic will be right up your street. While it is only around four decades ago that physicians would come to your home if you were ill, this simply doesn’t happen anymore. Today, you have to go to them and get the help when you need it. However, family physicians no longer work unsociable hours, and they are incredibly busy, which means it can take quite some time before you can get to see one. None of this is an issue with an urgent care facility.
Times are different today, and the best place to get care is to go to an urgent care facility. More and more of these clinics are being opened and for good reason. These clinics have the same open door policy that the physician of years one by had, meaning that anyone can come, at any time, with any problem. That said, it is important for you to know when you need to go to an urgent care clinic, as you may not need any care at all, or you may need to go to the emergency room instead. Below is a list of the problems for which an urgent care facility is the best place to go.
Cuts and Abrasions
Flesh wounds happen, and exist in many different ways, each of which requires a different type of treatment. If the wound is superficial, such as a skimmed elbow, you should simply clean it at home and bandage it. If the cut is slightly deeper, then an urgent care facility may be required for a few stitches. If it is very deep, or has hit an artery, you need the ER. If, however, you go to an urgent care facility when you should have gone to the ER, they will make sure you get there. Their most important role is to stem the bleeding and to make sure no infections can take hold.
Sprains and Strains
Every year, 628,000 ankles are sprained in this country alone. This means it is incredibly common. It happens when the muscle stretches too far, or is even torn. In either case, an urgent care clinic is the place to go to. They will make sure that there isn’t actually a fracture, or that there is a full muscle tear, and help you brace it, bandage it, and ice it. They can also prescribe painkillers and provide you with crutches if need be. A sprain is not a medical emergency that requires treatment at the ER, but it is hugely painful and some medical attention is required.
Burns
Burns are incredibly complex, and incredibly dangerous. If you sustain sunburn, you may think that you don’t need any medical care other than your trusted bottle of aloe vera, but you do have to be concerned about sunstroke. Second degree burns must be cleaned and treated properly at an urgent care facility as well. Third degree burns, however, require immediate ER care.