It can be difficult to decide whether or not you need to visit an urgent care clinic. A lot of people are worried about their health, but are afraid to see a doctor — whether at their doctor’s office, or a medical walk in clinic. The great thing about clinic care versus the care you’ll find at your doctor’s office is that you don’t need to make an appointment ahead of time. Rather, you can go when you’re ready to go; but you need to be aware of when it’s time to get treatment at an urgent care clinic. The last thing you want is for something that began as a minor issue to push you to the hospital. Certain symptoms are more obvious than others — to be sure, some issues send us straight to the urgent care center. Others creep up on us and are easy to dismiss until they’ve become completely out of hand. With that being said, we’re going to look at a few of the symptoms that should have you seeking clinic care as soon as possible. The more you know about your body, the easier it will be for you to make responsible decisions about your health.

1. Ankle Injury

An ankle injury may seem to be a minor issue for this list to start off with. But it’s surprisingly common — according to reports, about 25,000 Americans suffer ankle sprains every day. About 80% of the time, these sprains are the results of people rolling or inverting their ankles. They can be rather painful, and make it difficult for people to go to school or work, or simply live their daily lives. Sometimes, all clinic care can do for a minor sprain is prescribe pain medications and perhaps anti-inflammatory medications. However, other times more severe injuries require people to receive crutches. This can at the very least make it easier for you to get around. At times, what you think is a sprain might actually be a more serious injury, like a torn muscle or a fracture. An estimated four out of five urgent care centers give fracture care — and it’s typically easier to get fracture care at an urgent care center than at a major hospital. Of course, the reason why you sprained or otherwise hurt your ankle in the first place could be more serious than the injury itself. A few people find themselves twisting their ankles due to falls that are linked to more serious brain problems, especially as they get older. If injuries like these are a common issue for you, clinic care might be necessary.

2. Dizziness

Dizziness can be a huge reason why people decide to get clinic care — but sometimes, they brush it off until it’s too late for them to receive treatment. Dizziness affects a lot of people; it’s believed that 65% of people 60 years of age or older experience dizziness or lose their balance on a daily basis. An estimated 70% of the nation’s population will experience dizziness at some points in their lives. Dizziness isn’t always indicative of a huge issue — sometimes we’re dizzy because we’re dehydrated or simply tired. But at times, dizziness can be a symptom of a serious condition or injury. If you’ve experienced a large amount of dizziness, or even a single serious spell, you may want to look into visiting an urgent care clinic.

3. Migraines

At best, migraines are extremely annoying — at worst, they’re indicative of a serious medical problem. A lot of people experience migraines on a regular basis, and they’re very painful and difficult to treat. Migraines sometimes require prescription medication; other times, they need more serious medical treatment. “The worst migraine of your life” is often described as the main symptom of a brain aneurysm. Don’t be alarmist, of course — a migraine doesn’t mean you’re dying. You just might want to get it checked out.