Urgent care centers are quickly becoming a recognized and appreciated model of medical care. Yet, many people are still confused as to exactly what urgent care centers provide. What symptoms does urgent care treat? The list is actually quite exhaustive, but these are some of the most common medical symptoms seen in urgent care centers.

Twists and sprains

Most people have experienced a twist or a sprain at some point. You probably did not run to your primary physician or the local emergency room immediately. Instead, you probably wrapped it up, made the decision to stay off of it, and hoped that it would get better. If it did, you went back to your regular activities. If the pain or swelling did not subside, you might have scheduled an appointment with your primary physician. What if you had a more convenient option? Would you seek medical care earlier? Reports estimate that 25,000 Americans suffer from an ankle sprain each day. With a multicare medical model, you can see a doctor within minutes. This means that you are well on your way to recovering even faster.

Cold and flu symptoms

Just about everyone has had the common cold or flu before. Although it can be inconvenient and uncomfortable, it does eventually go away. Most people take over the counter medications to help with the symptoms. If the symptoms become unbearable or take longer than expected to go away, you might schedule a visit with your physician. Common cold and flu symptoms are one of the most common reasons for a visit to local urgent care centers. The most common diagnosis in urgent care centers was upper respiratory condition and the most common procedure was wound repair in 2012.

Minor cuts and scrapes

Cuts are a common cause for visiting the local emergency department. It does not make sense to schedule an appointment with your physician for a cut that is bleeding now. However, running to the emergency room often means you will wait in the waiting room, before ever seeing a doctor. Walk in urgent care centers also handle minor cuts and scrapes. Because they are often run by physicians or registered nurses, they are comfortable with providing wound care and especially stitches.

Other common infections

Urgent care locations see a variety of medical concerns, but they also handle other types of infections. Other infections include sinus infections, ear infections, and even urinary tract infections. Urinary tract infections account for 8.1 million visits to doctors each year and many of these visits could have taken place at a local urgent care center. The visit would have been faster, more affordable, and more convenient. As more patients learn about these advantages, they are heading to their local urgent care center for medical conditions like urinary tract infections.

Common medical questions

Most people have been in a late night medical situation. They wanted to ask their physician a medical question, but had to resort to the internet instead. Depending on the severity of the problem, they might head to the local emergency room. However, the emergency department is also not very conducive to asking questions. Urgent care centers, on the other hand, are a great place to get the physician consultation that you require. This situation is common with first time parents who question every cough and sniffle their newborn has. The convenience of the urgent care medical model is great for these chronic medical questions.

There are many medical concerns that we would like to schedule a physician appointment for, but there is too long of a wait or the medical concern requires timely care. Urgent care centers have solved this problem by offering cold and flu care, fracture care, wound care, allergy care, and even infection care. Urgent care centers are giving patients a new way to meet their medical needs.