Should You Visit The Family Doctor Or The Emergency Room? How To Know
Too many people make the mistake of visiting the emergency room of their local hospital for conditions or problems that could have been handled by their primary care physician. The reason this is a problem is because the emergency room can then end up extremely backed up and those with serious conditions that require the emergency room may have to wait longer for a bed to open up. To help ease the stress on emergency room staff and to still get proper care, you will want to review the following advice that lets you know when you should first set an appointment with your family doctor.
Cold, Flu, Ear Ache, Or Sore Throat Symptoms
Even though you might feel extremely terrible, problems such as an ear ache or sore throat should be addressed with your family doctor. If you are in extreme pain with these issues, you could always visit an urgent care center instead of an emergency room, especially if your family doctor is not able to see you right away. Otherwise, other problems that may be related to a cold or flu should to discussed with your family doctor. He or she will be able to test you in order to determine if you have a true case of the flu, or if you are just experiencing a severe cold.
Sprains And Back Pain
There is not a lot that the staff in the emergency room can do that your family doctor can't do. If you explain to your family doctor that you are having a lot of trouble, then they might be able to squeeze you in for an attempt on the same day. They can examine you and provide muscle relaxers or pain relievers as needed. Should your doctor feel that you need to have some imaging done, he or she can write a script that you can take to the hospital for an x-ray. Instead of going through the emergency room for this and spending many hours there, you can go directly to the imaging department of the outpatient portion of your hospital.
Non-Severe Cuts And Burns
Extremely bad cuts and burns should be treated through the emergency room. However, all non-severe cuts and burns can be treated by your family doctor. He or she can clean your wound and then apply burn cream and bandages if you were burned. Your family doctor is also able to give stitches if your cut is just deep enough to require them.
Now that you know when to call your family doctor, instead of visiting the emergency room, you can now save yourself a lot of time and frustration. If you have questions, contact a center like Kinston Medical Specialists PA.
