The urgent care center (UCC) is often associated with severe trauma and injuries. Most people picture blood and guts when they’re thinking of a busy UCC.
While emergency medical personnel will deal with many severe injuries on a daily basis, it not only serious trauma that they deal with. In the UCC, doctors can provide useful advice to boost your health and relieve your symptoms. They can also provide immediate treatments and therapies.
There is a range of reasons why people present to the UCC and it doesn’t always need to involve obvious physical injuries. Something as mild as a throbbing headache or slight shoulder pain can be a sign of a more serious internal problem.
If you experience any of the following symptoms, it’s worth going to the UCC, and getting urgent care and treatment from medical professionals.
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Headaches
As insignificant as headaches may seem, they can sometimes warrant a trip to the UCC. Persistent and severe headaches can be a sign of something more serious and are a universal sign of head trauma or brain injuries.
Of course, headaches can also be a sign of something less life-threatening, such as dehydration and caffeine withdrawal. However, it’s important to get checked out if you are experiencing ongoing headaches so that you can rule out anything serious.
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Abdominal Pain
Another symptom that is common in a range of different health conditions is abdominal pain. It’s something that many women will experience every month around their period and can also be a sign of digestive disturbances.
There are also many more serious causes of abdominal pain, including kidney stones and abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). If you are experiencing severe abdominal pain, it is certainly worth a trip to the UCC to identify the root cause of your abdominal pain and get treatment if necessary.
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Back Pain
There are many reasons why you might feel pain in your back. Maybe you’ve had a tough workout the day before, you’re on your period, or you’re in the middle of moving house and have been hauling boxes around for the last week.
But ongoing back pain or the acute onset of shooting pains in your back can be a cause for concern. If your back pain doesn’t seem to be disappearing and is unbearable to live with, you might need to go to the UCC for further investigation.
When you arrive at the hospital, doctors will perform a range of scans and tests to determine the cause of your back pain. If they find a more serious underlying condition, they can provide you with the necessary treatments to reduce pain and target the problem.
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Toothache
Your first thought might be to call the dentist when you’re experiencing severe toothache or tooth pain. However, heading to the UCC is also an appropriate thing to do, especially when you can’t get in touch with your dentist.
Unlike most dental practices, the UCC is open 24/7, so you can access treatment in the evenings and weekends. If you present to the UCC with toothache, doctors will provide pain-relieving medications and can figure out the root cause of the issue.