Urgent care clinics can be found in most towns and cities all over the United States. Eighty-five percent of urgent care centers are open seven days a week, and are notable for allowing patients to walk in and see a doctor without having an appointment. Sometimes people avoid visiting urgent care due to the misconception that urgent care doesn’t offer the same amount of medical services as other places, but this is far from true. In fact, these clinics can examine and treat a wide variety of medical issues, and this article will take a look at a few of them.

• Sprained Ankles and Wrists: One medical issue that urgent care can examine and treat are sprained ankles and wrists. These are relatively common injuries, as reports estimate that 25,000 Americans suffer from an ankle sprain each day. Ankle sprains can occur for a number of reasons, but one of the most common causes is inversion, or inward rolling, of the ankle. If you suffer a sprained ankle or wrist, or even think you have, you can go to the clinic and have it examined by a medical professional in very little time, and they’ll let you know what you need to do to begin treatment on it.
• Cold and Flu Symptoms: Another medical issue that urgent care can examine and treat are cold and flu symptoms. This is one of the most common reasons people choose to visit these clinics, as the most common diagnosis in an urgent care center was an upper respiratory condition. Whether it’s just cold symptoms, or you suspect something worse like influenza, you can visit these clinics and a medical professional will examine you to see if you have a cold, or something worse like that flu.
• Dizziness: A third medical issue that urgent care can examine and treat is dizziness. Dizziness might seem like a minor issue, but it can often be an indicator of something being very much wrong, not to mention it can be dangerous as you get older. It has been estimated that 65% of individuals older than 60 years of age experience dizziness or loss of balance, often on a daily basis. Medical professionals can examine you at these clinics and attempt to determine the source of your dizziness.
• Testing for STDs and HIV: And finally, a fourth medical issue that urgent care can help with is testing for STDs and HIV. If you’ve been in a situation where you think you’ve been exposed to a sexually transmitted disease or HIV, then it’s important to get tested as soon as possible, and urgent care can provide the necessary tests you need to find out if you’ve been infected. And since an appointment isn’t necessary, you can get tested as soon as you like.

In conclusion, there are a number of medical issues that urgent care can help with and treat. These issues include sprained ankles and wrists, cold and flu symptoms, dizziness, and testing for STDs and HIV. These are just a small sample of what an urgent care clinic can examine and treat.