For those times when a sudden or persistent medical matter occurs, it’s good to be able to turn to an urgent care. An urgent care facility, which is usually open 7 days a week, addresses a wide range of issues, including rashes, fractures, scrapes, stitches, bumps and bruises–and much more, too.

Here is an overview of what types of health care service are offered at an urgent care, especially or those times when it is not really necessary, advisable or practical to visit an emergency room.

First of all, an urgent care will deal with accidents and injuries. They will treat sports injuries and Worker’s Comp injuries such as muscle strain and sprains. You will also be able to get a splint in a clinic as well as a digital x-ray. Minor injuries such as lacerations, foot and back pain and joint pain are treated in a clinic, too.

Next, an urgent care will address matters that happen in relation to outdoor activities. These include rashes, insect bites, dehydration, cuts, burns, allergies, swimmer’s ear, skin irritation and infections, poison ivy, inner ear infections and earaches, athlete’s foot and asthma.

Also, many types of tests are available in an urgent care clinic. These include EKG, adult vaccines, blood tests, blood work, HIV testing, STD testing, travel medicine and vaccines, TB testing, DOT testing, flu shots, hazmat screening, DOT physicals, employment screening and flu/influenza shots.

There are times when illness strikes but the reason for the illness is undefined and the illness is not easily pinpointed, or diagnosed. Symptoms such as this would include, for example, abdominal pain, wheezing, dizziness, vomiting, heartburn, headache, nausea, a migraine, cold sores, a cold, cough, diarrhea or hemorrhoids. A visit to an urgent care clinic can lead to a diagnosis of what is wrong, so treatment can start and the patient will be on the way to getting better.

Finally, there are many infections that can be identified by a trip to an urgent care. On the average, every year between 5% and 20% of Americans get the flu; in the same time span, Americans get approximately 1 billion colds. These can be diagnosed and treated at an urgent care. Other infections that can be treated include include strep throat, staph infections, sinusitis, pneumonia, kidney infection, joint infections, bronchitis, bladder infections and urinary tract infections, abdominal pains and abscesses.

From this overview, it is clear that an urgent care addresses a wide spectrum of medical problems, with the convenience of the patient in mind. When illness or an accident strike, it is a great relief to know that a doctor is available in an urgent care and that they are there to treat so many medical matters. A local clinic with friendly care and medical treatments such as those that are found in an urgent care facility is a very reassuring treatment option.