When someone needs immediate medical care for a minor illness or injury, it makes sense to visit an urgent care center rather than a hospital emergency room. The Urgent Care Association of America reported that approximately three million patients visit these centers every week. Since 85% of these facilities are open to receive patients throughout the entire week, and some have extended hours, urgent care centers offer a convenient option.

Treatments Available at Urgent Care Centers

Most, or four out of five urgent care locations, can care for fractures. Ankle sprains, which are a common occurrence, can also be treated along with other types of minor injuries. Recent reports have estimated that 25,000 people a day experience an ankle sprain.

Colds, flus, and urinary tract infections are commonly treated at these centers. On an annual basis, people within the United States come down with roughly one billion colds. The flu is also prevalent, with five to 20% of the population becoming ill with various strains. A considerable number of people come down with urinary tract infections every year as well. Due to experiencing a urinary tract infection, doctors receive approximately 8.1 visits for this reason alone.

Asthma and allergic reactions to a variety of manmade and organic substances can also be treated. A minimum of 85% of people are allergic to Poison Ivy, for example. Since the only states that don’t have Poison Ivy are Alaska and Hawaii, it’s not uncommon for people to come into contact with this plant and experience an allergic reaction.

Preventative Care and Wellness Checkups

In addition to treating illnesses and injuries, urgent care centers provide preventative care and wellness checkups. This includes administering flu shots and other types of preventative vaccinations along with sports physicals. Other health care services may include diagnostic blood tests and additional lab work.

Visit an Urgent Care Center Near You

There’s an excellent chance that there’s an urgent care center located near your home or place of employment. In addition to being able to walk into these clinics without a prior appointment, there is less waiting time than a traditional hospital emergency room. Patients usually only need to wait about 15 minutes in order to see a physician or physician’s assistant. Once you visit an urgent care center, whether it’s for an immediate need or preventative care, you’ll be able to learn more about the valuable services that they can provide.