Most of us think of severe injuries, trauma, and lots of blood when we have the words ‘urgent care center’. While serious injuries warrant a trip to the hospital, they aren’t the only reason why somebody might pay a visit to the urgent care center (UCC).

Speak to any doctor, nurse, or healthcare professional that regularly works in the UCC, and they will reassure you that it’s not all blood and guts. Patients with a wide range of health issues visit this department in the hospital to get immediate medical attention and treatments.

Something as mild as an ongoing headache can be enough to take a trip to the UCC. Doctors can treat patients with any type of acute injury, infection, or illness by administering medications or providing important health advice.

So, what are the most common reasons why people take a trip to the family urgent care center?

Headaches

Believe it or not, one of the most common reasons why people take a trip to the hospital is for headaches. While all of us are prone to getting headaches every now and then, getting severe ongoing headaches is a cause for concern.

Reccurent headaches can be caused by a bleed in the brain, such as in a hemorrhage. This is not always the case, but it’s best to seek medical attention so that hemorrhages can be ruled out.

When somebody presents to the UCC with ongoing headaches, doctors will take a number of scans of the brain to rule out any serious medical conditions.

Chest Pains

One of the most commonly known causes of chest pain is a heart attack, where the pain begins in the chest and radiates to the shoulders and neck. However, chest pain can result from a range of different problems, including poor heart health, peptic ulcers, asthma, and collapsed lungs.

Regardless of the cause of chest pain, if it is ongoing, it is a valid reason to take a trip to the urgent care center. Chest pain is a sign that there is something deeper going on, and it’s important to get this investigated.

When somebody presents to the UCC with chest pain, doctors will check their blood pressure, pulse, and oxygen saturation levels. They will also take a number of scans of the chest to determine the cause of the chest pain, and rule out or diagnose a more serious medical condition.

Abdominal Pain

Pain in the abdominal region is also a common reason for trips to the UCC. When there is pain in the abdomen, it could be due to a range of things, ranging from digestive disorders to kidney stones to aortic aneurysms.

If somebody goes to the UCC complaining of abdominal pain, doctors will most likely take a blood sample, urine sample, and bowel sample. They will also order various scans of the abdomen to rule out or identify an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).