Healthcare today gives you more choices than ever before. You can go to the doctor’s office, urgent care clinic, telehealth visit or emergency room. Even with all these choices, some choose to stay home and tough it out. But there are times when the emergency room is absolutely the right choice. The board-certified physicians at Medco ER in Plano, TX, have compiled ten reasons when going to the ER is your only option.
“If you’re wondering whether or not to go to the ER, ask yourself if it is not getting better over time, if pain has you sidelined, or if there is one of the warning signs of a serious condition,” said Medco ER’s Medical Director, Dr. Nasir Khan. “If you answer yes to any of those points, it’s best to come immediately and let us examine you.”
Blood Loss
Whenever the body is losing blood, a trip to the ER is the right thing to do. This could include any of the following:
- Coughing blood
- Vomiting blood
- Passing blood in the stool
- Excessive bleeding from a laceration
- Bleeding from a fracture
- Uncontrolled bloody nose
Fracture or Tear
If you have an injury and you’re not sure whether it is broken, fractured, torn or just bruised, your doctor at Medco ER can help. We can X-ray the area, apply a brace, or refer you to a specialist when needed.
Warning signs include: numbness or cold in the extremity that is injured, pain when moving the limb, bleeding accompanying the fracture, bone protruding, or misalignment of the limb. For any of these symptoms, go to Medco ER immediately.
Breathing Difficulties
If you or someone you love is struggling to breathe, pulling hard at each breath, making a wheezing sound with a breath, showing blueish discoloration around the mouth or fingertips, or has chest tightness, go to the nearest ER immediately. Whether it is a complication of COVID-19, an asthma attack, COPD or another cause, breathing difficulties must be addressed as an emergency.1
Chest Pain
Sudden or growing pain in the chest, jaw, neck, arm or back could indicate a heart problem that is an emergency. Other symptoms could include:2
- Tightness in chest
- Uncomfortable fullness feeling
- Heartburn
- Squeezing feeing in chest
- Pain in one or both arms
- Cold sweat
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Shortness of breath
Stroke Symptoms
Symptoms of a stroke can come on suddenly and unexpectedly. If someone exhibits these symptoms, call 911 immediately.2 Every minute counts.
- Confusion or disorientation
- Arm weakness
- Partial paralysis or difficulty moving
- Unexplained drowsiness
- Difficulty speaking
- Change in vision
- Face drooping
Loss of Consciousness
Any time someone has lost consciousness, whether for a short time or is unresponsive, take them to the nearest ER or call 911. Loss of consciousness accompanied by seizures should also be seen by a physician immediately.
Head Injury
If you have fallen and hit your head, been hit in the head by an object, or had a severe shaking of the head, you might sustain a head injury or a concussion. Here are some warning signs3 that require a visit to the ER:
- Pain from the injury
- Confusion or disorientation
- Loss of consciousness
- Ringing of the ears
- Sudden drowsiness or fatigue
- Vision changes
- Nausea or vomiting
- Slurred speech
Burns
If you are suffering from a burn, consider the severity. Just going by pain level alone isn’t enough since minor burns often hurt worse than major burns.4 If it covers a large area, has penetrated deep, has discolored the skin, has swollen the area or has caused blisters, a trip to Medco ER is a good idea.
Abdominal Pain
Pain in the abdomen can indicate one of several conditions. All of them require immediate medical intervention. “If you’ve experienced abdominal pain for any length of time, it’s a good idea to come in and let us check you out,” said Dr. Khan. “It could be anything from a bleeding ulcer to gallbladder stones to a cyst. With a thorough examination and imaging scan, we should be able to diagnose the problem.”
Extreme Pain
If you’re experiencing extreme pain that isn’t responding to over-the-counter medication and isn’t getting better with time and rest, your body is trying to tell you something. It’s time to go to Medco ER.
- Migraine or headache
- Back pain
- Shooting pain
- Chest pain
- Pain when eating
- Pain that takes away your appetite
- Throbbing pain
- Eye pain
- Toothache
- Stomach pain
What to Expect at Medco ER
When you go to Medco ER, you can expect to receive fast, quality healthcare with little-to-no wait time. Open 24/7 every day of the year, Medco ER gives you fast access to a board-certified physician and much of the same imaging equipment found in a hospital emergency department. Our in-house pharmacy carries rapid results labs and medications needed to treat many conditions. Try one of our two convenient locations for rapid response healthcare.
- Plano: 3960 Legacy Drive, Plano, TX 75023 (on the corner of Legacy and Coit Road)
Call us @ 469-747-0370
- Carrollton: 2745 E Belt Line Road, Carrollton, TX 75006
Call us @ 469-840-4600
1 https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/shortness-of-breath/basics/definition/sym-20050890
2 https://www.heart.org/en/about-us/heart-attack-and-stroke-symptoms
3 https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/concussion/symptoms-causes/syc-20355594
4 https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/12063-burns