If you are sick or you have suffered an injury, should you visit the ER? Many people are unsure when a visit to the emergency room is a priority, and when it would be best to visit a doctor or an urgent care clinic instead. How do you know if you need the ER? The ER is the most expensive place in the hospital for the patient and it should only be used for urgent and life-threatening cases. Often you would help yourself, and the other people who need to use the ER more urgently, if you go too another healthcare facility instead.
However, there are certain conditions and cases where a trip to the ER is essential and could save your life. You need to get to the ER as quickly as possible if you have difficulty breathing. If you are suffering from chest pain or pressure, or pain in the upper abdominal area, you need to go to the ER.
Similarly, if you are suffering fainting, extreme dizziness, sudden weakness, confusion or slurred speech, which could be a sign of stroke. Go to the ER if you experience uncontrolled bleeding as a result of an accident or infection, or if you are vomiting or coughing blood.
Going to the ER when you don’t need to – because you can’t see your regular doctor, it’s late at night, or you don’t have proper health insurance – results in longer lines for everyone else and overworked hospital staff. Figure out when you need to go and use the facilities appropriately.
