Urgent care medicine is a growing specialty. Currently, there are 20,000 physicians that practice this field of medicine. The Urgent Care Association of America has estimated that three million people visit urgent care medical facilities on a weekly basis. Most, or 85% of these facilities, are open Sunday through Saturday to meet patient needs.
While a medical center emergency room can treat a variety of illnesses and injuries, dizziness is a common complaint heard by doctors. In many instances, it is the second most-common complaint reported to doctors by their patients. At some point, 70% of the people within this country will experience dizziness due to a variety of issues. In addition to being caused by inner ear issues, dizziness may also be a symptom of the flu or the result of sustaining a head injury. There are, of course, a variety of conditions that may cause dizziness and shortness of breath, so it’s important to seek medical attention when this symptom arises.
Dizziness is more common in persons over 60 years of age. On a daily basis, it has been estimated that 65% of the individuals within this age group will experience dizziness, a loss of balance, or both. This can be disturbing for many people, particularly since they are more susceptible to falling when they experience dizziness or a loss of balance.
When someone experiences an immediate onset of dizziness or other symptoms, it is important for them to seek immediate medical attention. Since there are medical center emergency rooms available as well as medical walk in clinics, it is possible to find doctors to evaluate this situation so that they are able to receive the urgent care they need.
It is also important to note that potential patients do not need to make appointments ahead of time. They can receive medical help by walking into these facilities, which is an added convenience. These appointments will also cost considerably less than if they sought treatment at a traditional hospital emergency room. When medical situations are life-threatening however, people do need to go to a traditional hospital emergency room to be evaluated and receive treatment.
