Although the term acute illness has a medical definition, you already know what it means. It can be high fever, nausea, vomiting, headache, earache, a whole litany of ailments that leave you bedridden. When such an illness strikes, the last thing you want to do is spend hours in a hospital emergency room. Waiting three weeks until you can get an appointment with your primary care doctor is also not an option. In this situation, an urgent care clinic, which operates 24 hours a day with a staff of dedicated medical professionals, is your first choice.

What is an acute illness?

These diseases occur suddenly and run their course, which is short but severe. Therefore, they are distinguished from chronic diseases, which are long-term and can come and go over time.

Examples of acute illnesses are stomach flu, bronchitis, or upper respiratory infections such as colds and strep throat. Acute illnesses can be extremely dangerous and most require medical treatment, usually with antibiotics. If left untreated, they can lead to hospitalization and, in extreme cases, death.

Urgent care clinics are a better alternative to emergency rooms for treating acute illnesses. Unlike an emergency room, you don’t have to wait hours to see a doctor. No appointment necessary. On-site pharmacy, lab testing and x-ray services mean a faster and more convenient diagnosis and treatment process.

Urgent care clinics can treat many conditions such as:

Stomach flu
colds
bronchitis
Pneumonia
strep throat
Flu
ear infections
Sinusitis
bladder infections

Diagnosis and treatment of diseases

On-site testing and laboratory services provide results while you wait, sometimes in less than fifteen minutes. Fast and reliable diagnostic services help doctors plan and prescribe treatments. The local pharmacy can provide you with the medications you need, without you having to make another stop. The professional staff will ensure that treatments and follow-up visits are scheduled as needed, so you have the care and support you need throughout the course of your illness.

Highly skilled doctors, nurses, technicians and administrators understand that patients are not just a list of symptoms, but also people. They are dedicated to providing the complete and integrated treatment required to treat acute illnesses and to restore your health and well-being.

Most urgent care centers are well-equipped to provide the full range of testing, diagnostic, and treatment services needed to treat a range of acute illnesses. They also operate 24 hours a day, since acute illnesses do not follow ordered schedules and can appear at any time.