Emergency Urgent Care: When to Go to an ER: Cold or Flu
The common cold or the flu are conditions that I’m sure each of us has experienced at one time or the other. While the two may have some symptoms that are similar, they are actually not one and the same thing, as is discussed in detail over at the excellent frontlineer.com. When flu season hits, cases of the flu and cold go up another level, and more and more people miss work or school, go to the hospitals and even to ERs due to the same. While it is true that you can get the flu or a cold at any time of the year, it is during flu season, which is typically between the months of October and May that cases of cold and flu go through the roof. The cold or flu are not conditions that would be termed as a medical emergency and in most cases, lots of rest, staying hydrated and over-the-counter medications to help manage some of the symptoms will have you back to good health within a few days, usually between 7 to 10 days. While in most cases visits to an ER for cold or flu are unnecessary, there are actually times when it is warranted. This article will look to highlight when this is the case by highlighting the instances, signs and symptoms that indicate that you need to go to an ER for cold or flu.
One of the signs that you need to go to an ER for cold or flu is if you are also experiencing difficulty breathing, such as shortness of breath or shallow breathing among others. Difficulties breathing should always be taken very seriously as if not, one could asphyxiate and could even be fatal. If you have the cold or flu and are experiencing difficulties breathing, either while at rest or with slight exertion, then you should head over to an ER, such as the highly regarded frontlineer.com, for emergency urgent care. Another sign that you need to go to an ER for your cold or flu is if you are also experiencing chest pain or even abdominal pain. This may be accompanied by difficulties breathing, or may not, but should be taken very seriously. Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen when you have a cold or flu should be taken very seriously. You should also head over to an ER for cold or flu if you are experiencing severe or persistent vomiting. This should be taken very seriously as if not, it may lead to dehydration which can be very serious.
Other red flags to look out for as far as a cold or flu are concerned include sudden, severe dizziness, or if you are having persistent dizzy spells or confusion. If you experience any of these symptoms, you should head over to an ER as soon as possible. You should do the same if you begin to experience flu-like symptoms which appear to get better, only to return much worse than before with a worse cough and a fever. Speaking of fever, you should also go to an ER such as the excellent frontlineer.com for cold or flu if you develop a fever of 103 degrees Fahrenheit and above. Signs of an emergency in children as far as the cold or flu are concerned can be different to adults. There are therefore a number of warning signs that you should keep an eye out for as far as your child goes in such cases. They include if your child is experiencing rapid breathing or difficulty breathing, if they have a stiff neck, if they have a severe headache that doesn’t ease or improve even after taking over-the-counter pain meds such as Tylenol, if they are not drinking enough fluids which should be taken seriously to prevent dehydration, if you notice that their skin is turning blue, especially on their chest or face, if they are unable to wake up or it is difficult to wake them up and they aren’t interacting with others or if they are extremely irritable and fussy and don’t want to be held. If your child is experiencing any of these signs and symptoms, then you should have them taken to an ER as soon as possible for emergency urgent care.
Other warning signs that also indicate that you should take your child to an ER for cold or flu is if they are crying but no tears are coming out, if they are using significantly fewer diapers than normal or if they are under the age of 3 months old and develop a fever of 100.3 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. As per the subject matter experts over at frontlineer.com, there are certain high-risk groups that should also head over to an ER as soon as possible if they have the cold or flu and notice symptoms such as fever, chills, body aches among others. These high-risk groups include pregnant women, people over the age of 65 as well as those who have a weakened or compromised immune system such as those with HIV/AIDS, those with any other ongoing chronic condition such as diabetes, those undergoing treatment for cancer, those who have just had transplant surgery and are on transplant medication among others. Pregnant women should also head over to an ER if they have a cold or flu and notice decreased or no movement as far as their baby is concerned.
The above are some of the instances to go to an ER for cold or flu, with more on this and other related topics as well as the best emergency urgent care services to be found over at the excellent frontlineer.com
