In the U.S. alone, around a hundred million people visit emergency rooms. Of course, this number is expected to increase, with more people accessing medical care in the next few years. In fact, in 2021, the visits are projected to surpass the 200 million mark.
People visit ERs for several reasons, the main reason being the capability of emergency rooms to handle various health complications, from superficial injuries to severe illnesses. The cost of getting emergency room services have become more affordable due to the high number of visits.
Here are ten reasons you may need to visit the ER:
1.Chest Pain
It can sometimes be difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of chest pain.
There are, however, those that are considered common causes.
They include the following:
• One common reason is overwork, a common problem with many people.
• Chest pains can also be caused by a cold or flu, often leaving an individual feeling unwell and possibly suffering from tightening in the chest.
• Chest pains can also be caused by injury to any of the chest muscles, which can cause the muscles to tighten.
However, if your doctor suspects that chest pain may result from a severe underlying problem, like a heart problem, they will recommend that you visit the nearest emergency room.
2. Abdominal Pain
The stomach is a large part of your body.
It usually refers to the region around your navel and above the pelvic bone.
Your stomach area is crucial to finding the proper diagnosis of an illness, as you have around a dozen other organs living in there.
First, you should try to determine if you’re experiencing pain in the abdomen.
If abdominal pain is present, it might take a visit to a doctor or an emergency room to diagnose properly and accurately.
Common causes of pain in the abdomen include:
• Ulcer is one of the most common causes of abdominal pain. It can cause pain in the stomach due to ulceration, inflammation, or bleeding.
• Another common cause of pain in the stomach is kidney stones. Kidney stones cause pain in the abdomen because the stones irritate the lining of the esophagus and the stomach walls. When a stone reaches the duodenum, it can cause
bleeding and damage.
The affected area might also become red or swollen when a stomach infection or damage is present.
When you notice an unusual amount of pain in the abdomen and trying to relieve pain naturally doesn’t work anymore, make sure you visit the ER and bring your doctor in immediately.
3. Toothache
Toothache is one of the most common problems that a person experiences in life.
It’s painful when you can’t talk, eat, brush, or floss properly.
There are various ways to treat toothaches, but the best way is always to see your dentist for professional help.
Your dentist has the right equipment and professional tools to cure you.
If, at the moment, a dentist isn’t accessible, look no further than an emergency room.
As you await a dentist, the ER will help calm the pain by offering immediate treatment.
4. Migraine
A migraine is a severe headache that causes severe pain and often recurs.
It usually starts on the right side of the head and often results from light, sound, movement, or physical stimulation.
Migraine also occurs during sleep. It can affect adults and children alike.
Over the long term, the effects of migraines can be severe.
It’s not advisable to ignore these headaches, especially recurring ones.
They can cause awful pain in your head that can last for several hours or sometimes even days, so visiting the nearest emergency room to get proper medication and a full diagnosis is advised.
5. Skin Rashes And Infections
Rashes on the skin or any abnormal reaction should prompt one to go to the emergency room as soon as possible.
Skin rashes indicate allergies and infections to the liver and other major internal organs.
6. Concussions And Trauma
Unfortunately, concussions and trauma are often overlooked, even though they can be life-changing because of their effects on the major internal organs, especially the brain.
These injuries usually include swelling and bruising on the head, neck, shoulders, and chest. Headaches, dizziness, loss of memory, slurred speech, loss of coordination, and sometimes depression can accompany these injuries.
Such are the reasons why concussions and trauma are so severe; thus, it’s important that you get the proper treatment and diagnosis by visiting the emergency room.
7. Asthma Attack
When asthma symptoms become much more than normal, it’s called an asthmatic attack (Mayo Clinic).
Asthma attacks can cause shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, fatigue, and other symptoms that can cause a lot of discomfort.
A chronic type of asthma is when the attack doesn’t respond to conventional treatments, such as reliever medications.
Chronic asthma attacks can be very dangerous.
If left untreated, it can end one’s life; that’s why it should be treated with seriousness.
8. Diarrhea
Diarrhea is among the most commonly reported diseases in the US, second only to influenza.
It’s most commonly associated with food or water contamination.
The most common symptoms are abdominal cramping, vomiting, nausea, and loss of appetite.
When this condition occurs, especially among children, it should be urgently reported to the emergency room.
Within 24 hours, excessive diarrhea may result in dehydration and even potential death.
9. Back Pains
Back pains are ignored by most people most of the time.
Unexplained back pains, however, should be a major worry for anyone.
Don’t think it will just subside in a few days, the pain will be gone.
Lots of complications are actually associated with back pains as a symptom.
Back pains can even be fatal when left untreated.
Final Thoughts
The above-mentioned conditions are only some of the many reasons one should be rushed to the nearest ER.
Receiving urgent care will prevent such conditions from getting worse.