What is the difference between Urgent Care and Emergency Room?

Understanding the difference between ‘emergency’ and ‘urgent’ care can be confusing, because both terms imply there is a medical need that needs to be addressed quickly. Urgent Care helps fill a vital gap when you become sick or injured, but your primary care doctor is not available and you can’t wait for an appointment. If your sudden illness or injury is something you would normally feel comfortable addressing with your primary care doctor, then an urgent care center setting is probably more appropriate than the emergency room. Hospital emergency departments provide medical care at any time, day or night. However, unlike urgent care centers, they are equipped and staffed for even the most complex or critical needs, including life- and limb-threatening situations ranging from heart attack and stroke to traumatic injuries following a car accident.

What is dehydration and how can one stay healthy and hydrated?

The dictionary definition of dehydration is “a harmful reduction in the amount of water in the body.” This occurs when there is more fluid leaving the body than entering, and it can have dangerous consequences to your health. To stay healthy and hydrated, you must maintain this balance of fluids by taking in as much water as you excrete during the day. You lose water by sweating, going to the bathroom and even breathing, and therefore, you must drink enough fluids each day to replace the water that you’ve lost. Luckily, your body has a mechanism that tells you when you need to increase your fluid intake. When your body needs to increase its water levels, you become thirsty, which prompts you to have a drink. In some situations, however, you may lose too much water too quickly, causing dehydration. Diarrhea, vomiting and sweating can cause dehydration, but there are several common symptoms that you should watch for: Extreme dry mouth, weakness, headache, dizziness, lack of sweating, extreme dry skin, sunken eyes, low blood pressure, increased heart rate, fever. Confusion and unconsciousness.

Sponsored by CHRISTUS Velocity Urgent Care.