Urgent Versus Emergency Care: A Guide to Knowing Where to Go When a Migraine Occurs
by Julia Gregory
When you are in sudden pain, it is not always easy to know where you should seek medical care on the weekends when you cannot see your regular doctor. For instance, a sudden headache may be symptomatic of a migraine, but when this type of headache is new to you, you could easily worry that you are having a more serious problem, such as a stroke or aneurysm. If you need to be sure that you are getting the most appropriate care for a migraine headache, especially if your current headache seems like the worst one you have ever had, the following information will be quite helpful.
Is It Just a Migraine?
Although most people who have experienced a migraine before might be unlikely to consider the overwhelming pain and other symptoms associated with its diagnosis to be "just" anything, an unfortunate fact of life for people who suffer from this type of headache is that they know what seems to be "just" a normal migraine and what is not. Therefore, if you have had headaches before that manifest with sensitivity to light and sound, visual problems that may include seeing auras, nausea, and overwhelming pain, it is usually acceptable for you to visit an urgent-care facility rather than an ER.
By doing so, it is often possible for you to be seen faster, since in 2009, the average amount of time that patients waited to be seen in emergency rooms in the United States was estimated at about six hours. Patients in some facilities had to wait a full day before being seen.
When Should You Visit the ER?
However, if you have never felt this type of pain before, it is best to visit an emergency room to rule out the possibility of a stroke or aneurysm, since the symptoms of both can often mirror the overwhelming pain and sensitivity to light that are associated with migraines. In addition, if you have been diagnosed with migraines in the past, and your symptoms now are not the same as they were then, a trip to the emergency room at your local hospital is a good idea.
It is important to note that recent research has suggested that migraine sufferers who experience visual disturbances, such as auras, may be at a higher risk of stroke, as are women who take estrogen. Therefore, just because you have had migraines before does not mean that you have a migraine now, especially if the symptoms are not the same as they were previously. When in doubt, visit the emergency room or call your doctor for a recommendation as to how to proceed, even if you have to leave a message with the answering service and wait to be called back on your way to the ER.
In conclusion, migraines are a significant problem for many people in the United States. If the symptoms you are experiencing are different than they were from previous migraines or if you have never had a migraine before, it is best to visit the ER. If your symptoms now are all too familiar and at-home treatments have not helped, you can visit an urgent-care facility to obtain the necessary treatment. If you are unsure, even if your doctor cannot see you right now, it is best to leave a message with the answering service to verify what your next steps should be.
Share
About Me
The decision to move one of my parents into assisted living was one of the most difficult I have ever made. I had extreme feelings of guilt that led to me being at the facility with my parent practically around the clock. It took a few months before I realized that I could not let my own life fall apart from the guilt I was feeling. I also learned that my parent was fine without me constantly hovering around. Since that time, I have had several friends express similar feelings of guilt. I started this blog to help others in the same situation understand not only their feelings about assisted living, but those of their parents.