While still not ideal, it’s one thing to get sick in the comfort of a familiar environment like your home or office. On the other hand, it can be considered a whole different experience when you get sick while traveling – especially in a foreign country. What if you get sick while traveling – and you happen to be miles away from home? Here’s how to handle getting sick while traveling, and how to know when you need to visit an urgent care clinic near you.
What If You Get Sick While Traveling?
When is Sick Enough?
All symptoms are important ones, and “sick enough” is impossible to establish without seeking medical care. The same symptoms that cause standard flu, could also indicate a more serious respiratory infection – or allergy that actually needed an emergency room visit.
Anything that feels unusual to your normal, from a sore throat to bleeding gums, should be taken seriously. If you can list just one symptom that you didn’t have yesterday, visit an urgent care clinic!
Travel can expose the body to new varieties of diseases the body might not be familiar with, and the immune system can’t properly protect against.
Why Some People Get Sick
Millions of people travel every day, but only a small percentage of these people will ever get sick while doing it. Businesspeople who fly from one destination to the next, don’t come back with a different strain of the general flu every time.
The body’s immune system has a lot to do with why some people get sick, and others won’t. A healthy, strong immune system presents a stronger defense, while a weakened immune system, whether it’s due to health conditions or diet, will make it harder to avoid getting sick.
If you aren’t as healthy as you should be when encountering new germs (especially from new areas), you’re simply more likely to contract the flu than the person next to you who might be stronger and healthier.
Visit an Urgent Care Clinic
If you’re feeling out of the norm, visit an urgent care clinic in the area you’re in – sometimes, the hotel you’re staying at can recommend local options (or head to Google and search for the “top-rated urgent care clinic near me”).
An urgent care clinic can usually order the most basic tests, prescribe the necessary medications, and do what’s necessary to figure out what’s wrong.
When they don’t have the means to find (or treat) what’s wrong, they will be able to refer you to a relevant specialist in the area. This is usually only done in exceptional cases, or when there are underlying health issues present that need to be considered.
For example, an urgent care provider might decide that their new patient should have their heart rhythm checked. From there, they could refer to a cardiologist – a specialist heart doctor who has both the experience and equipment for this type of examination.
Most common infections, like colds and flu, do not require a specialist referral.
When to Visit the Emergency Room
Urgent care clinics can treat some of the most common medical emergencies, but they are not generally known as trauma centers. The emergency room is meant for all medical emergencies – which require quick action and treatment.
The general rule of thumb is: if you feel too sick to sit in a waiting room for an appointment, you’re probably sick enough for the emergency room.
There’s no need to worry that you’re going to waste time by going to the emergency room rather than an urgent care clinic. Emergency room treatment is there to help – and yes, doctors from the emergency room can refer to other professionals too.
List All Your Symptoms
Whether visiting the nearest urgent care clinic or making a visit to the emergency room, it’s always important to list all your symptoms. There’s no shame in writing them down before you see the doctor – in fact, doctors encourage patients to keep a list of their symptoms (and how or when they happen).
Doctors can also find it useful when patients list their food and dietary changes over the past few days to weeks. In instances where you got sick while traveling, it’s especially important to tell the medical staff that you have traveled, from where, and for how long.
All symptoms are important, and every symptom that you experience can indicate something useful to the nurse or doctor.
Why Visit Omaha?
Omaha, located in the heart of the Midwest, offers visitors a unique blend of urban and outdoor experiences. It’s home to the world-renowned Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, the largest zoo in the world, as well as the Joslyn Art Museum, which houses a diverse collection of works from around the globe.
Additionally, Omaha is known for hosting the annual College World Series, a must-see event for baseball fans, as well as the annual Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Event, which attracts thousands of investors from around the world.
Visitors can also explore the Old Market, a historic district filled with boutiques, galleries, and restaurants, or take a stroll along the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, which spans across the Missouri River. With its diverse attractions and welcoming community, Omaha is a destination worth visiting.
If you find yourself sick in Omaha, NE and are in need of an urgent care clinic, contact Urgent Care Omaha.
Urgent Care Omaha Walk-In Clinics and in Bellevue, NE
Our staff works to provide prompt, personal, and professional care for all of our patients. We strive to provide the attention patients need in as quick a time as possible. Urgent Care Clinics in Omaha & Bellevue, Nebraska has three locations in the Omaha metropolitan area. Our three walk-in clinics are:
Disclaimer
The information contained on this webpage is for educational purposes as well as to provide general information and general understanding of the pertinent medical issue only, not to provide a specific diagnosis. This information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. By using this blog/web site you understand there is no doctor patient relationship between you and the blog/web site publisher. The information included on this site should not be used as a substitute for medical advice from a licensed medical professional in your state. Neither Urgent Care Network, its subsidiaries, affiliates, assignees or successors in interest, nor any other party assume liability for loss or damage due to reliance on content of this blog/web site. If you are experiencing a severe medical issue, you should seek emergency assistance immediately.
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