Women’s Health

How Urgent Care Centers Can Help

Whether they are a single career woman, a working mom, or a homemaker, most of these women have two specific things in common, they can have too much to do and not enough time to get it all done. And time can quickly become an issue when trying to secure an appointment at a doctor’s office.

Urgent care staff understands how busy life can get and believe that a woman’s health shouldn’t suffer for it. That is why urgent care centers generally offer extended business hours past the typical five o’clock, and even some limited weekend hours. In addition, being open longer hours than many doctor offices, urgent care centers do not require appointments. In fact, walk ins are both encouraged and welcome.

Bloodwork:

So a medical professional can see what is going on inside a patient’s body, they may order bloodwork. Blood tests can measure blood cell counts, thyroid hormones, vitamin levels, or cholesterol counts. A blood draw can be performed onsite at some urgent care centers, which eliminates an additional and sometimes time consuming trip to a lab.

Diabetes Screening:

Early detection and maintenance are key to managing diabetes. If a patient has a family history of diabetes and personal symptoms of the disease, a screening test will likely be ordered. The test can consist of bloodwork for A1c, oral glucose tolerance, fasting plasma glucose, and random plasma glucose.

EKG:

This type of test, also referred to as an electrocardiogram, monitors the heart. An EKG can track a heart’s rhythm as well as potentially detect some heart abnormalities or irregularities. Specifically, the test measures the heart’s electrical activity through special electrode patches that adhere to various places on a patient’s skin. An EKG can be a painless way for medical professionals to do a checkup on the heart.

Gynecological and STD Treatment:

It is imperative that women take good care of their reproductive health. Urgent care centers can help by testing and treating common conditions such as yeast infections as well as testing for pregnancy or the presence of sexually transmitted diseases.

Hormone Replacement Therapy:

Millions of women annually report a suspected hormone imbalance from symptoms such as mood changes, weight gain, and fatigue. Female patients that suspect they may have a hormone imbalance may be tested at an urgent care facility. Depending on the care center, some facilities may recommend or prescribe hormone therapy.

Nutritional Evaluation and Recommendations for Improvement:

As women age, their nutritional needs may vary, especially post menopause. Women who have concerns about obesity, weight loss, or establishing nutritional practices to achieve better health should consider visiting an urgent care center for a nutritional evaluation and recommendations for moving forward.

Physicals:

Getting a regular physical should be an annual event for women. This fast and thorough examination can be instrumental in maintaining good health and catching some medical conditions in their early stages so that doctors can work proactively. This is also a good opportunity for patients to address any health concerns they may have with their medical provider.

Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) Treatment:

It is estimated that urinary tract infections are responsible for more than eight million visits to healthcare providers annually, with sixty percent of these attributed to women. This annoying and sometimes painful condition can spread to the kidneys and be dangerous if left unchecked. If a female patient suspects they may have a UTI, they should seek medical attention so they can be tested and treated as necessary.

X-rays:

In the event of a suspected sprain or bone break, women should seek immediate medical attention. Urgent care centers are staffed with professionals that can take x-ray pictures onsite which can eliminate a trip to a separate x-ray facility. Once the films are ready, a diagnosis can be made and the medical staff can begin working on a treatment plan.