Whether you’re feeling under the weather, you sustained an injury, or you suspect you have an infection, medical care can help you feel better … but which type of care do you need?
While primary care practices help you manage chronic conditions and emergency rooms treat emergencies and life-threatening issues, urgent care falls in the middle. We provide medical care when you need treatment for minor and moderate illnesses, wounds, and infections but don’t require the services of the emergency department.
Drs. Ines Munoz De Laborde and Svetlana Burkhead know that affordable and easily accessible 一Physicians Medical Urgent Care is located close to public transportation 一 is an important asset in our community.
Our team highlights the signs that help you determine if you need urgent care services.
You might require urgent care services if you are sick or hurt, but aren’t experiencing a life-threatening situation. Examples include:
Minor injuries that benefit from urgent care services are injuries that typically won’t heal on their own at home without the care of a provider. Minor injuries include:
Note: some of these types of injuries, such as lacerations and fractures, could require a trip to the emergency room. Typically, you may need to call 9-1-1 if the injury is potentially fatal or if:
When you arrive for treatment of an injury, our team first performs an exam and, if needed, may recommend an X-ray with in-house radiology. Depending on the severity and type of injury you have, you may receive sutures (stitches), wound care, splinting, or immobilization.
In addition to injuries, our team excels at diagnosing and treating a variety of infections, including urinary tract infections, sinus infections, bronchitis, vaginitis, ear infections, sexually transmitted infections, influenza, strep throat, COVID-19, and more.
Depending on the type of infection you have, we may prescribe antibiotics 一including oral pills or topical creams or even eye drops 一 for bacterial infections. For viral infections or fungal infections, we guide you with the appropriate at-home treatments and medications that help ease your symptoms.
What if you don’t have an injury or an infection? Don’t fret. Urgent care can still help. Sometimes chronic conditions, such as asthma or eczema, may flare up. In these cases, our team still provides help if your symptoms have become exacerbated. This can help you get much-needed relief while you work to follow up with your specialist.
Although urgent care is convenient, there are times when it’s most prudent to head directly to the emergency room. This includes all situations that are potentially fatal, such as you or a loved one experiencing chest pain, paralysis, sudden and severe headaches, severe burns, uncontrolled bleeding, and severe pain of any kind.
When in doubt, call 9-1-1 instead of driving yourself to the hospital.
One of the main benefits of urgent care is that urgent care visits tend to be faster and more affordable than emergency room visits for minor injuries and illnesses and more accessible (in terms of operating hours) than primary care centers.
When you come to Physicians Medical Urgent Care in San Jose, California, you receive medical care when you need it most without the hassle of waiting for days to see us. Our providers offer quality care, personalized attention, and same-day appointments. We’re more than happy to accept walk-ins!
If you need to visit our urgent care, simply walk into our Capitol Avenue location. You can also request a same-day appointment by calling us at 408-207-4637. For less urgent matters, feel free to use our online scheduling form.
