Urgent Care Centers are at the Forefront to Help Patients Needing Immediate Care

by Laura P. Consultant

More than at any time before, urgent care centers are taking extra steps during these Covid-19 pandemic times to safeguard their patients.

And the good news is Arlington urgent care center is still open during normal hours and is ensuring a safe and sterile environment for all of their patients and visitors.

Illnesses and injuries do not come with a warning. These can happen at any time of the day.

Whenever you need immediate care that cannot wait, visit an urgent care near you. These clinics provide fast, convenient and affordable treatment with no need for an appointment.

One of the most common reasons for a visit to an urgent care center is ear infection in children. When infants suffer from ear infection, they pull their ears and get cranky.

“When it is not possible to visit Arlington family healthcare, urgent care is the only choice”, says a mother of 2 young kids.

“My doctor tells me that by first birthday almost half of all infants suffer a middle ear infection”.

The most likely reason for ear infections is bacteria, but viruses can also be the cause. In the latter scenario antibiotics is not prescribed.

Fearing the growing menace of drug resistant bacteria, doctors resorted to shorter course of antibiotics. Instead of the standard 10 day treatment, they hoped 5 days will do the trick.

After all, the shorter course would benefit the parents, cost less and the child would soon be in his or her normal self.

However, new treatment guidelines seem to have changed. The medical fraternity is of the view that shorter courses do not seem to work in many cases. Most doctors now feel a 10 day course is the best.

Yet, some medical professionals still hold the view that it is better to tailor the duration of therapy to each child’s unique requirement.

The general consensus however is watchful waiting can be used in children if the disease is mild and if the doctor feels there is little risk of subsequent acute mastoiditis (bacterial infection in the inner and middle ear).

You just need to keep in mind that ear infections are not contagious. Nevertheless, children can develop infections as an upshot of a cold or other viral infection.

Viral infections can be contagious.

If your child suffers ear pain you must visit either a pediatrician, primary care physician or an urgent care center.

Initially the doctors may prescribe antibiotics to resolve the ear infection. They may also prescribe topical antibiotic drops.

If the issue is still not resolved, surgery may be required to repair the ear drum.

In such cases the urgent care center may refer the child to an ENT specialist.

With the Covid-19 pandemic engulfing the populace, medical professionals are studying whether there is a link between Covid-19 and ear infection.

Covid-19 and ear infection do share few symptoms like headache and fever. However, ear infections are still not commonly reported as a symptom of Covid-19.

If you have flu like symptoms and suspect Covid-19, a visit to Arlington urgent care center can be helpful.

You can give a call to the center before you arrive. They will provide you with instructions on how to go ahead. They will take a swab sample in a safe and clean environment to minimize your risk of exposure.

Arlington VA Immediate Care Clinic is a premier urgent care service located in Arlington, VA. The clinic offers patients quality medical care without an appointment. This Immediate Care Clinic boasts of having qualified and experienced doctors and also lab and onsite X-ray facilities.