How to tell if you Need to Go An ER for your Cold and Flu Symptoms
When you decide an ER visit is necessary, but you don’t want to wait for hours at a big hospital ER, you can get the care you need without the wait time at the stand-alone Rice ER, located in the Rice Village/West University area of Houston, Texas. You can check-in online to ensure you see a doctor as soon as possible. At Rice Emergency Room, you get the urgent medical care you need without the wait time of a big hospital ER.
How to Tell the Difference Between a Cold and the Flu
Although the symptoms are similar, and both are contagious respiratory diseases, they are caused by different viruses. Since the symptoms are similar, it is difficult to tell the difference between the two.
Signs and symptoms of a cold come on gradually and include:
- Fatigue and weakness
- Sneezing
- Possible chest discomfort
- Stuffy nose
- Sore throat
- Slight body aches
Signs and symptoms of the flu appear abruptly and include:
- Fever
- Chills
- Chest discomfort with a cough.
- Headache
- General achy body
- Fatigue and weakness
- May have a stuffy nose
- May have a sore throat
In most cases, colds and flu symptoms generally resolve on their own within 5–10 days. Symptoms are treated with over-the-counter medications like Tylenol (acetaminophen), Motrin or Advil (ibuprofen). These reduce body aches and should bring down your fever.
There are times though when an ER visit is highly recommended.
When to go to the Emergency Room for My Cold or Flu Symptoms
Signs and symptoms indicating that you need to go to an ER
If your cold or flu symptoms get worse, and particularly if you find you have difficulty catching your breath or sleeping, you need treatment. Viral infections such as colds and flu can lead to pneumonia or bronchitis.
If you experience any of the following symptoms, you should go to the ER:
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness or confusion
- Decreased urination indicating dehydration
- Persistent vomiting because it interferes with the ability to keep down fluids
- Chest or abdominal pain
- Fever that does not go down with use of over-the-counter medications
- Confusion
Special situations may indicate a visit to the ER is warranted. These include:
- If you have a compromised immune system
- If you have a chronic health condition
- If you are pregnant
- If you are over 65
Rice ER Capabilities, Staff Expertise, and Short Wait Times
Once you have decided an ER visit is necessary, consider seeking treatment at the full-service, stand-alone Rice ER instead of a hospital-based ER. The Rice ER is open 24-hours, seven days a week, 365 days a year. The ER provides all the same services available at a hospital-based ER but with a much shorter waiting period.
Rice ER is fully staffed with board-certified physicians and specially trained registered nurses. Treatment is provided for both adults and children.
The short wait time is what makes Rice different from traditional hospital ERs, which have a reputation for long, sometimes hours, wait times. Patients sit in uncomfortable waiting rooms while they wait to be seen, and then wait again for test results.
Rice you will speak to a board-certified physician within minutes of your arrival. Rice ER has all the necessary diagnostic tools, including imaging to find fluid on the lungs and laboratory testing to determine if you have influenza. The quick test results at Rice Emergency Room mean you can get treatmet and be on your way to recovery sooner.
Treatment and treatment plans are provided for you by board-certified doctors and specially trained registered nurses. If you need to be hospitalized, Rice ER has arrangements with local hospitals so you can be transported to a hospital and taken straight to your hospital bed without needing to go through the hospital’s ER.
