Too many people make the mistake of forgetting that there are now a lot of urgent care centers popping up all over the place and then simply head to the emergency room. However, while you may be experiencing a medical issue that cannot wait until your regular doctor is able to fit you into his or her schedule, it might not be bad enough to head to the emergency room. Here are some medical problems that would be best treated by the urgent care center instead of the local hospital's emergency room:

Terrible Ear Pain

If you are experiencing a lot of ear pain, there is a good chance that you have swimmers ear or a standard ear infection. This is not something that you want to ignore, as the pain is likely to get a lot worse. However, it is not severe enough to warrant taking up space in the emergency department. Instead, you will want to visit your local urgent care center. The doctors there can examine your ear and diagnose the problem. If you have an infection, you will be prescribed any medication and pain relief that you might need.

There Is Pain When You Urinate

Even though the pain that is associated with urination can be a variety of things, it is often caused by a urinary tract infection. A simple trip to the urgent care center will allow the problem to be diagnosed quickly and medication to be prescribed. The doctor will request that you give them a urine sample in a cup that they will provide to you and they may take some blood work. If you have an infection, taking a full course of antibiotics will help clear up the problem. You should begin to experience some relief from your pain within a day or two of beginning the medication.

You Suspect That You Have The Flu

It is important to make sure that you are getting tested for the flu, to determine if that is what you really have, or if you have just come down with a very bad cold. The reason for this is because you will need to know if you should be staying home from work and away from anyone with a compromised immune system. The doctors at the urgent care center can give you the test needed to determine if you do indeed have the flu. If it turns out that you do have the flu, you will receive information on how you can care for yourself until it passes. 

It is best to find some of the closest urgent care centers in your area, as well as their hours of operation. This way, no matter where you are when a medical problem strikes, you will know where to go.