Self-Treat or Seek Help? Expert Tips for Urgent Moments

If you have a non-life-threatening injury or illness, like a cut, strain, sprain, or possible respiratory illness, but your primary care provider isn’t available, when should you seek urgent care?

Jacob Szafranski, MD, a seasoned urgent care physician at Urgent Care – Foster Family Community Health Center in Traverse City, shares practical advice on when to opt for urgent care—and how to treat symptoms that aren’t quite urgencies at home.

Skin Injuries: Timing, Treatment, and When to Worry

If you cut yourself, but you’re not sure whether you need medical attention or some simple at-home care, a few key symptoms or conditions can help guide your decision.

Cuts: When to Seek Urgent Care

• The cut won’t stop bleeding
• The cut is more than 1–2 inches long
• Deep cuts, where underlying tissue or bone could be impacted
• The wound contains or may have been exposed to grease, dirt, metal, glass, etc.
• Your pain is increasing
• The wound is looking worse in appearance
• You’re on blood thinners

Seek care if you’re still unsure, even if several hours have passed.

“There’s a myth that cuts need to be stitched within 12 hours to prevent infection—but that’s not always true, Dr. Szafranski explains.” If you have a cut that’s more than one to two inches long, seeking care within twelve hours is ideal, but don’t assume we can’t help if you’re past that window. If you have a cut that won’t stop bleeding, don’t hesitate to seek urgent care.”

At-Home Care Tips for Cuts 

If your cut doesn’t require urgent care or you injure yourself after-hours, proper care goes a long way to stop or slow bleeding, prevent wound contamination, and put you on the fast track to healing. Before applying a bandage, make sure to clean the cut thoroughly with water.

“Focus on simply washing the wound with fresh tap water.” Dr. Szafranski says. “Don’t worry about the best water or using a special solution. Sterile water or saline haven’t shown better outcomes.”

But do avoid certain topicals and soaps. Hydrogen peroxide, iodine, or antibacterial soap can damage healing skin.

Burns: What to Do Immediately

Burns are common—especially in the kitchen or around grills and bonfires. No matter how severe the burn, acting quickly can reduce its impact.

First Steps

• Cool the area with cool (not ice-cold) water immediately.
• If clothing is involved, run water over the clothing first, then gently remove it.
• If fabric is melted to the skin, don’t pull it off. Cover with a cool, wet towel and seek care.
• Apply an ice pack over the cool towel to help ease pain. 

With few exceptions, the size of the burn is a good indicator of whether urgent care is needed.

Large (over 2 inches) or deep burns will likely need evaluation, whereas small burns (under 2 inches) that are not deep can usually be treated at home with antibiotic ointment and a bandage. However, certain parts of the body, such as the face, may need evaluation, even if small.

A word of caution: Don’t pop any blisters that form. The body’s natural healing response is to surround the wound with fluid, which keeps cools it down and prevents infection.

Muskuloskeletal Injuries: Sprains, Strains, and Fractures

Injuries to the muscles, joints, tendons/ligaments and bones just plain hurt. In some cases, a bad sprain, for example, can feel just as painful as a break. In fact, no matter the season, injuries to wrists, ankles, or other joints are one of the most common reasons for an urgent care visit.

At-Home Care

If swelling is minimal and use of the affected arm or leg induces minimal pain, a mild sprain is more likely, Dr. Szafranski says. 

If your sprain is mild, a common acronym used to highlight treatment is: "RICE"

Rest: limit use of the injured arm or leg.

Ice: apply ice for 15-20 minutes several times a day. Ice on the first day after an injury (as opposed to heat) can help reduce inflammation and therefore pain.

Compression: lightly wrap the injured area to help reduce swelling. 

Elevation: elevating the injured area can help reduce swelling and pain.

When to Seek Urgent Care

If you’re experiencing significant swelling or pain, it’s a sign to seek medical attention. If your primary care provider isn’t available, urgent care is typically a much more cost-effective and timely option than the ER. 

"It can often be difficult to tell the difference between a sprain or fracture without the use of X-ray", says Dr. Szafranski. “At a Munson Urgent Care, your X-rays will be interpreted by on-staff radiologists, who specialize in looking at X-rays and other radiology studies to diagnosis injuries or abnormalities, so you receive care that’s informed, thorough, and focused on precision healing.”

Upper Respiratory Illnesses

There’s nothing like the dreaded feeling of coming down with something—especially if that something could be more serious, like the flu or COVID-19. 

But when should you call your family doctor or head to urgent care? Are there telltale signs that you’re dealing with more than a common cold and need care beyond rest and fluids? Dr. Szafranski has some tips.

Signs of Flu

The flu will typically include a cough, congestion, and/or runny nose accompanied by one or more of the following: 

• Body aches
• Fever
• Chills 

“If someone says, ‘I'm just hurting all over,’ and they have a fever, it’s likely the flu,” says Dr. Szafranski. 

Unlike the common cold, you can be tested for the flu and doctor-prescribed antiviral medications like Tamiflu can help ease symptoms and even shorten the duration of illness if taken early (within the first few days of flu symptoms).

Flu preventatives can also be prescribed to your loved ones who may have been exposed and are more at risk for hospitalization due to factors such as age.

COVID Clues

COVID-19 symptoms can mirror those of cold and flu, with symptoms like a cough, congestion or runny nose, sore throat, chills, fever, and body aches. What typically indicates COVID-19 are additional symptoms like shortness of breath or labored breathing, as well as loss of taste or smell.

The presence of overlapping symptoms can make it hard to know if urgent care is needed. However, if you’re struggling with flu-like symptoms or breathing difficulties, urgent care providers can help rule out other viral infections, make treatment recommendations, and escalate to the Emergency Department if needed. Either way, serious symptoms shouldn’t be dismissed.

“We’ve sent patients to the hospital who didn’t think their symptoms were serious. Don’t ignore them,” Dr. Szafranski advises.

Urgent Care Can Help

If you have an injury or illness, but you’re in doubt, head to your nearest Munson Healthcare urgent care or walk-in clinic. Our experts can diagnose and treat a variety of symptoms, as well as send you to the Emergency Department if needed.

In addition, urgent care visits come with numerous benefits, including:

• Faster access to care for non-life-threatening issues
• Lower co-pays (or flat fees if you don’t have insurance)
• Many Munson Healthcare urgent care/walk-in clinics have on-site doctors and X-ray capabilities