Urgent Visits Specialist
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Firas Zakaria, MD
Board-Certified Internist located in Palos Heights, IL
Dr. Firas Zakaria is a highly respected internal medicine specialist in Palos Heights, Illinois. As part of his commitment to the area, Dr. Zakaria offers urgent care services to his patients and the residents of Palos Heights and the surrounding communities. He accepts both walk-in and same-day appointments. If you’ve got the time, give the clinic a call. If not, feel free to visit without an appointment. You’ll receive the same quality care either way.
Urgent Visits Q & A
What is Urgent Care?
Urgent care is designed for patients who aren’t sick enough for the emergency room but can’t see their doctor for one reason or another. Business travelers and tourists often find urgent care to be a perfect solution when they come down with a respiratory illness or flu bug on their journey. You might also consider urgent care when your doctor is on vacation or doesn’t have an appointment available until a week from Thursday, and it’s Monday.
Because the everyday hustle and bustle of life can make it easy to forget about renewing prescriptions, urgent care may also be an option for a one-time medication refill for a chronic condition like asthma.
Urgent care can’t replace routine visits with your doctor or emergency room treatment for a life-threatening illness or injury, but it fills the gap between the two.
What Illnesses Should I Go To Urgent Care For?
For the layman, it’s often hard to determine the difference between appendicitis, which may require urgent surgery, and the common stomach flu. When in doubt, seek emergency care. However, if you’re experiencing symptoms you’d feel comfortable seeing your doctor for but can’t get an appointment, urgent care may be your best option.
Illnesses that Dr. Zakaria evaluates and treats in urgent care include:
- Fever without rash
- Earache, sore throat, runny nose
- Pain with urination
- Persistent diarrhea or vomiting
- Mild sprains and strains
If, after evaluating your condition, Dr. Zakaria decides that you’re better served in the emergency room, he and his staff will make those preparations for you. If you have a suspected fracture that needs X-rays or a cut that needs suturing, he will send you to a local hospital for care. Urine studies and other labs can be done on-site.
When Should I Go To The Emergency Room?
Choose emergency care when you experience any symptoms you consider serious, including:
- Persistent, severe pain
- Difficulty breathing
- Profuse bleeding from a cut
- Sudden mental confusion, difficulty speaking, or clumsiness
In an emergency, consider calling 911 rather than traveling to the hospital by car. The paramedics and other healthcare professionals that respond to an emergency call can begin treatment on the scene.
