Healthcare Worker Urges People To Stop Coming To The ER For Stuffy Noses & Tummy Aches — 'We Are For Emergencies'
Emergency rooms are already overrun.
Photoroyalty | Shutterstock According to recent data, American emergency rooms tend to be extremely busy, with patients waiting an average of 2 hours and 43 minutes before being seen. The high volume of ER patients can be blamed on a number of factors, including staff shortages and a lack of primary care facilities. However, long wait times are also partly due to many patients seeking care who do not require immediate medical attention.
Before going into the ER, one healthcare worker urged people to really evaluate their symptoms and ask themselves if they qualify as a medical emergency or something that could be taken care of at their local urgent care.
A healthcare worker begged patients to stop using the ER for 'stuffy noses and tummy aches.'
In a TikTok video that has been viewed over 43,000 times, a healthcare worker asked people to do better when deciding between the ER and urgent care for their symptoms. “You don’t need to come to the ER if you have a stuffy nose or a little tummy ache,” she shared.
Her take was surprisingly divisive with many agreeing and just as many arguing that health insurance is a privilege that many Americans just aren't lucky enough to afford.
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Some people certainly agreed that if your symptoms are minor, you should visit an urgent care or your primary doctor.
“An emergency room is for emergencies, If you think a sniffle is an emergency, you need mental help, not physical,” one TikTok user commented. “She’s right. This is why you guys have to wait so long in the ER,” another user wrote.
“She’s trying to save you guys from that unnecessary ER bill,” another user noted.
However, other people argued that even if their symptoms are mild, they have no choice but to go to the ER.
“While I understand your point of view, the ER is the only place people with no insurance or income can be seen. Everywhere else charges you to be seen and some people just can’t afford it,” one TikTok user commented. “People usually go to the ER for financial reasons. The ER can’t turn you away. Urgent cares can,” another wrote.
Others noted that symptoms that may appear as nothing serious turn out to be an urgent medical issue. “My ‘little tummy ache’ turned out to be a serious kidney infection,’” another user shared.
According to the National Institutes of Health, people may go to the ER even if their symptoms are non-emergent due to lack of access to primary care, fear that they may have a serious issue, insurance purposes or simply because they are unsure of where else to go.
You must anticipate long wait times at the ER, especially if an acute emergency occurs while you are there.
While everyone has the right to access ERs when they feel that they are suffering some sort of medical episode, seeking care in the ER for health issues like colds or indigestion can strain healthcare resources and lead to longer wait times for those who are experiencing true emergencies.
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“I’m not trying to argue and say your pain or ache is not important. I’m just saying where you should be seen based on the information given,” the healthcare worker added in the caption of her video. She also advised those who seek ER care to expect longer wait times since serious health issues will be the top priority of the staff, and those suffering from these issues will be seen before them.
According to research from UChicago Medicine, you should go to an ER if you are experiencing symptoms such as sudden and severe chest pain, difficulty breathing, confusion and disorientation following a head injury, significant bleeding that cannot be controlled, severe burns or if you suspect you are having a stroke.
If you are experiencing a mild fever, cold and flu symptoms, mild sprains, urinary tract infection symptoms, or need a prescription refill, urgent and primary care is the way to go.
Most healthcare workers are already overwhelmed with patients. If you feel that your case is non-emergent, and you have health insurance, it may be wiser to visit your primary doctor if you have one or an urgent care center. Chances are you will be seen much faster and given peace of mind!
Megan Quinn is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in English and a minor in Creative Writing. She covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on justice in the workplace, personal relationships, parenting debates, and the human experience.