10TV: What's going around this week?
The weather is definitely warmer and the days are starting to get longer, which means many people are spending more time outside as a family. While spending time in the great outdoors is wonderful, Tracy Townsend from 10TV recently learned that it is also bringing both adults and children to OhioHealth Urgent Care.
Jason Pedrick, MD, an urgent care physician with OhioHealth Urgent Care, told Townsend they are seeing sprains and breaks this time of year.
“A lot of times we have recommendations for kids, or even adults, that come in here,” said Dr. Pedrick. “If they don’t have something broken – let’s say they have an ankle sprain – we still have a return to activity precaution that we give because we don’t want people to go back to soon (and get hurt).”
But how do you know if it’s a break or a sprain in the first place? Dr. Pedrick recommends:
- Looking at if the extremity can hold weight on it
- Can the extremity move?
- Looking to see if there is numbness or tingling
Dr. Pedrick says any of those symptoms could be signs that adults or children should get an x-ray.
Minor broken bones, sprains and strains can be treated at OhioHealth’s urgent care locations, where x-rays can be done right on-site. To find one near you, click here. You can also download the OhioHealth app to find OhioHealth urgent care locations, as well as see what the estimated wait time is at each location.
Dr. Pedrick and Townsend also discussed allergies during the interview and the importance of taking allergey medications all throughout allergy season, not just when patients experience symptoms.
"People might have allergy symptoms and say 'Oh yeah, I'll just take a decongestant," says Dr. Pedrick. "Then I see them 4-6 weeks later with a full-blown sinus infection."
For more information on OhioHealth Urgent Care, including the difference between urgent care and emergency care to help you decide where to go when, click here.
