{"id":7836,"date":"2026-03-30T09:00:57","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T15:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=7836"},"modified":"2026-03-30T09:22:34","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T15:22:34","slug":"sore-throat-emergency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/sore-throat-emergency\/","title":{"rendered":"Is that sore throat an emergency? Know where to go."},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>
\"Nurse
Photo: Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Over the past few days, you\u2019ve noticed you\u2019re sniffling more than normal and sneezing \u2014 probably allergies. \u201cI\u2019ll survive,\u201d you tell yourself. But later you wake, feeling extremely sick in the middle of the night. Your sore throat is so bad you can\u2019t drink the soothing tea you made at 4 a.m., and your doctor\u2019s office isn\u2019t open yet.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe I should go to the emergency room?\u201d you ask yourself. You feel miserable.<\/p>\n

Deciding whether to go to an emergency room, urgent care, make a video appointment or to wait for your primary care physician\u2019s office to open is a choice many of us have encountered.\"A<\/p>\n

According to a study<\/a> by Truven Health Analytics, 71% of the visits to emergency departments could have been treated at either an urgent care or a doctor\u2019s office.<\/p>\n

We are still in the season for respiratory illnesses. If you’re having trouble breathing, by all means, go to the emergency room. If you have sinus symptoms or have had a cough for a couple of days, chances are you can be easily treated at an urgent care or wait to see your primary care provider.<\/p>\n

Emergency departments, open around the clock, provide care for complex and serious injuries and illnesses. They are equipped with expensive technology \u2013 MRIs, CT scans \u2013 and should be used for serious and life-threatening illnesses and serious injuries, including severe burns, head or neck injuries, deep wounds or a broken bone protruding from the skin.<\/p>\n

Emergency departments are for patients who are coughing up or throwing up blood, having heart attack or stroke symptoms, or experiencing poisoning or an overdose of drugs or alcohol. Patients who come to the emergency department for a sore throat pay extra to be in the emergency room.<\/p>\n

Charges at an ER are always significantly higher than if you were to go to an urgent care, because you are paying for 24\/7 care and expensive technology.<\/p>\n

So what should you do?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It’s best to call your primary care provider before you go to either an emergency room or urgent care. They know you best and can help direct you to the right place. They always have someone on call if it\u2019s after hours. But if it\u2019s a significant emergency, call 911.<\/p>\n

So, in the case of your swollen throat \u2014 which by now probably includes chills and back pain \u2014 call your primary care provider or visit an urgent care clinic.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf your primary care doctor can get you in, cost-wise, that\u2019s usually the best,\u201d said Dr. Kelby Bethards<\/a>, medical director for UCHealth\u2019s northern Colorado urgent care clinics. \u201cIf they can\u2019t, then they can guide you to us (urgent care clinics).\u201d<\/p>\n

UCHealth has urgent care locations across Colorado. See a map of UCHealth urgent care locations<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Urgent care clinics provide medical care for ailments such as sore throat, cold, flu, earache, migraine, urinary tract infection or low-grade fever. They should also be used for minor injuries, such as sprains, back pain, minor cuts and burns, broken bones or minor eye injuries. However, urgent care clinics don\u2019t replace one\u2019s primary care office, Bethards said.<\/p>\n

\u201cUrgent cares don\u2019t provide primary care services such as vaccinations, health care maintenance, blood work, such as cholesterol checks, or long-standing medication refills (except in extenuating circumstances),\u201d he said. \u201cWe are not an overflow for non-acute issues.\u201d<\/p>\n

So ask yourself a few questions before you rush to the closest ER<\/strong><\/h2>\n

1. Is this life-threatening?<\/strong> If it is, call 911 for ambulance transport to the nearest ER.<\/p>\n

2. Can this wait until office hours?<\/strong> If it can, call your primary care office when they open to see if you can get in. Your primary care doctor has access to your medical records and knows your medical history best.<\/p>\n

3. Can this wait until an urgent care clinic opens?<\/strong> Urgent care clinics usually open earlier and stay open later than physician offices, as well as being open on weekends. So, if you can\u2019t get into your doctor\u2019s office, waiting until you can be seen at an urgent care will save you from coming home with a large ER bill.<\/p>\n

Being prepared before something goes wrong is also helpful. Here are things to consider.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

4. How do you reach your doctor?<\/strong> Write your doctor\u2019s number and after-hours number down, and put them somewhere easily accessible, or even save them in your phone\u2019s contacts. This way you can easily reach your chosen health care providers in urgent situations.<\/p>\n

5. Where are the closest urgent care clinics, and what are their hours?<\/strong> Knowing where to go when you are feeling sick or dealing with a minor injury helps you avoid making a last-minute turn to the closest ER.<\/p>\n

Also, knowing the difference between free-standing ERs and urgent cares is important.<\/p>\n

Free-standing ERs are clearly marked inside and out with ER signs and are often strategically located some distance from a hospital to provide that region with access to emergency care. However, these ERs bill the same as hospital emergency rooms. \u00a0Often, an urgent care location is nearby. If you do find yourself arriving at an ER for a non-emergency, don\u2019t hesitate to ask the staff where the closest urgent care is.<\/p>\n

6. Who takes your insurance?<\/strong> Although most urgent care locations accept a variety of insurance plans, there are exceptions, and those exceptions can lead to a higher bill. Knowing this ahead of time can save you added stress. Call your closest urgent care and see if they handle your insurance before you need them.<\/p>\n

The average ER visit costs more than $1,233, while the average doctor or urgent care visit ranges from $50 to $150, according to the National Institute of Health. By being prepared and knowing your options, you can be better prepared for the unexpected, which won\u2019t include a high-priced emergency room bill.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Over the past few days, you\u2019ve noticed you\u2019re sniffling more than normal and sneezing \u2014 probably allergies. \u201cI\u2019ll survive,\u201d you tell yourself. But later you wake, feeling extremely sick in the middle of the night. Your sore throat is so bad you can\u2019t drink the soothing tea you made at 4 a.m., and your doctor\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2164,"featured_media":71938,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[235,2684,351,4797,209],"class_list":["post-7836","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthy-living","tag-emergency-care","tag-flu-season","tag-primary-care","tag-seasonal-flu-treatment-and-flu-shots","tag-urgent-care"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nIf that sore throat an emergency? 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