With its convenience to Georgia’s beautiful Golden Isles and rapidly expanding opportunities surrounding the ever-growing port, it’s no wonder that people love to live in Brunswick, Georgia. But when you’re sick or injured, you won’t be able to enjoy all the city has to offer.

When you're under the weather or suffering from an injury, you may wonder whether your situation is severe enough to warrant a visit to an urgent care facility or the ER or if it can wait until you can get in to see your primary care physician. While each case is different, here are some general guidelines you can follow when making your decision.

When to Visit a Brunswick, GA Emergency Room

Before we get into a discussion of what conditions should be managed via urgent care vs. primary care, we need first to discuss a third level of acute treatment: a hospital emergency room. Generally speaking, urgent care facilities are not equipped to manage the most severe medical emergencies. 

If you experience any of the following, you may be suffering from a dangerous medical condition and should visit the nearest ER or call 911:

• Chest pain or difficulty breathing
• Weakness or numbness on one side of the body
• Slurred speech
• Fainting or sudden changes in mental state
• Serious burns
• Head or eye injuries, particularly if the patient is confused or disoriented
• Broken bones and dislocations
• Fever accompanied by a rash
• Seizures
• Anaphylaxis
• Severe cuts requiring stitches
• Vaginal bleeding during a pregnancy

When to Visit a Brunswick, GA Urgent Care Facility

If your illness or injury doesn't involve any of the above symptoms, then you will likely be better served by visiting an urgent care facility or an appointment or walk-in with your primary care provider. Urgent care centers, while not able to manage the full range of conditions as a hospital emergency room, are equipped with the tools needed to address the most common minor illnesses and injuries.

For most of these conditions, your primary care physician’s office can offer the same services as an urgent care clinic. If you're injured or realize you're sick during normal business hours, you may be able to secure a same-day appointment with your primary care physician.

If it’s outside of normal business hours, or you can't get a same-day or next-day appointment with your regular doctor, you may need to consider urgent care. If you're experiencing any of these symptoms, you should visit urgent care:

• High fever without an accompanying rash
• Persistent vomiting or diarrhea
• Abdominal pain more severe than a regular stomachache
• Persistent sore throat
• Persistent ear pain
• Wheezing or shortness of breath
• Dehydration
• Sprained or strained muscles
• Small cuts requiring stitches
• Reactions to insect stings or bites
• Mild allergic reactions

When to Wait to See Your Brunswick, GA Primary Care Physician

Some conditions, while uncomfortable, are not life-threatening and are unlikely to worsen over time. In these cases, it's always preferable to visit your primary care physician, even if that means needing to wait a few days. 

If nothing else, your primary care physician’s office will almost always give you a scheduled appointment time, reducing the time you spend sharing a waiting room with countless other patients, some carrying infectious diseases.

If you’re experiencing a medical problem that isn’t hindering your ability to go about your life, isn’t causing severe pain or discomfort, and isn’t affecting your ability to eat, sleep, breathe, or perform other vital life functions, then a visit to your primary care doctor is the best bet:

• Low fevers that are controlled with over-the-counter remedies like Tylenol or Advil
• Mild but persistent coughing or sneezing
• Recurring headaches
• Recurring or persistent muscle or joint pain
• Frequent or persistent abdominal pain

Don’t Have a Primary Care Physician? You Should.

No matter where you live in the Golden Isles region, you should have a regular primary care physician. This healthcare provider provides you with not only exceptional care when you're sick or injured but also overall wellness care.

Through annual physical exams, preventative care, and screenings and other diagnostics, your primary care physician will help you:

• Know your health status
• Identify lifestyle choices that improve your wellbeing
• Avoid future illness through vaccination
• Provide timely screenings for early detection of serious issues
• Navigate and manage your entire healthcare journey

Mercer Medicine Jekyll Island
Primary and Urgent Care for Brunswick and the Golden Isles

Newly opened and situated on the second floor of the Jekyll Island Beach Village, Mercer Medicine's newest clinic serves Brunswick, Jekyll and St. Simon's Islands, and the greater Glynn County region. Our facility boasts a dedicated team of healthcare providers, clinicians, diagnosticians, and other medical professionals.

Whether you need a primary care physician to help you manage chronic conditions or need to see someone quickly for a minor illness, we are ready to help. As the clinical faculty practice of Mercer University School of Medicine, Mercer Medicine is staffed by experienced healthcare providers who are leading the way in medical education, technology, and research.

Mercer Medicine Jekyll Island
11 Main Street, Suite 201
Jekyll Island, GA 31527
September-April: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., M-F
May-August: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m., Daily

Call our scheduling desk at 912-766-0755 or visit our scheduling page to make an appointment.

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