48 Times People Got Hurt In The Dumbest Ways And Had No Choice But To Visit The ER

Deciding whether or not to call an ambulance and head to the emergency room is a tough dilemma. On the one hand, your health and life are at stake, and they should be your priorities. On the other hand, there’s often a voice in the back of your head telling you that you might, potentially, be overreacting and that everything ‘should’ be fine, and you don’t want to waste ER doctors’ time. (And depending on where you live, healthcare might be prohibitively expensive, so there’s the financial aspect to worry about, too.)

Concordia University notes that many ER visits aren’t actual emergencies, and the issues can be addressed by a doctor, pharmacist, or at home. This way, you might be taking up time and resources that could be used for actual emergency cases. Meanwhile, showing up at the ER without good cause might lead to you getting infected by sick patients.

Here are some serious health problems that mean you should immediately seek emergency help:

1. Suffering severe physical trauma after an accident
2. Losing consciousness
3. Severe abdominal pain, especially with a fever
4. Sudden strong headaches
5. Sudden chest pains
6. Shortness of breath
7. Sudden numbness in your arms or legs or blurred vision
8. Having a rapid pulse while resting, without having exercised or been in emotional stress

Meanwhile, according to Concordia University, here are some situations where you should probably not go to the ER:

1. Having a cold or the flu, when symptoms (runny nose, congestion, sore throat, sneezing, fever, chills, muscle aches, headache, etc.) are mild and can be treated at home
2. Getting minor burns, cuts, or scrapes
3. Minor aches or pains
4. Visiting to get your prescription refilled

A good rule of thumb to keep in mind is that if you are experiencing a great deal of sudden pain and your symptoms are very much out of the ordinary, you should call an ambulance. In these cases, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. In the meantime, being slightly uncomfortable is usually nothing to worry about, so instead of heading to the ER, speak to your local pharmacist or family doctor.

As HCA Virginia points out, if you can describe your sudden headache as the “worst headache ever,” go to the ER. This can be a sign of a migraine, an aneurysm, or a stroke.

In the meantime, Medline Plus advises that if you’re ever unsure of what to do, call your primary care provider, health insurance company, or nurse telephone advice hotline so that they can help you as best as they can.

What are the most ridiculous reasons you’ve ever ended up in the emergency room, dear Pandas?

On the flip side, have you been to the ER before due to something incredibly serious? If you’ve ever worked at an ER, how often do you have patients come in who have actual emergencies versus those who overreact?

If you feel like sharing your experiences, feel free to do so in the comments at the bottom of this post.