Headaches and migraines are two words people like to use synonymously to describe pains or aches in the head. However, there is a slight difference between the two that you should understand before seeking treatments for them. If you are experiencing a migraine in La Jolla, San Diego and need treatment, give us a call today! (858) 255-8325

Learn More About Headaches Vs. Migraines

Headaches

A headache describes a continuous painful feeling in the head. The pain could be the result of an independent or secondary medical condition.

For instance, primary headaches are due to independent medical conditions forming in the head, such as tension headaches, cluster headaches, hypnic headaches, and migraine headaches. Secondary headaches are due to other medical conditions causing the head pains, such as medication overdoses, stress, anxiety, depression, infection, insomnia, etc.

Migraines

A migraine is one of the four primary headaches you could get. The difference between migraine headaches and the other three primary headaches is that you may experience additional symptoms beyond severe head pains.

For instance, migraine pains and symptoms often occur in unexpected episodes or attacks where you feel intense throbbing headaches for several hours or days. The severity of the migraine pains differs each time they occur. Also, you may feel head pain on one side of your head or both sides. Everyone feels it differently.

In addition, some of the other migraine symptoms besides the head pains are neck stiffness, frequent yawning, mood swings, constipation, light or sound sensitivity, food cravings, blurred vision, jumbled speech, and many other possible symptoms.

Treatment Options

When you visit your primary care physician for advice about treating headaches and migraines, they will probably tell you to take over-the-counter medications first. For example, acetaminophen or anti-inflammatory medicines like ibuprofen and aspirin can effectively treat mild headaches and migraines. But if you have more severe symptoms of pain and discomfort from your headaches or migraines, you may need a prescription medication to treat it. Popular prescription treatment options for primary headaches and migraines include anti-nausea medications (beta-blockers), triptans, and ergot alkaloids. You could also try more indirect treatments for other conditions that may exacerbate your headaches or migraines, such as antidepressants, Botox injections, and antiseizure medications.

Of course, the healthiest medicine doesn’t involve consuming any oral medication. Instead, the best long-term treatment options for reducing or eliminating headaches and migraines include regular exercise, nutritious eating, stress management, and relaxation techniques.

Please see a doctor for further advice and guidance regarding your headaches and migraines, especially if they are recurring as frequent episodes or attacks. A doctor can conduct a physical examination to determine the condition causing your headaches or migraines. Then you can receive treatment to eliminate the other condition, which will eliminate your headaches and migraines in the process.

Request a Medical Diagnosis Today

Do you need help diagnosing your head pain to determine if you have a migraine or another type of headache?

Urgent Care La Jolla has a team of qualified doctors who can perform a physical examination to determine the source of your head pains. Call us at (858) 255-8325 to make an appointment today.

When a patient with cardiovascular disease needs surgery, a preoperative electrocardiogram (ECG) is required to evaluate the heart’s electrical activity before the surgery begins. In other words, it evaluates how well the valves and chambers of the heart are pumping blood. The ECG records this activity, so the surgeon can determine if the patient’s at risk of experiencing a cardiac-related issue during surgery. If you need a preoperative electrocardiogram call us today to schedule your appointment: (858) 255-8325

Learn More About Preoperative Electrocardiogram

Some countries depend on anesthesiologists to conduct heart evaluations before a patient gets surgery. This is because anesthesiologists specialize in managing the patient’s vital functions, such as blood pressure, breathing, and heart rate. However, a cardiologist is better equipped to conduct preoperative cardiac evaluations because heart health is their specialty. An anesthesiologist may seek assistance from a cardiologist if the patient has preexisting heart issues.

Risk Stratification

Doctors use risk stratification to determine how much risk a patient faces if they undergo a particular surgery, whether cardiac or noncardiac surgery. A preoperative clinical evaluation will discover the various clinical circumstances that could cause a bad outcome from the surgery. For example, the risk stratification of cardiac surgery has over 20 potential risk scores and numerous clinical and demographic variables. Doctors use these risk scores to evaluate the likelihood of the patient suffering a health problem during or after cardiac surgery. Noncardiac surgeries have risk models as well.

Of course, no single risk model or score gives a 100% accurate prediction about whether a patient will suffer cardiac complications. However, risk stratification evaluates the risk factors within three particular evaluation groups: minor risk predictors, intermediate risk predictors, and active cardiac conditions.

Best Time to Order an ECG

There is a particular algorithm proposed for patients who’re undergoing noncardiac surgery. The algorithm suggests that patients should receive ECGs if they’re undergoing emergency life-saving procedures or any other intermediate or high-risk surgical procedure. Some of these procedures requiring an ECG include reconstructive surgery, breast surgery, gynecologic surgery, endoscopic surgery, dental surgery, and plastic surgery.

If the ECG records abnormal heart activity, a more comprehensive heart evaluation should be conducted by a cardiologist. The specialist will have to review the patient’s medical history and perform a physical examination, stress test, and another echocardiogram evaluation on the patient. That will be followed by a diagnostic workup, drug therapy, and perioperative management. But if the initial ECG results show healthy heart activity, the patient can proceed to the surgery.

Low-risk noncardiac surgeries only require a clinical evaluation. If the clinical evaluation results find the patient to have a low cardiac risk, they can proceed right to the surgery without needing an ECG. But if they have a high cardiac risk, they must undergo a comprehensive cardiologic evaluation and diagnostic workup.

Contact us to schedule your preoperative electrocardiogram!

Would you like more information about preoperative electrocardiograms and how cardiac risk assessments are conducted? Urgent Care La Jolla can answer your questions and help determine if a preoperative electrocardiogram is suitable for you to get before your surgery. Call us at (858) 255-8325 to make an appointment with one of our doctors to discuss your options in greater detail.

When you get injured or come down with an illness, your first instinct might be to go to your primary care physician for treatment. Unfortunately, primary care physicians often require appointments that must be booked days or weeks in advance. What do you do when you need care right away? Well, if you need after-hours or immediate care, then your options are limited to an urgent care or emergency room. The facility that you should choose depends on the severity of the condition.

For instance, if you experience symptoms of a life or limb-threatening illness or injury, then you should call 911 or go to your nearest ER. Emergency rooms are equipped to treat the most serious illnesses and injuries, including major trauma, stroke, cardiac events, and other medical or psychiatric emergencies. Some conditions, such as acute appendicitis, may require surgical treatment that can only be done in an emergency or inpatient setting.

As for urgent care facilities, these are reserved for treating minor injuries and non-life threatening illnesses. People who have small cuts, sprained ankles, migraines, sore throats, upper respiratory symptoms, or other non-emergent illnesses can benefit from visiting an urgent care rather than an ER. Compared to your PCP’s office, many urgent care facilities offer expanded services and rapid access to doctors when you need it. Some urgent care facilities even offer on-site laboratory testing and diagnostic imaging.

Making the Choice

Sometimes people with non-life threatening illnesses or injuries choose to go to the emergency room rather than an urgent care. Although you should never hesitate to be seen at the emergency room if you feel like you need it, you will often wait longer and pay more than if you had presented to an urgent care for the same symptoms. Before making the choice of where to be seen, you should consider both the severity of your symptoms and your medical history to determine whether or not your condition warrants urgent or emergent care. Some insurance groups, health groups, and universities offer their members a phone-triage service where you can speak to a nurse to help you decide where to be seen.

The bottom line is that many conditions are appropriate for urgent care, while some require the resources of an emergency room. Knowing the difference can save you time, money, and offer the most effective healthcare for your specific condition.

If you are looking for an urgent care clinic in La Jolla, we are here to help! Give us a call today to schedule an appointment or feel free to stop by, walk-ins always welcome! 858-255-8325

7634 Girard Ave Ste J • La Jolla, CA 92037

Pediatric urgent care services are designed for children and minors of all ages, from infants to adolescents. Urgent care is not to be confused with emergency care, which requires a visit to the emergency department of a local hospital. In general, urgent care facilities are designed for illnesses and injuries that are not necessarily life threatening, but require attention. Most urgent care facilities do not require an appointment, either. If you are looking for the best pediatric urgent care in San Diego, Urgent Care La Jolla is here for you!

For example, let’s say your child fell outside and broke his or her arm. Although usually not life threatening, a broken bone requires immediate attention to minimize pain and ensure that the bone heals properly. Although you and your child may have a relationship with your primary pediatrician, it can be difficult getting same-day appointments even for urgent illnesses and injuries. Many insurance providers offer urgent care benefits along with those commonly offered for emergency care. That why urgent care centers come in handy.

All urgent care providers have their own rules about the seriousness of the conditions they will treat for children and adults alike. Some symptoms are indicative of serious illnesses that should warrant a trip to the emergency room. In cases of common illnesses and injuries, however, most patients would benefit by going to an urgent care facility that offers effective care for much cheaper and a much shorter wait time. Some common health conditions that urgent care providers treat include minor burns, fevers, infections, allergic reactions, insect stings, animal bites, chicken pox, pink eye, rashes, sunburns, sports injuries, and splinter removals. Most urgent care facilities can send patients for imaging and labs, while others even offer minor surgical procedures such as mole and wart removals.

Pediatric urgent care services are becoming more common in modern times. This is largely due to the health of children being taken more seriously by the public. It also has to do with the fact that there are fewer pediatricians who run private practices. Pediatricians find it more beneficial for themselves and the children they treat to provide urgent care services instead of regular doctor’s appointments. The upside is that children can be treated quickly for most medical problems that they are facing. The downside is that seeing different providers can remove the interpersonal relationship between the child, parent, and doctor.

Most insurance providers will provide you a list of in-network urgent care facilities. These are the facilities where you must take your child to use your insurance benefits. The downside to these urgent care facilities, relative to those that do not accept insurance as payment, is that the wait times can be longer, especially during times such as weekends and holidays where most primary pediatrician practices are closed. If you are looking for a pediatric urgent care, schedule an appointment with us today!