Are you worried about the swine flu? Does your runny nose, scratchy throat and decreased energy make you feel feverish and give you a sudden urge to go to the ER out of concern for H1N1? Many health care officials are worried about just that according to a press release from the Loyola University Health System.

“When you are sick with the flu or any other contagious illness, the best thing to do is stay home, rest and avoid contact with other people as much as possible,” said Dr. Mark Cichon, director of emergency medical services at Loyola University Health System in Maywood, IL. “If you think you have H1N1, call your physician or a health-care advice line first. They can determine if an examination, influenza testing or treatment is needed.”

Additionally, if you don’t have the flu or don’t have a very serious case, you run the chance of actually getting the flu or some other respiratory illness from other patients there.

In adults, emergency symptoms that would make you want to seek care in an emergency room include:

Severe vomiting or diarrhea that you are not able to manage at home

“If you have none of those symptoms, you have no need to seek emergency care,” Cichon said. “A key rule to follow is if you have symptoms that wouldn’t normally cause you to go to an emergency room, you probably don’t need to go to one. If you still have some concerns, the best thing to do is consult your family practitioner.”

Hopefully these common sense tips may help you avoid unneeded time and exposure in your local ER.

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