You're Sick. Now What?

Know when to go to the ER, and when a doctor visit will do.

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You’re feeling sick but your doctor is booked and the nearest urgent care center is 45 minutes away.

There’s always the hospital emergency room, but your symptoms aren’t that bad. Should you just tough it out?

Figuring out how and where to handle an illness isn’t easy. It’s even harder for people with inflammatory types of arthritis, because complications related to the disease and its treatment can be serious, says Uzma Haque, MD, assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. Here’s what she suggests:

PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER OR RHEUMATOLOGIST