While every person has their own set of ideals, quirks, and opinions, there is one thing that everybody can relate to: getting sick. Falling ill is certainly not a fun experience, and it’s even more excruciating when you are forced to wait on hold to set up an appointment, only to sit for another hour in the waiting room when you arrive at the hospital.

At medical walk in clinics, patients get to simply show up without any notice whatsoever and receive treatment within minutes. These neighborhood health clinics are conveniently located and offer most of the same services as a typical emergency room.

It’s never fun to get sick, but that doesn’t mean you have to wallow around your home in agony while you wait for an appointment. Here are just three of the many reasons that you and your family should ditch appointments in favor of a top-notch walk in clinic:

• • Just walk in, no appointment needed
    Have you ever had a terrible sore throat and/or cough? If so, you know how agonizing it can be to call your doctor, only to find out that they cannot see you for at least a few days. Fortunately, you can obtain almost immediate treatment by opting for a walk in health clinic instead. On average, the most common diagnosis at urgent care centers is an upper respiratory infection. These urgent care centers are ideal for respiratory issues, headaches, nausea, and sports injuries.

• • Shorter wait times
    Perhaps the only thing worse than waiting around at home for a doctor’s appointment is sitting in your doctor’s waiting room for hours on end. Regardless of how great your doctor is or what they promise you, it’s always a roll of the dice when you actually arrive as to how long your wait will be. About 69% of urgent care centers have wait times of less than 20 minutes, which means you can get in and get out with the treatment you need to feel better.

• • Save money
    Some people immediately assume that urgent care must be expensive because of its many benefits, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, urgent care is much less expensive than a visit to the emergency room. On average, patients who unnecessarily went to the ER would have spent $784 less and saved nearly three hours by going to an urgent care center.

Your health should one of your top priorities, and you can’t afford to let injuries or sicknesses linger. Find a trusted walk in urgent care center in your area and start getting the treatment you deserve.