It’s not always easy to determine whether your latest cold merits a trip to a medical office. While you don’t want to ignore a potential health concern, you also don’t want to foot the bill if you lack cost-effective health insurance Washington DC. Consider a few tips that may help you decide when to stay home and when to visit the doctor.

Look Out for Severe Symptoms

Even if your symptoms seem minor, it’s important to keep your eyes open for signs that your condition is becoming serious. For one thing, be sure to regularly check your temperature. A very high fever is a good reason to seek out a health care professional. Additionally, it’s important that you get an expert’s help if you are having trouble breathing or if you have intense chest pains.

Remember that some severe symptoms are not always apparent to those around a sick person. Be sure to let someone know if you experience changes to your mood or vision. Finally, if you have problems using the restroom, it may be time to head to a doctor.

Monitor the Duration of Symptoms

In addition to watching for severe symptoms, it’s also important to keep track of the duration of minor ones. These include a sore throat, vomiting, fever and cough. As a rule of thumb, if your symptoms are still present after 10 days, it’s time to get medical advice. Problems that last this long may indicate that you need additional medication to fight off the illness.

Few people enjoy going to the doctor, but sometimes it is necessary. Be sure to stay informed about your condition as you experience an illness so that you can make the right decision when it comes time to get help. When in doubt, it’s better to visit a doctor unnecessarily than to wait too long.