COVID-19/Coronavirus Updates

When your health is in question, nothing matters more than timing and adequate medical care.

If you’re concerned you’re experiencing voice, respiratory or breathing problems, you should head to your nearest Urgency Room in Eagan, Woodbury or Vadnais Heights, because when minutes matter most, we’ll be standing by.

The Urgency Room is a cost-effective alternative to your typical emergency room. We’re highly trained physicians and staff treating you in the timeliest manner possible—you won’t ever wait as long in our care as you would in a typical emergency room. Owned and operated by Emergency Physicians Professional Association (EPPA), we are well-stocked with the perfect combination of know-how and experience to treat you quickly and effectively throughout the Twin Cities.

Our doors are open for everyone from infants to seniors experiencing an extensive range of ailments from common illnesses to broken bones.  If you are experiencing an unexpected illness or injury, come to The Urgency Room. Our state-of-the-art facilities are stocked with all of the equipment needed to treat your voice, respiratory and breathing problems. Experience a tour of our typical facility here—you’re always in good hands the moment you step through our doors.

Schedule an appointment at any of our three locations, open 365 days a year, including holidays, from 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Our telehealth services are available from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Situated in Woodbury, Vadnais Heights, and Eagan, The Urgency Room is the quick and convenient alternative to overcrowded and understaffed emergency rooms for residents throughout the Twin Cities. 

What are common voice problems?

It’s likely that you’ve lost your voice once in your life. Whether it is from cheering too loudly at your favorite concert or you’ve had some serious strep throat, your voice can be affected by a wide variety of factors. In order for you to even speak, your voice counts on different parts of your body to operate smoothly—your lungs, throat, larynx and mouth.

If any of these parts are compromised, chances are good that your voice will be compromised, too. Problems with your voice can vary greatly. While losing your voice is an obvious and annoying problem, here are other symptoms all pointing to voice problems:

• Low, raspy voice
• Persistent hoarseness
• Constant feeling of a lump in your throat
• Tickling or scratching while you speak or swallow
• Coughing or choking while trying to swallow
• Difficulty swallowing
• Lack of control of your voice

Our physicians and staff at The Urgency Room are well-equipped to assess and diagnose your voice issues today. To pinpoint what could be the source of your voice problems, some tests will be conducted to help determine what is causing you pain or voice loss. We may conduct a physical exam or even tests examining your vocal chords.

We’ll also look at other obvious factors such as illnesses you may have had at the onset of your voice problems. Usually illnesses such as bronchitis, laryngitis and strep throat are accompanied by a painful throat and voice problems. However, your voice problems can stem from other causes, some minor and some more serious. Our medical team will work tirelessly to see where your voice problems are stemming from, from acute laryngitis and vocal cord lesions to cancer.

What are common respiratory and breathing problems?

Respiratory problems almost always go hand in hand with breathing problems. Your respiratory system is made up of a series of organs all working in conjunction to take in oxygen and expel carbon dioxide. The biggest organs in this process are, of course, your lungs.

When problems arise with your lungs or any of the other organs working in sync with each other, you may experience a long list of symptoms, including:

• Persistent coughing
• Mucus from the lungs (green, yellow, brown or gray)
• Wheezing
• Shortness of breath
• Fever
• Facial pain or pressure
• Restlessness and diminished appetite
• Sore throat
• Laryngitis
• Chest pain

Respiratory and breathing problems will undoubtedly make it more difficult than normal to breathe as you normally would. Maybe your breathing has become labored or you need to flare your nostrils or use your neck, chest and abdomen to take in air. You may even notice that your voice is being affected by your difficulty to breathe or swallow, leading to voice loss or other problems.

Like voice problems, respiratory and breathing problems can stem from a variety of sources. Often, when severe respiratory problems are being experienced, you maybe have some type of infection.

A viral infection may be affecting your health and compromising your upper respiratory system. You could experience the sudden appearance of symptoms without warning. A viral infection could be a flu or cold—these types of illnesses don’t require the use of antibiotics and will usually go away with rest or fluids over the course of a few days.

Bacterial infections attack the upper or lower respiratory systems and occur less frequently than viral infections. These infections can develop after having a viral infection and they’re often in the sinuses, throat or lungs (like pneumonia). Unlike viral infections, antibiotics are usually needed to help you on your way to recovery from a bacterial respiratory infection.

You might not have an infection at all and are experiencing other ailments that lead to your respiratory and breathing problems. You may have allergies or even asthma—both of which have symptoms that compromise the respiratory system and your breathing.

How can The Urgency Room help me?

The Urgency Room, in Vadnais Heights, Woodbury and Eagan, is fully equipped with all the equipment needed to treat everything from a cough to sutures and more. You can look over some of the equipment we have here. With our trained physicians, knowledgeable staff and broad range of services, getting to your nearest Urgency Room when voice, respiratory or breathing problems occur is a no-brainer.

Wherever you’re located in the Twin Cities, The Urgency Room is the preferred choice for urgent and emergent care. Avoid long waits and crowded waiting rooms and get treated by some of the best providers Minnesota has to offer. Not only will you be treated in our standalone facilities, but you can also learn more about your condition and receive at-home care tips through our extensive library of informative videos.

We want to help you get back on your feet and this is just another way The Urgency Room can do that. For the better ER experience, come to us today.