Dr. Valerie Norton, an emergency department physician at Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego, has tips on how to get through an ER visit:

Bring your medications with you in a bag or write them down.

"It's usually the more healthy people who don't use the ER who don't think of it this," she said.

"A lot of times you'll end up getting prescribed a medication, and it's important that it not duplicate medications you're already on or interact badly with them."

Ask questions.

"It's really important to just be an informed consumer. You should speak up and say, 'What did my tests show, and what did my X-ray show?' "

Consider asking for copies of your lab results and doctor's notes.

"If you want that information to take it back to your doctor, you can say, 'Can I have a printout of my results? Can I have a copy of the notes the doctor wrote?' "

Bring a family member or a friend along.

"A lot of times, they're able to pay better attention. It's really hard to concentrate on what people are telling you. That's where your family member or friend can be your proxy, making sure you're understanding everything that's going on."