Kidney stones are a prevalent and often painful condition that impacts nearly one in 10 Americans each year. While the experience can be challenging, knowledge about kidney stones, their symptoms, and potential treatment options is crucial. What are Kidney Stones? Kidney stones, also called renal calculi, are solid formations that start in the kidneys. They form when certain waste products struggle to dissolve properly in urine, leading to the creation of crystals due to an ...
Can Humidifiers Help You From Getting the Flu? During this time of year, Ballantyne sees an influx of travelers, whether they’re visiting family or exploring the nearby Grayson Highlands State Park. The season is bustling with people wrapping up their holiday shopping at places like Ballantyne Village or recharging with a boost of energy at local favorites such as Brakeman’s Coffee & Supply. Regardless of the busyness this season entails, it’s crucial to ...
Is There a Difference Between Telemedicine and Telehealth Urgent Care? Telehealth urgent care and telemedicine are terms that are often used interchangeably but actually have some distinct differences. Telehealth is an umbrella term that refers to the use of technology in a variety of healthcare services, while telemedicine is a specific type of telehealth service that involves remote clinical services between a doctor and a patient. Pre-Register What Is Telehealth Urgent Care? At its core ...
Food Poisoning: When and Why to Visit AFC Charlotte NC Food poisoning is an unwelcome and often unpredictable health concern that can strike when we least expect it. Defined as an illness caused by consuming contaminated food or beverages, it can manifest as various symptoms ranging from mild discomfort to severe gastrointestinal distress. While some cases resolve on their own with rest and hydration, there are instances where seeking prompt medical attention becomes crucial. ${custom_link_1_title ...
A Guide to Boosting Vitamin D and Managing Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) The holidays bring a lot of travellers through Ballantyne this time of year, whether to visit family or to venture out to the nearby Grayson Highlands State Park. It’s a busy time for everyone finishing up holiday shopping at shops like Ballantyne Village or grabbing an extra dose of energy at local favorites like Brakeman’s Coffee & Supply. No matter what this ...
Is an Urgent Care Walk-In Clinic Like Going to the ER? If you find yourself with an emergency medical condition that needs to be dealt with, it can often become an overwhelming situation. Thoughts of long waits, expensive treatments, and procedures at a hospital emergency room (ER) may cross your mind. However, the ER isn't always your only option - have you ever considered visiting an urgent care walk-in clinic? Urgent care clinics like AFC ...
This is the question we all want the answer to! Staying healthy at this time of year is crucial so you don’t have to miss out on the fun family events, holiday traditions and quality time spent with your loved ones. However, with all of the different infections and illnesses circulating around, it can sometimes be hard to do. We want you to stay as healthy as possible this year, so taking care of ...
Getting Strep Without Tonsils? Is It Possible? AFC Charlotte NC Has Answers for You Is getting strep without tonsils possible? The short answer is yes. Strep throat is caused by a particular strain of bacteria, group A Streptococcus. These bacteria can live in the nose and mouth. The bacteria are spread through an infected person's saliva or mucus and contact with contaminated surfaces and objects. A person without tonsils can contract the infection if ...
Can Bronchitis Turn Into Pneumonia? Can bronchitis turn into pneumonia? In some cases, this happens when the inflammation of the bronchial tubes persists for some time and is not treated properly, leading to a bacterial or viral infection that can cause pneumonia. When bronchitis becomes severe, the tiny hair-like structures (cilia) that line the bronchi can become damaged, making it difficult for mucus to clear from the lungs. This trapped mucus creates a breeding ground ...
What Are the Degrees of Burns? A Guide to Identifying Burns So, what are the degrees of burns? If you’ve been wondering how to identify burns, we’ve got the answers for you. Burns are a common injury that can occur from various sources, including hot liquids, fire, chemicals, and sun exposure. Depending on the severity of the burn, it can range from a minor inconvenience to a life-threatening emergency. Therefore, it is crucial ...
Respiratory infections are really common at this time of year. Since everyone is spending much more time indoors during the colder months, infections can easily pass from person to person and that can increase caseloads from November to April. There are many different kinds of infections that your baby could contract at any point, including the flu and RSV. Knowing what he or she is sick with can help you manage any symptoms more confidently ...
It’s that time of year again where we start encouraging our community to get vaccinated against the flu! Influenza has the potential to make you really sick, and high caseloads can have a huge impact on our community. Avoiding illness altogether is always the best case scenario, and that starts with getting your annual flu shot early in the flu season. You can come to AFC Urgent Care Ballantyne any day of the week ...
As a prominent care provider of accessible primary care, urgent care, and occupational medicine services nationwide, American Family Care (AFC) is uniquely positioned to guide and educate the public on pertinent health issues, such as the FDA’s recent decisions on the effectiveness of oral phenylephrine. The FDA held a Non-Prescription Drug Advisory Committee meeting on September 11-12, 2023, to deliberate on the effectiveness of oral phenylephrine as an active ingredient in over-the-counter (OTC) cough ...
Why You Should See an Urgent Care Doctor for Wart Removal Home remedies for warts might not be as effective as you hope, so we recommend seeing an urgent care doctor for wart removal to treat these pesky growths at their source. Warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) and can appear almost anywhere on the body, causing both physical discomfort and self-consciousness. This article takes you through everything you need to know about ...
There are so many ways that you can get sick these days that it can be really hard to tell what illness you have on your own. Colds, the flu and even COVID-19 can all cause similar symptoms, so getting a proper diagnosis is always recommended. We have a variety of rapid tests at our disposal that we can run to help determine what you have. Our AFC Urgent Care Ballantyne team is here to ...
We are so grateful that the height of the pandemic is currently behind us, but we can’t change the fact that COVID-19 is still in our community and will continue circulating and mutating into different strains. The different strains and outbreaks come in waves, and we have recently seen an uptick in cases in the southern states. This means we all need to be hyper-aware of our surroundings to avoid getting sick. Remember, you ...
We can’t believe we are already in the full swing of back-to-school season in the Charlotte area, and with that, we assume you have already seen at least one illness make its way through your house. That’s just the nature of this time of year when students come back under one building once more. Most contagious illnesses are usually just minor inconveniences and cause mild symptoms, one of which is a fever. If ...
Sports Physicals: Getting Ready to Go Back to School Before hitting the field, court, or track, there's a crucial checkpoint that ensures the well-being of our student-athletes: sports physicals. These check-ups are a proactive approach to safeguarding the health and performance of young athletes. They not only fulfill school and sports league requirements but also serve as a comprehensive assessment to detect and prevent potential health issues. Pre-Register The Importance of Sports Physicals Physicals ...
There are unfortunately many different ways that you can be sick nowadays. Viruses and bacteria can cause stubborn infections or conditions, and any sort of imbalance in your body can make you feel under the weather. While simple illnesses like the common cold or seasonal allergies can be diagnosed at home, others may take a little more investigative work. That’s where we come in! Our AFC Urgent Care Ballantyne center is equipped with a ...
I Have an STD, But I'm Not Sexually Active If you have contracted a sexually transmitted disease (STD) but are not sexually active, there are a few reasons why this could be the case. "STD" refers to the constellation of diseases that result from a sexually transmitted infection (STI). For example, cervical cancer is an STD from the STI of HPV. Though it is possible to contract an STI even if you are not ...
