The school year is a time filled with excitement, friendships, and hectic schedules. During these busy days, many students find themselves reaching into their backpack for anything they need throughout the day. A backpack filled with the correct essentials means a smoother school day and a happier student, so let’s take a look at what some of those essentials are. Tissues It’s no secret that schools are filled with sick students, especially during ...
Back to school means it’s back to sports. When your student athlete is out on the field or court, they are at risk for a number of injuries that can occur during play. Sports injuries are commonly caused by overuse, direct impact, or the application of force that is greater than the body part can withstand. There are two kinds of sports injuries: acute and chronic. Acute An acute injury is an injury that ...
You know the importance of eating a well-balanced diet, getting the proper amount of rest, wearing a seat belt, flossing your teeth, and working out, but do you understand the importance of staying up to date with your vaccinations? Diseases that used to be common such as mumps, measles, Hepatitis A & B, and polio can now be prevented by vaccination. One of the most terrible diseases in history, smallpox, no longer exists thanks to vaccinations ...
School is back in session, and we know that can mean (organized) chaos! It may be difficult to get your child fed and out the door in time, but it is crucial for development, both mentally and physically, that children receive proper nutrition throughout the school day. Breakfast keeps your child energized, full and ready to absorb knowledge. Mornings can be a time crunch, but that is no excuse to let your child miss breakfast ...
Poison ivy is the most common allergy in the United States, affecting about 50 million people every year. The rash from poison ivy is caused by an allergic reaction to urushiol, an oily substance in the leaves, stems and roots of poison ivy, through direct contact. Urushiol is also found in poison oak and poison sumac, which means the rash can be contracted by interacting with any of the three plants. Other than direct contact ...
When it comes to treating your seasonal allergies with home remedies, there’s usually more fiction than fact. There are healing claims about everything from apple cider vinegar to local bee pollen. The doctors at American Family Care understand that not everyone wants to grab a drug off of the pharmacy counter, but people want to be able to breathe too! So are there any proven natural remedies that the doctors here at AFC can ...
When you have that miserable, stuffy, sneezy, stopped-up feeling from allergies, all you really feel like doing is climbing into bed or relaxing on the couch and taking whatever your doctor has prescribed. Probably the last thing on your mind is exercising! How can you run when you can’t breathe? How do you stretch when you’re sneezing all the time? The experts at American Family Care say a mix of the traditional and ...
March is National Nutrition Month! The focus of this campaign is to bring attention to the importance of making healthy choices and developing wide-ranging and physical activity habits. This year’s theme is, “Go Further with Food.” As mentioned by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, “whether it’s starting the day off right with a healthy breakfast or fueling before an athletic event, the foods you choose can make a real difference. Preparing your ...
March means we’re in the season of birds chirping, flowers blossoming, and spring sports beginning! Whether you’re cheering on your student-athlete from the bleachers, or if you’re participating in an adult sports league, injuries can occur. As a parent or an athlete, it’s important to be aware of injuries that can take you off the field and out of the game. Some injuries we’ve seen at our urgent care center ...
Doctors recommend adults receive seven to nine hours of sleep per night. However, according to HuffPost, more than a third of Americans regularly do not sleep enough. That means that roughly 83.6 million adults in the U.S. alone are sleep deprived. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 34.8 percent of American adults get less than seven hours of sleep per night. Worse yet, 11.8 percent ...
Have you ever had that scratchy, itchy feeling at the back of your throat? The one that starts in the back of your throat then suddenly turns into a painful burning sensation. Some people mention that it feels like trying to swallow broken glass. Now that’s a pretty vivid description of the common sore throat but if you have ever had one that bad then you’re most likely to not forget it. Usually ...
Summer is a busy time for urgent care centers. Learn how you can avoid some of the most common summer injuries while you have your fun in the sun. Summer is one of the most exciting times of the year! With vacations, backyard barbecues, fireworks shows and more to look forward to, there’s lots of fun to be had during the warm summer months. But while you’re having a blast with your family ...
Spring cleaning is typically meant to help us remove the dust and dirt we’ve accumulated over the course of a cold winter inside. For seasonal allergy sufferers, spring cleaning can be like medicine. How, you might ask? By getting rid of the allergens that causes seasonal allergy suffering. If your seasonal allergies are kicking up, try these cleaning tips from AFC Urgent Care to get some relief. Use High-Efficiency Particulate Air Filters High-Efficiency Particulate ...
Whether relaxing by the beach or rushing through the city, staying hydrated is key to staying energized. Often times we get caught up in our everyday lives that we forget to keep track of how much water we’re drinking. According to Mayo Clinic, on average a full grown adult should drink 12-15 cups of fluids a day. The effects of not drinking enough fluids a day can be detrimental especially in children. There are ...
Coughing, sore throat and fever, oh my! Your child is definitely sick, but with what? The cold and flu viruses can often be tricky for parents to tell apart because many of the symptoms are the same, but there are several signs that your child has more than just a cold. Here’s what to look for: Fever If your child has the flu, it will often be accompanied by a high fever. A child ...
At the start of every New Year, we all make resolutions to improve our health and our daily lives. Often during the hustle and bustle of the New Year, we end up forgetting or neglecting our resolutions, which makes our goals that much harder to accomplish. This year, why not break from that pattern, and choose resolutions that will have a big impact on your life without taking an enormous effort? Choosing high-impact goals that ...
Getting sick during the holidays is no fun! All you want to do is enjoy your break from work, spend time with friends and family, and participate in the holiday traditions you love. Instead you’re weak, tired and confined to your bed or couch. Possibly the worst thing about getting sick over a holiday, is not knowing where you can get help if you need it. If you have a primary care provider, their ...
The holiday season has already started, and so has flu season. That’s why the CDC has designated the week of December 4 – 10, 2016, as National Influenza Vaccination Week. Once November ends and the holiday season starts, people tend to forget about getting their flu shot. In fact, research from past flu seasons has shown that very few people get a flu shot after the end of November. Last flu season, only 40% of ...
This Thanksgiving, pass the turkey, not the flu! Illnesses, such as the flu, can be transferred through sneezing, coughing or surface contamination. According to the CDC, germs can live approximately two hours on surfaces such as door knobs or kitchen counters. With a few preventative steps, your friends and family will be able relax and focus on the fun and food, rather than worrying about sore throats or upset stomachs. Keep things clean, and most ...
Every year from August to March, it seems like you can’t go a day without seeing something about the flu. “Get your flu shot today!” … “When will flu season start?” … “Why this year’s strain of the flu shot is better.” … “When is the best time to get your flu shot?”… With all this information circling around your head, how can you know which things to pay attention to? Here’s why right now ...
