Kidney infection is a serious illness that can start from a simple UTI (Urinary Tract Infection). If a UTI is felt untreated, bacteria may travel from the bladder to one or both kidneys and infect them. When that happens a person experiences fever, chills, nausea, vomiting and back pain and generally feels very ill. Kidney infection is diagnosed by a doctor exam and a urine test. Usually, no other tests are necessary. A kidney infection ...
Most of us have experienced episodes of nausea and vomiting. When does this become a concern, and merit a trip to the doctor? Usually, vomiting is harmless, self-limited, and benign… but not always. Furthermore, medically serious or not, vomiting is – at the very least – highly unpleasant. Up until just a few years ago, there wasn’t much in the way of home treatment that your doctor could offer. But fairly recently, oral drugs became available ...
Many find that eating enough vegetables every day can be a pain. There’s a reason First Lady Michelle Obama has to encourage kids to eat their veggies; it’s not fun, and they just don’t seem to taste as good as a bag of chips or a slice of pizza. But for many of us, an unhealthy diet is contributing to chronic health issues that may cause us problems later in our lives ...
Ear wax, called cerumen, is produced naturally as an ear protectant: the wax is both lubricating and antibacterial. Through natural processes, the wax generally dries and sloughs off, eventually falling out of the ear. Sometimes, though, the wax doesn’t fall out but rather gels and hardens in the ear canal. Over time, you may notice some symptoms. For reasons not always clear, wax builds up excessively in certain individuals. The use of cotton swabs ...
Summer is finally here along with BBQs and trips to the park! Summer also, unfortunately, comes along with increased risk of skin irritation from poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac. These plants contain oil named Urushiol which causes itching, redness, bumps, and other symptoms of rash within 12 -72 hours of contact. Though rashes rarely become serious or life-threatening, severe reactions – which include swelling, blistering, and crusting skin – can occur and require urgent medical ...
Fall is known to be a time when illnesses start to spread more rapidly. This can be partially attributed to cooler weather, but mainly attributed to people spending more time indoors and in close proximity to one another. 2020 has already been a challenging year for the medical community, but the cold and flu season is just beginning. Knowing how to manage and identify seasonal illnesses in 2020 is vital to protecting your own health ...
Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are infections that you can get from having sex with someone who has such an infection. Sexually transmitted diseases are not discriminating – anyone can get them. Americans have the highest rate of STDs in the industrialized world. Regular testing for STDs is a good idea, even if you are in a monogamous relationship. One in three Americans contracts an STD by the age of 24. We encourage you to practice safe ...
You’re outside having a great time in the sun when suddenly you notice both your arms and legs are sun burnt red. You said, “I don’t need sunscreen I never burn,” but now you are paying for it. The importance of sunscreen goes far beyond preventing your skin from burning. Overtime, an individual who uses sunscreen versus one who doesn’t will begin to show differences in the look and feel of skin ...
Influenza (the Flu) is a serious illness affecting millions of Americans, of which about 250,000 are hospitalized each year. Of those, about 36,000 people, mostly over age 65, die each year from complications. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends everyone 6 months and above get a flu shot. The vaccine is typically covered by your insurance plan (contact your provider for details). AFC Urgent Care can help even if you ...
Is it just the “common cold?” When should you self-treat and when should you be seen by a doctor at your nearest AFC Urgent Care? The common cold can be the result of more than 100 different types of viruses! By and large, the symptoms are self-limited and can include any of the following: – Runny or stuffy nose – Sore or scratchy throat – Body aches – Mild fatigue – Mild anorexia – Sneezing – Watery eyes – Cough There are some ...
Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs. It can be caused by a bacteria, a virus or a fungus. It most often presents with cough and fever. This is a disease that is usually diagnosed by a provider who listens to a patient’s lungs and then orders a chest x-ray. If diagnosed early in its course, pneumonia can be treated with oral medications. If allowed to progress without treatment it can be life threatening ...
Inflammation of the throat can be a vexing problem for people. Should I skip work or school to get checked out? Is this serious enough to interrupt my life? How long should I wait for an apt.? How serious is it if I don’t get treated? Sore throats can be caused by bacteria, viruses, fungus, allergies, esophageal reflux or a few other less common things. Symptomatic treatment exists for most causes of sore throat ...
Is that a tick bite on your arm? A mosquito bite? Is that Poison Ivy on your leg or maybe a fungus? At AFC Urgent Care Waltham/Burlington we can help you figure it out. Is the itching driving you crazy? We have pills and creams that can help. Do you wonder whether you have oral or genital Herpes? There are now medications that can decrease communicability and limit the duration of your discomfort. Shingles ...
30-year veteran Emergency Medicine provider Dr. Tom Goldberger explains “Why Urgent Care” “I practiced medicine in hospital Emergency Departments for 30 years. I loved it. It was exciting, dramatic and I felt privileged to be able to make a difference. Two years ago, intent on finding a less stressful occupation, I gave up Emergency Medicine and have specialized in Urgent Care since that time. Urgent Care Medicine is less stressful but I found something even ...
‘Tis the season . . . don’t worry: we know that the holidays have passed, but flu season is still in full swing! In fact, it is reported that during in the 2017-2018 season flu activity has been greater than in prior years. That’s why it’s critical for people to be on the lookout for flu signs and symptoms. Obviously, our goal at American Family Care is to help everyone stay healthy and avoid the ...
It is rare for a woman to go through life without having at least one, and often several, Urinary Tract Infections (UTI). Symptoms range in intensity from quite mild to extremely uncomfortable. Common symptoms include painful urination, very frequent urination and the constant urge to urinate. There may also be fever, abdominal or back pain. Although these symptoms can be physically distressing, at AFC Urgent Care we can have you feeling better in a matter ...
We are all good about taking our children to their well child checks and making sure that they have had all their immunizations. Unfortunately, once out of school, living busy adult lives we assume that our PCP’s will remember to immunize us at our annual exams. Sometimes that does happen and sometimes as we discuss other health concerns immunizations are over looked. Adults do need immunizations to protect themselves and their close contacts. Routine ...
Over the past two weeks, you have likely noticed the media blast regarding patients in the Midwest infected with a virus called HEV-68. “HEV-68” stands for “Human Enteorvirus-68,” and this virus has infected over 1,000 patients in 10 states. HEV-68 was first identified in 1962, and there have been several outbreak clusters since that time. The virus is very similar to the rhinovirus, which causes the common cold. Most enteroviruses cause only mild illnesses ...
Mother’s Day is a wonderful time to appreciate all the mothers in our lives. We love taking the day to dote on much-deserving mothers, new and old alike, with gifts of flowers, chocolates, candles and anything else we can think of to show our love and gratitude for all that they have given us. While many choose to give flowers for Mother’s Day, some mothers may not want the sneezing, itchy eyes and ...
Seasonal allergies such as hay fever impact millions of Americans every year, which may lead to lower productivity, increased fatigue, and several uncomfortable day-to-day symptoms. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimate that over 20 million people in the U.S are diagnosed with hay fever annually. Additionally, over 8 million people reported a respiratory allergy in the last year, highlighting the widespread effect of seasonal allergies in the U.S. The good news is ...
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