Before we dive into this controversial topic, let's put safety first. If you are sexually active, then there's no excuse not to schedule confidential STD testing ASAP. You can even find same day STD testing at an urgent care clinic near you. Many Americans have heard of the most common STDs, and millions will contract one or more of these infections in their lifetime. Common sexually transmitted diseases include things like chlamydia, gonorrhea ...
Summer is prime time for beach action, and for good reason! The surf and the sand are so much easier to enjoy when it’s warm enough to play in them. But there are some risks you might not know about lurking in the depths. As we reach the end of Rip Current Awareness Week on June 5 through June 11, 2016, it's important to remember to practice safe beach behaviors any time you ...
What would the world be like with no tobacco use? For one day, the World Health Organization (WHO) wants us to try and find out. WHO coordinates the annual World No Tobacco Day with the goal of eliminating tobacco use around the world. This year, the goal of World No Tobacco Day is to encourage countries to legislate the packaging allowances for tobacco companies. Plain packaging is proven to reduce the attractiveness of smoking and ...
Gorgeous spring and summer weather means it’s time for the whole family to head outside! But your family members aren’t the only ones wanting to enjoy the warmer weather — this time of year is when all kinds of bugs like to come out in full force. While we love seeing all the pretty ladybugs, buzzing bumblebees and beautiful butterflies, there are some creepy crawlies that we wish we could avoid. In addition to ...
Injuries can happen when you least expect them — and they can be disorienting and chaotic when they do occur. You may be in too much pain to help yourself, or it may be during a time when your primary care doctor’s office is closed. So how can you get help when you need it? And what can you do to treat the injury on your own? Find out what to do in the event ...
Physical health is important to us all. Getting proper care when it comes to health is even more important. While only 29% of primary care doctors offer after-hours coverage, there are still many advantages to seeing your primary car physician over a physician at a walk-in clinic or after hours urgent care facility. Considering the wait time in emergency departments has increased from 46.5 minutes to 58.1 minutes in the United States from ...
Mother knows best when you’re growing up, but even the most informed and well-meaning mothers sometimes gave us advice that we later discovered wasn’t quite right. We here at AFC urgent Care took a list of some of the most popular pieces of motherly health advice and evaluated them. Read on to find out which pieces passed muster, and which ones we can leave behind! Put hydrogen peroxide on that scrape! Verdict: Not ...
Now that spring is in full swing, you and your family will likely be spending more time outside taking part in activities and enjoying the beautiful weather. However, there are some dangers unique to the outdoors that you should be aware of, to keep your family healthy all season. Here at AFC Urgent Care, we have some tips on how to avoid a seasonal trip to your urgent care center! Wear sunscreen — even when it ...
Spring is finally upon us, and after a long winter of hibernation, we are all ready to clean out the clutter and start our spring cleaning. But be careful! With spring cleaning comes the risk of injury, and every year more than 21 million people visit emergency rooms and urgent care facilities as a result of home improvement and cleaning injuries. Tips for Staying Safe and Healthy During Spring Cleaning Make sure stairs and floors ...
Alcohol is one of the most popular addictive drugs on the planet, but it’s one that people still haven’t quite learned how to use safely. Every year, more than 2.6 million Americans are hospitalized due to complications or injuries related to alcohol. April is Alcohol Awareness Month, so to help bring attention to this issue and give you the tools to enjoy a drink safely, AFC/Doctors Express compiled a list of ...
It’s early spring, which means it’s time for all young athletes to get ready to join their teams to compete in the spring, summer or fall. According to a report Sports and Fitness Industry Association, about 21.47 million children in the United States participate in organized sports, which comes to about 75 percent of boys and 69 percent of girls. One essential step in your preparation for your sport of choice should ...
Medicine is probably one of mankind’s biggest accomplishments. It can be listed up there with farming, electricity and the microchip as one of the advances that fundamentally changed how people lived, mainly because it gave us power over our own bodies that we had never had before. It might seem counter intuitive to think that medications could ever hurt us, but the reality is that medication misuse and adverse reactions cause more than 700 ...
The U.S. healthcare industry has always been subject to change. It's not easy to keep a rising population of about 300 million people healthy. Then you have to consider that as our society changes, our illnesses and need for treatment change, too. The industry has to reflect the changes in our society or we face dire health consequences on a larger scale. One such emergent issue that the healthcare industry must adapt to ...
St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, and those celebrations bring green beer and pub crawls. This St. Patrick’s Day, the team of physicians at your local AFC Urgent Care wants to raise your awareness of binge drinking and the harmful effects that it may have on your health. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, binge drinking is defined as a pattern of drinking that brings the blood ...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, incidences of the mumps have decreased 99 percent since the era before widespread vaccinations. But tell that to the 10 states that have seen outbreaks of the mumps in the past month. So far, there have been 69 reported cases of the mumps this year. It seems to have started in Iowa, but it quickly spread to places like Colorado, Indiana and Massachusetts. The mumps virus ...
It’s the middle of February, which means our New Year’s resolutions are either new habits or fond memories. We at AFC Urgent Care are hoping that one of your resolutions was to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and to help you stay on track, we have compiled a list of things to look out for when you’re evaluating your health. As February is American Heart Month, we’ll go over what could indicate ...
Most medical experts recommend that people have a primary care doctor who knows them well. When a person has an ongoing relationship with a primary care doctor, they get a better quality of care. Unfortunately, too many people use the emergency room for medical care instead. This is one of the most expensive places to get medical treatment for anything. In 2009, the average cost of multiple emergency department trips was about $1,318, and ...
Mosquitoes have always been a source of annoyance and big, itchy, red bites. Usually we only need to worry about them in the summer, but the Zika virus outbreak is causing people to sweat throughout the world. So, what exactly is Zika? We’re here to help you learn everything you need to know about Zika virus. Zika virus disease is caused by a virus transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. The virus has been known to ...
Mosquitoes have always been a source of annoyance. Usually we only need to worry about them in the summer, but the Zika virus outbreak is causing people to sweat throughout the world. So, what exactly is Zika? We’re here to help you learn everything you need to know about Zika virus. Zika virus disease is caused by a virus transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. The virus has been known to circulate Africa, the Americas, Asia ...
