We love the summer season for many reasons, but not for the increase in bugs and creepy crawlies in the area. The summer temperatures make us crawl out of our homes and into the sun, and the same goes for mosquitoes and ticks! Ticks can be found at any point in the year in North Carolina, but they are more prevalent during the late spring to early fall. If you discover a tick on your ...
Accidents happen—there’s just no way around it! Whether you are running around the kitchen getting dinner ready and you trip over one of your kid’s toys again or misstep coming down a ladder and fall, injuries can occur at any point. If you ever wonder whether an injury is just a mild sprain or something more serious, that’s where we come in. Our team can evaluate the injury site, and we ...
If you have a broken bone or a fracture, urgent care may be able to help. Learn the different types of fractures (broken bones), what we treat, and when to go to the ER vs. urgent care. How Do You Know a Bone is Broken? Every year, millions of people break a bone. Broken bones typically result from a trauma like a fall, car accident, or sports injury. Medical conditions such as osteoporosis or repetitive ...
Getting older is just a fact of life. Every birthday you experience is a blessing, but that doesn’t change the fact that certain health conditions or ailments can be more common the older we get. This is why it is so important to take care of your body and mind throughout your entire life! A healthy body and brain can help support you during this aging process and can help you avoid certain cognitive ...
A warm summer‘s on its way to the Hickory community, and we can’t be more excited! There is always so much to do and wonderful weather to enjoy in the summertime around here. As you get ready to enjoy another summer of memories with your family, don’t forget your sunscreen. Getting sunburnt is never fun, and even though the burn is only temporary, it is dangerous to your skin and your overall ...
Physical for sports exams, also known as pre-participation physical examinations (PPEs), help determine whether a person is physically fit to participate in organized sports activities. This physical exam aims to identify any possible medical conditions that could put the athlete at risk for severe injury or illness during practice or competition. Sports physicals are typically done annually, though some states may require more frequent exams based on age and the type of sport being played ...
A salmonella infection is a form of food poisoning that affects your intestinal tract. It can cause some really unpleasant symptoms and make you feel really sick for a few days. Salmonella infections happen when you ingest contaminated food or water. This type of illness shares similar symptoms with common stomach bugs, so it can be hard to tell what you are suffering from initially. If you are experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms, check out our latest ...
While it is possible to develop lower back and leg pain from COVID, there are also several other causes. As experts in urgent healthcare services, AFC in Hickory indicates why you might be experiencing back pain after COVID and explains some other reasons you might have lower back pain. Lower Back and Leg Pain from COVID Lower back pain is a possible symptom of COVID-19. This doesn’t come as much of a surprise, given ...
As the flowers bloom and the trees begin to bud, it’s clear that it is springtime once more! Another clear indication of the change in season are those itchy, watery eyes and runny nose. Spring allergy season comes right along with the warmer temperatures, meaning many of us head indoors or make alternate plans to help minimize our symptoms. Seasonal allergies can be really frustrating to deal with! We want you to be feeling ...
So, what is mono, and what are the symptoms? American Family Care in Hickory has answers, and treatment, for you. Mononucleosis (mono) is an infectious viral disease most commonly caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), but other viruses can also cause it. Also sometimes known as the “kissing disease,” mono is spread through saliva and can even be passed from person to person from sharing cutlery and utensils. According to the CDC, mono occurs mainly ...
The healthcare industry has evolved to include telehealth urgent care, an innovative technology that has made it easier for people worldwide to access healthcare virtually. This medical service offers faster urgent care visits through virtual appointments, providing services from physical exams to diagnostics, which allows healthcare providers to connect with patients remotely, providing care, support, and information from a distance. This can be particularly beneficial for patients with mobility or transportation issues, with busy schedules ...
If you have small children in your home, you probably know all about ear infections! They are one of the most common infections that children contract. It is also possible to get an ear infection as an adult, so knowing how to find relief if you or someone in your house is experiencing ear pain is crucial. Thankfully, ear infections are usually easily treatable at home. Our AFC Urgent Care Hickory team explains all about ...
The pandemic certainly turned many different businesses and processes upside down, including the healthcare industry! We navigated through the unknown and changed the way we did things in order to continue to help our community. Now that the COVID-19 emergency status is set to expire in May, some of those changes are also coming to an end across the country. This includes some access to telemedicine and the accessibility of virtual visits. The good news ...
Sleep is important for everyone, but it is especially important for your kids! Not only does proper sleep help them grow and develop, but it can also help them be more attentive and concentrate better during the day. We know that getting your kids to sleep more at night can often be a struggle, but working with your kids to create a healthy sleep routine will only be beneficial for everyone in your home. Our ...
Urgent care providers offer convenient, time-saving alternatives to visiting an emergency room for minor, non-life-threatening medical conditions. These healthcare centers typically have shorter wait times and offer services like X-rays, urgent treatment of colds and flu, sprains, strains, and fractures, on-site lab tests, and physicals. Urgent care centers provide efficient diagnoses of various health problems, ranging from minor to severe. Some are also equipped with on-site lab testing capabilities so that patients can get results ...
A sinus infection, or sinusitis, is a frustrating ailment that causes a runny nose, congestion, swollen and/or itching eyes, a sore throat, headaches, and other symptoms. While there isn’t necessarily a quick sinus infection cure, there are certainly ways that you can ease your discomfort and speed up your recovery. If you’re suffering from sinusitis, know that you aren’t alone; approximately 90% of patients with colds have an element of viral ...
Local urgent care centers in Hickory, or family walk-in clinics, offer patients convenient and affordable urgent healthcare services. When you visit a family walk-in clinic, you can expect quick, quality care at a fraction of the cost of your local emergency room. Emergency rooms tend to be very busy and crowded and are associated with longer waiting times and higher fees. By going to a walk-in doctor’s office for a non-life-threatening illness or injury ...
If you start to develop a cough throughout your day, it is not uncommon to wonder where your cough will lead. A simple cold could be on the horizon for you, or you could be in the beginning stages of a bronchitis or pneumonia infection. Both bronchitis and pneumonia are infections that affect your upper respiratory systems and can cause severe symptoms if left untreated or unaddressed. We can help determine what type of infection ...
What is an urgent care clinic? And how does it differ from the emergency room? When should you go to the emergency room, and when should you go to an urgent care center? Whatever questions you may have, AFC has the answers. What Is An Urgent Care Clinic? Urgent care is the level of healthcare that lies between your primary care physician (PCP) and the emergency room. When you go to urgent care, you can ...
There is no doubt about it, we are in the throes of the winter season. We have dealt with colder temperatures, crazy weather and widespread respiratory infections already! In response to all of this, you might be feeling a bit more sad than normal at this point in the year. While periods of sadness or occasional symptoms of depression can happen during the winter, a condition called seasonal affective disorder is relatively common and affects ...
