" Sunshine has a way of brightening up the atmosphere and make moods cheery and bright, but too much sun can have a damaging impact on the skin. In the U.S., skin cancer is the most common type of cancer that affects Americans. While the sun has its benefits, like providing vitamin D, overexposure to the sun’s ultraviolet(UV) rays is the most significant cause of concern when it comes to the sun’s ...
" Why Do I Need to Get a Full Night’s Sleep? You have only a limited amount of time to devote to certain things each day. Between work, family activities and working around other schedules, you’re racing against the clock from the moment you wake up in the morning until you finally get to sleep at night. Did you know that the amount you sleep can affect your overall health? Getting the right amount ...
" Believe it or not, Stress Awareness Month was not an official campaign until 1992. It seems hard to conceive, but stress relief as a term or necessary way to manage the daily hassles and difficulties everyone experiences were not really talked about either. Even if the term has become more and more used in the science and pop culture vernacular, some still have a hard time putting a hard definition and plan of action forward ...
" Spring is officially here, which means you may begin to experience a flareup in symptoms from your seasonal allergies both indoors and out. Depending on the weather and your location, you may be more at risk for exposure to specific allergens than others. If you experience allergic reactions during the spring, it is critical to be prepared in order to maintain your health in case of an allergy attack. Pollen One of the most common ...
" It happens to everyone: a slight misstep while cutting coupons or wrapping a gift, slicing cheese or meat for dinner, or tripping on an uneven sidewalk causing a cut to form on your skin. Cuts are among the most complex of minor injuries, with the care needed to treat them dependent on a number of factors. If you are not sure how major your cut is, visit your local AFC Urgent Care immediately for treatment ...
" Chickenpox was once one of the most common diseases to affect children and presents as a rash across the body. It is highly contagious until you have contracted the virus and affects most people by adulthood if they were not previously vaccinated as children. It can spread quickly among groups, such as children at school or daycare. If you work in childcare or spend a lot of time around children, you should learn the symptoms ...
" Rashes are common, and the symptoms and degree are affected by several environmental factors including climate, cleaning products used on your skin and items you come into contact with, the season and stress. While most rashes can be considered superficial, others can be signs of a bigger medical issue or illness. If you develop additional symptoms, you should visit your local urgent care center for assessment by a board-certified doctor. What is a Rash? A ...
" Many patients get confused about differences between “urgent care” and medical emergencies, which can lead to unnecessary long waits and high costs for medical services. Urgent care by its most basic definition is when a patient is experiencing a discomforting illness or painful injury that requires immediate care but does not qualify as a medical emergency. Conversely, a medical emergency is a life threatening situation that requires immediate care in an emergency room (ER). However ...
" Flu season is in full swing this season, and now is the time to start thinking about ways to prevent the flu in your household. From early fall to mid-winter, cases of influenza begin to spread rapidly in local communities as more individuals stay indoors, the weather cools down, and the virus has more opportunities to spread. Don’t worry though! The flu is highly preventable as long as families do their part in practicing ...
" Occupational Health refers to the many disciplines devoted to the safety and well-being of employees in the workplace, often concentrating on injury prevention. Even with solid practices in place, accidents do occur, and having an experienced occupational healthcare provider you trust can make all the difference. Workplace injuries can result in lost time, indemnity costs, and lower productivity for an employer. Studies have shown that the same workplace injury can have catastrophic consequences to the ...
" Flu season can pose a challenge of knowing what you can treat at home and what symptoms require treatment at a medical clinic. Symptoms of a cold can leave you feeling down on your luck, but it’s nothing a little bedrest can’t fix. But if you don’t treat your symptoms properly, of they’re getting worse instead of better, you might want to visit urgent care. With over 200,000 patients being ...
" Did you know that every year, 1 in 6 Americans get sick from consuming contaminated food? Food poisoning, also called foodborne illness, can be life-threatening, and therefore, it is crucial to follow the CDC’s food safety guidelines when cooking. Food Safety Tips 1. Wash Wash your hands, surfaces you will be using to cook, utensils and cutting boards with hot soapy water. 2. Separate Separate the raw meats, seafood and eggs because they can ...
" Sprains and strains are common injuries that share similar signs and symptoms, but involve different parts of the body. Sprain: an injury to the ligaments, which connect the end of one bone to another Strain: an injury to a muscle of tendon (which attaches muscle to bone) Initial treatment for both injuries includes the RICE method: rest, ice, compression, and elevation. By practicing the RICE method, you can treat your injury in the comfort of ...
" Getting tested for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) is an important aspect of maintaining your sexual health. Lots of people have questions about why they should get tested regularly, even if they haven’t been sexually active in a while. But even if you haven’t had sex in w while, had sex recently, have had unprotected sex, have a new partner (or more than one partner), or if for any reason you’re worried you ...
" Head lice are tiny parasites that feed on blood from the scalp and reproduce by laying their eggs in the hair. According to the CDC, an estimated 6 million to 12 million infestations occur each year in the United States among children 3 to 11 years of age. Because lice spread easily through direct contact, they are commonly found in schoolchildren and often spread to families through contact and play. Symptoms: It can take up ...
" Alarm clock inside a plate 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 ...
" Summertime brings many opportunities for outdoor activities. From camping and hiking to playing tag in the backyard, kids and adults alike can enjoy the warm weather. Make sure your family takes the following precautions to avoid missing outdoor fun due to mosquito and tick bites. Before you go outside: Use bug repellent on your skin and clothing. The CDC recommends wearing an EPA-registered insect repellent that contains active ingredients such as DEET or picaridin. Wear ...
" 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 ...
" Life might be easier if kids came with an instruction book. Most parents usually have enough questions to fill one and it can be extra difficult when your child is looking to you for answers and you don’t have any. That is especially true when they don’t feel good. All they want is for you to “fix it and make it better” but that’s hard to do when you aren’t so ...
