Recent Blog Posts

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 ...

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What’s scarier than a ghost during Halloween and the fall season?  The flu. Flu season usually starts right before Halloween and can last up until May.  With everyone coughing and sneezing around you, you’re probably scared you’ll get sick, too.  Spooked about getting sick this fall?  These tips will help you stay flu-free this fall season! Get Your Flu Shot Getting your flu shot is the most effective way to prevent getting ...

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Did you know that the family is the most important social influence for physical activity? Research shows that children of active parents are 5.8 times more likely to engage in physical activity on a regular basis. Today, most children do not meet the recommended amount of daily exercise, which is crucial to healthy growth and development. To get your kids moving, it’s important that you’re moving too! Here are a few fun ...

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There is nothing worse than getting ready to play and five minutes into the game, you get sidelined by an injury.  A sprain or a strain might not need the evaluation of a medical professional, but when it comes to dislocations, it’s important to recognize the symptoms and seek immediate treatment. Here are a few steps you should take… Step 1 Inspect the affected areas to confirm the injury. Look for bruising, swelling, or ...

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" No matter what grade your child is entering, a routine physical is an important part of getting ready for the upcoming school year.  This annual exam can also be combined with your child’s sports physical if they plan on participating in any sports or extracurricular activities throughout the school year. Here are a few things you should expect during your child’s physical. Assessment of physical well-being During your child’s school physical, the ...

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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 ...

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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 ...

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Growing up, Dad looked out for your health and safety to make sure you reached adulthood in one piece. Now that Dad is getting older, there are things you can do to return the favor. If you see some healthy changes your dad could make in his life, but you don’t know how to help him do so, read on! AFC Urgent Care can help you navigate the sometimes-tricky conversations about Dad’s health ...

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We’re always excited to give back to our community!  AFC Urgent Care had the pleasure of taking part in the festivities and donating water for the 2018 Special Olympics at North Andover High School. 

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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 ...

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Many allergy sufferers feel they are waging a battle with the great outdoors this spring season, trying to keep watery eyes, runny noses and itchy throats from keeping them down. But the truth is, allergies can be triggered just as much by allergens hiding inside your home as they can by the ones outdoors. Before you lock yourself indoors to avoid the spring allergy season, the team at American Family Care wants to make you ...

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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 ...

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As the blissful fragrance of the new season fills the air, the grass turns bright green and birds sing their cheerful tune, most of us will opt outside to reap the benefits of beautiful weather. However, for more than 50 million allergy sufferers in the U.S., seasonal triggers can put a real damper on the blossoms of spring. With everything on the market today, from over-the-counter tablets to doctor prescribed nasal sprays, choosing the ...

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" As long as Jenna can remember, every spring and fall in Ohio brought a familiar rite of passage, red, watery, puffy eyes that were hard to keep open at times, and bouts of near-constant “a-choos” that literally brought her to a standstill because, well, you can’t walk and see where you’re going when your eyes are half closed and you’re sneezing your fool head off. Between tree pollens in the spring, and ...

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Spring has sprung and so have those nasty springtime allergies. The pollens, the molds; they might be tiny, but they sure can have a huge impact on your health. But, for about 25 million people in the United States that suffer from asthma, spring allergies pose an even larger risk. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, about 60 percent of all asthma sufferers have something called allergic asthma. Allergies may be a ...

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In case you missed last night’s episode … episode 2 of Ranger Nation Radio presented by AFC Urgent Care Methuen, featuring Methuen High School Athletic Director Matt Curran, MHS boys hoops head coach Anthony Faradie and boys hoops star Dante Rivera talking with co-hosts Tim Wood and Bill Bryant!

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When the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and a light breeze is blowing, it is oh-so-tempting to throw open the windows and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of spring. Maybe you are even itching (pun intended) to roll up your sleeves and tackle some serious spring cleaning. But if you are one of the more than 20 million sufferers of allergic rhinitis, commonly called hay fever, you know that picture-perfect scene brings ...

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Here’s the premiere of Ranger Nation Radio presented by AFC Urgent Care Methuen, featuring Red Rangers girls hockey coach Sarah Oteri and star players Kelly Golini and Kaia Hollingsworth, and MHS boys hockey and baseball coach Bill Blackwell and three-sport star Brett Blackwell!

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The signs of spring are all around; flowers blooming, bees buzzing, noses sneezing, and chests wheezing. Yes indeed, spring can be a beautiful time of the year, but it’s also a peak time for seasonal allergies. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI), allergies are a major cause of illness in the United States. As many as 50 million people — about one in five — suffer from allergies. Seasonal allergies, like other ...

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It seems like no sooner does the sneezing and wheezing from one season end that the next one begins. And so it goes. The winter cold and flu season that ravaged the country was a doozy. Now, we are enjoying longer days, more sunshine and nature’s reproduction cycle at work. Which is to say, pollen season is upon us. Just look outside. Cooler states started to see plants release pollen in February and March ...

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