Recent Blog Posts

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 ...

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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 ...

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" 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/Doctors Express 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 ...

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In the mind of children, the idea of summer elicits emotions of joy, leisure, and never-ending freedom. For millions of kids, these feelings are captured each year by summer camp. Whether it be day camp or overnight camp, the start of camp marks a whole new set of adventures, friendships, and valuable life lessons. Due to insurance reasons, camps require its participants to receive a physical examination prior to the start of camp. For parents ...

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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 Methuen, we have some tips on how to avoid a seasonal trip to your urgent care center!   Wear sunscreen — even when ...

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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 ...

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April marks National Stress Awareness Month. The goal of this initiative is to educate people about the perils of stress and to enlighten people about different practices that may help alleviate stress. Stress often derives from the workplace or classroom for many people, as they may be overworked or underpaid. While solutions for these issues are hard to come by, there are some easy lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your stress levels. Exercise ...

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" 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 ...

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Advertisers will tell you “superfoods” will prevent every disease, illness, and affliction known to mankind, when in reality, it’s all an over-exaggeration. However, there are certain foods that are considerably healthier than others. What establishes these foods above the rest is that they’re all extremely nutrient-rich, which legitimately does help prevent a number of different illnesses. These foods includes: Salmon Salmon is known for its concentration of Omega-3 fatty acids, which researchers suggest ...

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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 counterintuitive to think that medications could ever hurt us, but the reality is that medication misuse and adverse reactions cause more than 700,000 ...

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  Last year, AFC Urgent Care Methuen had the pleasure of hosting Methuen’s Annual Restaurant Week, which aims to celebrate our city’s rich supply of delicious eateries. This year, along with Century 21 McLennan and Co., we were back to host another, which began on March 27th and will end on April 2nd.   To kick off the week, our very own center admin, Lisa Williams, joined the mayor on his nightly TV program to ...

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Summer is fast approaching, which means it will be time to get out the bathing suits and short shorts! Who doesn’t begin to feel a little insecure after a long winter of bundling up? But before you start getting ready to bare your “bikini body” on the beach, AFC/Doctors Express wants to know: how do you feel about crash diets? For those who have never tried one, a crash diet is when you ...

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March Madness started just five days ago, yet, by now, just about everybody’s bracket has already fallen apart. Last Thursday, 64 teams were alive at the beginning of the tournament, but as it stands today, there are only 16 teams remaining. While over half of the tournament’s games have already been played, the National Championship game isn’t until April 4th. This leaves us with plenty more basketball. For college basketball fans, this ...

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Spring has sprung, and telltale sniffles are beginning to fill the air. For some people, this beautiful season is nothing but misery, due to the constant sneezing, congestion, itchy eyes and countless other exhausting symptoms. Seasonal allergies affect as many as 50 million Americans, and it’s not just a mild annoyance. As many as 55 percent of workers report calling in sick at work because of allergies. There are many ways to avoid the ...

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" Earlier during the week, the U.S. Small Business Administration announced that this year, National Small Business Week will begin on May 1st. The initiative serves to educate the county about the contributions made by small businesses and its importance to the nation’s economy. We at AFC Urgent Care Methuen recognize the impact small business has on this county, and thus, prioritize serving small business owners with the utmost integrity. Our center offers a ...

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" 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/Doctors Express 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 ...

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March is National Nutrition Month. Coincidentally, March also marks the best time of the year to plant a variety of different fruits and vegetables. Eating locally grown foods is beneficial for the health for a number of reasons – mainly because it cuts down on the amount of preservatives and additives inside different foods. Many health organizations assert that these additives are linked to several different detrimental conditions, one of which being pancreatic cancer. The severity ...

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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 ...

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We at AFC/Doctors Express are hoping that one of your New Year’s 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. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death among adults in the United States. You get exhausted easily. If you notice ...

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" Swimmer’s ear develops after excess water has lodged itself inside a person’s ear canal. This usually happens to people after swimming in any body of water – whether it be an ocean, freshwater, or even a chlorinated pool. This water build-up inside the ear makes it easy for bacteria to grow, which induces a number painful and aggravating symptoms. These symptoms include: Difficulty hearing Lingering pain in ear canal Itchiness inside of ear Bright ...

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