Recent Blog Posts

Local urgent care centers in Saugus, 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 ...

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COVID-19 is not the only winter illness to worry about this winter. You can’t forget about colds, flu and even strep throat. Lately, we’re seeing patients coming in for sore throats and everyone is thinking it’s COVID-19. It can get a little confusing because COVID-19 can cause a sore throat, but it cannot cause Strep throat.  AFC Urgent Care Saugus is here to inform you about the other winter illnesses out there ...

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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 ...

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Millions of Americans are diagnosed with a thyroid condition each year. Thyroid disease is a common endocrine disorder, and can cause a wide range of symptoms, from fatigue and weight gain to depression and anxiety. Luckily for you, AFC Urgent Care Saugus created a guide around thyroid disease awareness month that will help you better understand the causes, symptoms, testing options and treatments available.  What Causes Thyroid Disease? Thyroid Diseases are caused by an imbalance ...

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If you have an infant, child or adult in your life who is at risk for RSV, it’s a good time to take notes on how to avoid it altogether. The virus spreads easily and can make anyone feel miserable.    If you, your child or your parent has a higher risk of contracting the RSV virus, take precautions now to prevent getting sick later. There are many ways that you can help reduce the ...

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In light of American Diabetes Month, AFC Urgent Care Saugus wants to help educate those at risk of developing diabetes so that they can manage their blood sugar levels and prevent full blown diabetes. Are you worried about developing diabetes? Or how about making sure your loved ones are managing their diabetes during the holiday season?  37.3 million people have diabetes Approximately 96 million adults aged 18 years or older have prediabetes (This is ...

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COVID-19 and the flu was an issue last year because symptoms overlapped and it was confusing to tell what illness you had. But, the problem we faced last year was a lack of vaccinations for both COVID and the flu causing us to cancel our favorite holiday seasons. Let’s not make the same mistake this year. Get vaccinated for both! Why? Schools are now in session and kids are the most common germ spreaders ...

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Bees are everywhere!  It’s officially angry bee season. You know, the end of summer into early fall when you start to see bees in all sorts of places. It’s not your imagination. Bees are also aggressive during this time of year because they are approaching the end of their life cycle. So, watch out! They’re ready to sting. AFC Urgent Care Saugus is seeing a high number of people coming in for ...

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August is the time to renew vaccinations and for students to get their back to school physicals. It’s also a time for them to talk to their doctors about what to expect for sports and the upcoming school year. It’s called an annual school physical for a reason. Back to school physicals help prepare our little ones for potential health risks. Whether your child plans on joining a fall sport or needs to ...

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UV Safety Awareness Month is a great reminder to be safe and to protect our skin, but it's also important for us to know the potential dangers of UV rays. The most common potentially dangerous situation is heat exhaustion, which affects both people and pets. Heat exhaustion can lead to more serious health issues like sunstroke, so it's vital that we learn how to protect ourselves from the sun's rays. Luckily for ...

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We often hear that men sacrifice their health so that they can take care of their families first. Historically, this may have pertained to certain generations in the past, but in the past decade, men have made some progress when it comes to seeking medical help and preventative care. Let’s continue to face these men’s health issues together! AFC Urgent Care Saugus is here to help men get routine checkups to enable them ...

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Not all ticks carry Lyme disease, but deer ticks do! Lyme disease, if left untreated, can cause long term side effects on your joints and nervous system. It’s definitely not a disease you want to get this spring or summer.  Where do people even get bitten by deer ticks? It just so happens that deer ticks love the grassy plains and wooded areas in the northeast. Massachusetts in particular is like a playground for ...

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Sexually transmitted diseases and infections (STDs and STIs) impact millions of people every year. Many people don’t even know they have one and continue to spread infections due to misinformation about STDs and the stigma around them such as  being judged or discriminated against if you do have one. This is why this STD awareness month, we want to focus on removing the fear around testing and encourage singles and couples to get tested ...

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Are you sneezing and wheezing more often lately? The winter cold, flu and COVID-19 wave 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 like Massachusetts started to see plants release pollen in February and March. Trees are also now producing allergens and by early summer, grasses will ...

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COVID-19 is not the only winter illness to worry about this winter. You can’t forget about colds, flu and even strep throat. Lately, we’re seeing patients coming in for sore throats and everyone is thinking it’s COVID-19. COVID-19 cases have been rising over the past two months, but it doesn’t mean that every sore throat is COVID-19 related. Strep throat is another infection you should be worrying about this winter season ...

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  As we watch the Omicron variant make its way across Massachusetts,  we have seen a huge uptick in COVID-19 cases over the past two months. If you attended any gatherings over the holidays, chances are you may have been exposed. Some schools are taking precautions by going all virtual in January, leaving the rest up to us to be smart about reducing the spread. AFC Urgent Care Saugus is providing COVID-19 testing in order to ...

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Who else is ready to celebrate the holidays and wrap up 2021? This year we had some ups and downs: electing a new president, getting vaccines for COVID-19, and shifting coronaviruses, all meant to keep us on our toes!  The main concern is how are we all going to celebrate safely when there are back-to-back holidays? We just made it through Thanksgiving and we just began Hanukah. Christmas and Kwanzaa are around the corner.  We ...

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  Does the question ‘Do you have a family history of diabetes?’ sound familiar?  If so, then have you checked your blood sugar levels lately? Being diagnosed with diabetes often leads to other health complications that can increase your risk for other diseases and health complications. It can be a rabbit hole. There are also millions of people who are not aware of the symptoms or signs of diabetes and are borderline diabetic.  In light of ...

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COVID-19 and the flu is one twindemic you want to avoid. This year the CDC is recommending that everyone over the age of 6 months should get a flu shot in September or October, before the flu season begins. As symptoms for both viruses often overlap,  you don’t want to avoid a flu shot or the COVID-19 vaccine this year.  Why? Schools are now in session and kids are the most common germ spreaders ...

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COVID-19 and the flu is one twindemic you want to avoid. This year the CDC is recommending that everyone over the age of 6 months should get a flu shot in September or October, before the flu season begins. As symptoms for both viruses often overlap, you don’t want to avoid a flu shot or the COVID-19 vaccine this year.   Why? Schools are now in session and kids are the most common germ spreaders ...

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