Recent Blog Posts

Local urgent care centers in Springfield, 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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Can COVID-19 cause a sore throat? Yes, COVID-19 can cause a sore throat, but it isn’t Strep Throat. It seems like every symptom we feel nowadays is COVID-19. Let’s not forget there are other illnesses out there, especially during the winter season. The flu, Strep throat, and colds are amongst some illnesses preying on us during the winter.  To clear up the confusion, AFC Urgent Care Springfield is here to provide you with ...

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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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Thyroid disease is a common endocrine disorder, and can cause a wide range of symptoms, from fatigue and weight gain to depression and anxiety. Being educated on Thyroid Disease will help you better understand the cause, symptoms, and treatments available.   You may be at a higher risk of developing a thyroid condition if you: Have a family history of thyroid disease. Have a medical condition (these can include pernicious anemia, Type 1 diabetes, primary adrenal ...

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There are many strains of human respiratory viruses, some of which can be extremely dangerous for infants, children and even older adults with weaker immune systems. RSV is one of the preliminary viruses a child may develop that can be very challenging for their growing immune system. Even though it’s not the flu, RSV is often referred to as “the flu” because it commonly occurs during the same time period every year, usually between ...

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November is American Diabetes Month. Why do we need a month to acknowledge it?  Because the disease is one of the most prevalent in the U.S. and the numbers of people with Type 1, Type 2 and Pre-Diabetic are staggeringly high and climbing each year.    Did you know:  Prevalence: In 2019, 37.3 million Americans, or 11.3% of the population, had diabetes. Nearly 1.9 million Americans have type 1 diabetes, including about ...

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September and October are considered, to most people, as annual flu shot months. For some, it’s also time for their COVID-19 booster shot. For those eligible,  the CDC states that one can get both their booster shot (or 1st time shot) and a flu vaccine at the same time. Now is the time to start getting these vaccines as it can take 14 days for the vaccines to build immunity.  At the same time ...

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Angry bee season is right around the corner! As summer is coming to an end and fall approaches, bees and wasps become aggressive and are more likely to sting people if provoked. Yellow jackets are most angry and seek revenge since they are close to the end of their life cycle and approaching death. Bee stings are painful and potentially fatal if you’re allergic. Fortunately, there are a couple of things you can do ...

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Come August, your child is going to be needing their annual physical to prepare for a new school year. It’s the most important physical of the year and it covers a whole lot more than a sports physical or check up. If you got your child a sports physical for summer camp or summer sports, this does not mean you can skip the back to school physical. Annual school physicals are more comprehensive and ...

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The sun is a beautiful thing. It makes us feel happy and relaxed, but it can also cause some serious damage to our skin. It's important to know the risks that come with spending too much time in the sun, especially during UV Safety Awareness Month. If you're worried about getting burned or even worse—getting sun sick (heat exhaustion or heatstroke) because of your love of all things outdoors—AFC Urgent Care ...

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Men's health issues are important and they need to be talked about more often. Some of the most common men's health issues include heart disease, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer. These are all serious diseases that millions of men die from every year.  Since men are notorious for skipping their doctor’s appointments, we highly suggest getting a checkup more regularly so that these health issues can be avoided with early detection and ...

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Deer ticks have been a growing concern in the Northeast for years and it has become a pesky situation for many of us trying to enjoy the outdoors. Spring and summer time are the peak times for ticks and because Massachusetts has a lot of woodlands, it makes it the perfect habitat for deer ticks to populate, latch onto you, and just be a pest.  Lyme disease is no joke. If left untreated it may ...

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Are you concerned about STDs? If so, you’re not alone. STDs or “sexually transmitted diseases” and STIs “sexually transmitted infections” is that awkward topic that people avoid talking about because of misinformation and the fear of judgement.  Fear not. We’re more than happy to provide the space, privacy and information needed to address your concerns and most common questions about STDs/STIs. After all, knowing your status through STD testing is the only ...

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Spring is in the air and so is pollen! March 20th is technically the beginning of spring, even if the ground is still covered in ice and snow. With the sporadic climate changes we are seeing, spring allergy season is starting early this year. If you often suffer from seasonal allergies, you would be one of the first to  know that spring season comes with itchy eyes, watery eyes, sneezing, and a runny nose. The ...

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“We’re seeing more patients than ever at our urgent-care centers who are reporting sore throats,” says Dr. Vincent Meoli, regional medical director of AFC in a recent interview.  With the Omicron variant making its way around Massachusetts you’re probably wondering if that’s the reason for your ‘sore throat’. However, it’s not not the only winter illness going around this season. We’re still seeing patients come in for colds, flu, and ...

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  With the Omicron variant circulating around Massachusetts,  you may be worried about all the gatherings you went to over the holidays. Chances are you may have been exposed. This is why it’s important to keep on testing,  so we can avoid any unnecessary spread of the virus.  But, which rapid COVID-19 test should I get? Does it REALLY matter? Yes, your choice of COVID-19 test matters because you don’t want to get a ...

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We just made it through Thanksgiving and here we are at Hanukkah! December is going to go by quickly as we approach the Christmas, Kwanza, and New Year celebrations. Are you taking precautions to avoid getting COVID-19? How about precautions to avoid the spread? Thankfully, 2021 brought us good things like vaccines for COVID and new rapid testing options. But, there are still people who aren’t vaccinated, and the highly contagious Delta variant is ...

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  Diabetes is a serious health condition that impacts the lives of many people in the United States. Being diagnosed with diabetes often leads to other health complications which may lead to other health risks. In light of November being National Diabetes Month, AFC Urgent Care Springfield wants to help educate those who are at risk of developing diabetes so that they can manage their blood sugar levels now so that they can prevent developing diabetes ...

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For the majority of people, September and October are considered annual flu shot months. For others it’s also time for their COVID-19 booster shot. And just so you know, for those eligible,  The CDC states that you can get both your booster shot (or your 1st time shot) and a flu vaccine at the same time. AFC Urgent Care Springfield is aware of the possible “twindemic” and is ready to help our friends and ...

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For the majority of people, September and October are considered annual flu shot months. For others it’s also time for their COVID-19 booster shot. And just so you know, for those eligible, The CDC states that you can get both your booster shot (or your 1st time shot) and a flu vaccine at the same time.   AFC Urgent Care Springfield is aware of the possible “twindemic” and is ready to help our friends and ...

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