Recent Blog Posts

Local urgent care centers in Vernon, 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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Have a sore throat? Don’t automatically assume it’s sore COVID-19. COVID is not the only illness going around this winter. We’re actually seeing more patients coming in for sore throats from all sorts of winter illnesses. Strep throat is one of them and it’s caused by a bacterial infection.  Strep throat is very common in the colder months and is also highly contagious, if you sneeze, cough or share things 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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With millions of Americans affected by some form of thyroid disease, it’s important to be aware of the symptoms, causes and treatments available. Thyroid disease is a common endocrine disorder, and can cause a wide range of symptoms, from fatigue and weight gain to depression and anxiety.  Fortunately, there are a variety of tests and treatments available to help with early diagnosis and management of the symptoms of thyroid disease. In light of Thyroid ...

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RSV stands for Respiratory Syncytial Virus and this year it is the most common cause of a virus that leads to breathing problems in children. It causes “flu” like symptoms and can potentially be severe among babies from 0 to 12 months. RSV is just as contagious as the flu or COVID and easily spread person to person through droplets from sneezing or coughing – which means any caregiver can easily pass it on to an ...

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Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects more than 30 million people in the United States. It has multiple types, and there are warning signs, risk factors and symptoms. But most importantly, there are ways to prevent diabetes and its types, especially if you are predisposed to it.  As the disease can often feel like a life sentence of daily management, it is extra important to be educated this American Diabetes Awareness Month as ...

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You should worry about all of them as they pose a potential threat to not everyone's health, but their holiday season, too. Many of you skipped out on getting your flu shot and COVID-19 booster shot last year. The Omicron variant and the confusion between COVID and the flu caused us to cancel our favorite holidays in 2021. Let's not make the same mistake this year, especially since we now have monkeypox to ...

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Summer is coming to an end which can only mean one thing, "angry bee" season. Stinging bees and wasps become aggressive because they are getting their queen ready for winter, and are more vigilant of the hive. This behavior grows because they are hungry due to lack of food resources. Please take precaution if you notice a lot of bees around, especially if you or a loved one is allergic to bees. If you happen ...

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With summer coming to an end, you’re probably exhausted trying to get your child new clothes, back to school school supplies, and taking last minute trips with the family. But, don’t forget to get your child a back-to-school physical. Going back to school means the risk of spreading germs, especially during the flu season and with COVID-19 still being around. A physical is going to make sure they’re up to date on ...

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July is UV Safety Awareness Month and for the next two months we're going to have days where UV rays will be at their highest. It's important to educate people on the dangers of overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Why? Because these invisible rays can cause harm to our bodies over time. Did you know that UV rays are partly responsible for causing your skin to age? Did you know that they can ...

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As you get older, your men's health concerns are likely to change. In light of Men’s Health Awareness month, AFC Urgent Care Vernon wants to focus on preventative care so that men can have the chance to get what they need to start living a more healthier lifestyle.   The truth is, you may have gotten away with things like eating unhealthy, smoking, not treating injuries, skipping doctors appointments and more when you were ...

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Here in the Northeast, ticks are a serious health threat. We have seen an increase in deer tick-related illnesses in Connecticut over the years. But, as common as they are, there are ways to prevent you and your family from contracting tick-borne illnesses like Lyme disease.  AFC Urgent Care Vernon knows that ticks are out and about, and has created a guide to help you and your family protect yourselves from deer ticks and Lyme ...

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  April is STD Awareness month. As experts see it as another opportunity to raise awareness about STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) and how they impact our lives, here at AFC Urgent Care Vernon we want to help reduce STD and STI ( sexually transmitted infections)-related stigma, fear, and discrimination so that everyone can have the chance to prevent, test for, and treat STD’s. STD’s continue to be on the rise and are very common ...

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Spring has sprung early this year, and if you’re prone to them,  so have your spring allergies. Spring allergies usually occur when your immune system overreacts to an outdoor allergen, such as pollen. The most common allergens are pollen from wind-pollinated plants, such as trees, grasses, and weeds in the springtime. If you're one of the millions of people who suffer from seasonal allergies, it also means sneezing, congestion, a runny nose and ...

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  Have a sore throat? Don’t automatically assume it’s sore COVID-19. Unfortunately,  COVID is not the only illness going around this winter. We’re actually seeing more patients coming in for sore throats from all sorts of sources.  Strep throat is very common in the colder months and is also highly contagious,  if you sneeze, cough or share things with others. It is also very common among children, especially when in environments like schools ...

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  People often talk about COVID-19 testing as though there is only one choice. In reality, there are more than one type of test with many differences when determining if you’re positive for COVID-19 or not. Some of you might be questioning which tests are more accurate or reliable. Which one is more accurate, a rapid COVID-19 test or a PCR Test? AFC Urgent Care Vernon is here to break down some of the common ...

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Ready for another COVID-19 holiday? We may not have as many restrictions as last year, but December is filled with holidays and gatherings that can risk potential spikes in COVID-19 cases. We get it, it’s another holiday season with COVID-19, but thankfully 2021 brought us newer and faster testing options, and COVID vaccines, so, if you’re planning a party or going to family events, it’s best to prepare for the unexpected. AFC ...

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  Think you may have diabetes? Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects more than 30 million people in the United States. It has multiple types, there are warning signs, risk factors and symptoms. But most importantly, there are ways to prevent diabetes and its types, especially if you are predisposed to it.  As the disease can often feel like a life sentence of daily management, it is extra important to be educated this National ...

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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, but before the flu season begins. As symptoms for both viruses often overlap you don’t want to blow off a flu shot this year. Schools are now in session and kids are the most common germ spreaders. People are also ...

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It is officially nearing the end of summer, which means we are at the height of the "angry bee" season. During this time, stinging bees and wasps become even angrier because they are preparing their queen for the winter, and are more protective near the hive. This aggravated behavior heightens as their local food resources are depleted, and they grow hungry. If you are noticing there are a lot of bees around, please take extra ...

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