Recent Blog Posts

Medical Director Dr. Tom Brown Interviewed on Your Town – 102.9 WDRC-FM What is the goal of Alcohol Awareness Month? Each April since 1987, the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD) sponsors NCADD Alcohol Awareness Month to increase public awareness and understanding, reduce stigma and encourage local communities to focus on alcoholism and alcohol-related issues. This April, NCADD highlights the important public health issue of underage drinking, a problem with devastating individual ...

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In this country, 26 million people are impacted by Type 2 Diabetes, however, a quarter of them don’t even realize they have the disease. Dr. Tom Brown makes it a point of assessing a patient’s risk every day. The newly appointed Medical Director of the Urgent Care West Hartford location has a record of seizing the opportunity to delve beyond just routine questions with his patients. Click here to go to the Hartford ...

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November is here, which means that Diabetes Awareness month is here as well. At AFC Urgent Care West Hartford, we strongly encourage you to educate yourselves on the signs and symptoms of diabetes. Diabetes is a growing epidemic, especially here in the U.S. It threatens the lives of more and more people each year. In the U.S alone, over 25 million people are living with diabetes according to the CDC, and it is ...

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The way we view concussions and their seriousness has changed recently. In light of several changes brought to light by the NFL & MLB, concussions are now taken extremely seriously. In addition to now being classified as a brain injury, studies show that concussions can have effects that manifest later on in life. CT is in the forefront of taking this seriously. Recently, it has become a requirement for student athletes and their parents to be ...

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“Yes, mom, we heard you! We know it’s cold out there. We’re grabbing our coats right now!” “This scratchy throat and runny nose will definitely get better with some homemade chicken soup.” “Of course we promise to cough into our elbows.” We’ve all heard our mothers’ best remedies and advice for cold and flu season, as well as some old wives’ tales that have been passed along from generation to generation. Whether ...

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A popular question amongst swimmers ( and parents of swimmers) is ‘what is the difference between swimmers ear vs a common ear infection’. What most people know as a typical middle ear infection or “otitis media” is one that occurs when a child is sick with a cold. But what about swimmers ear? Isn’t that an ear infection as well? Although it is true that swimmers ear often occurs after swimming at the beach or ...

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Another warm winter means an early tick season! Unfortunately, the black legged tick, commonly known as a deer tick, and associated with Lyme Disease are back with a vengeance throughout Connecticut and the northeast. Lyme Disease is actually named after the town Lyme, Connecticut, where, in 1975, an unusually high rate of adolescent arthritis was being reported. Three years later, in 1978, researchers discovered that the disease that was causing adolescent arthritis was actually transmitted ...

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Confusion abounds as people try to decipher if they have bronchitis or pneumonia. The symptoms can mimic one another, and often times one cannot tell which ailment they are suffering from. At West Hartford we want to help you tell the difference. Let’s break it down: Bronchitis is a respiratory disease in which the mucus membrane in the lungs’ bronchial passages becomes inflamed. As the irritated membrane swells and grows thicker, it narrows or ...

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With men at a higher risk for the “silent killers” – hypertension and diabetes – getting a regular checkup should be a no-brainer. But more than half of men in the U.S. haven’t even seen a doctor in the past year! That’s a scary number when it could be a loved one’s health at risk. Urgent Care of West Hartford is urging men to come in for their routine exam. We’ve put ...

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Have you noticed that the bees buzzing around are a lot angrier these days? It's not your imagination…they’re mad. Late summer into early fall is the height of "angry bee" season. As bees and wasps near the end of their life cycle, they become increasingly aggressive and ready to sting. Everyone reacts differently to bee stings and it is important to differentiate between a "normal", non allergic reaction and an allergic reaction ...

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It is recommended by healthcare professionals that we get tested for STI’s (Sexually Transmitted Infections) when there is any reason to believe we may have caught or transmitted an infection. However, not all of us do it. Why is that? There seem to be a lot of misconceptions about STI Testing, and here at AFC Urgent Care West Hartford, we want to straighten all of that out in hopes that you start taking advantage ...

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Its November & that means its time for the holidays once again! The holiday season is always everyone’s favorite time of the year. However, one thing you don’t want to do is go home to see your family & friends with suffering skin! In the cold seasons, our skin needs a little more care than usual, this is why AFC Urgent Care West Hartford is offering some skin care tips so you can be glowing ...

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As spring turns to summer and mosquito season revs up, here in the Greater Hartford area we need to up our prevention game against the might mosquito. Will Zika be a threat in Hartford ? As we know, here in Connecticut we face a double whammy: the possibilities of spreading both the Zika and West Nile Virus over the summer months. Why should we be concerned about Zika in Connecticut? There are 2 reasons: Although the ...

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As an employer, it can be stressful to ensure your business is running smoothly while maintaining the health and well-being of your employees. Here at we want to make your job as a business owner as easy as possible by offering our employer services for your business. From DOT physicals to Pre-employment physicals, offers the widest range of employer services to all of our patients. We want to assure that your employees are as healthy ...

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Children can get sick at any time of the year, but the Wintertime is especially germy. From flu season to daycares, kids (and adults) are more likely to get a contagious virus. With COVID-19 on the top of everyone’s mind and the vaccine still months away, staying safe during flu season is our number one priority. AFC Urgent Care West Hartford can provide you with all the information you need to keep your kids ...

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Whether you’re a parent getting ready to take your kids trick-or-treating or you’re someone who doesn’t participate in Halloween at all, everyone needs to be aware of the dangers that come with Halloween night. It’s a whole new world out there these days with everything from candy concerns to strangers who live next door. From Urgent Care West Hartford, here are 5 Halloween safety tips for 2018 that will keep your ...

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Break out the lunch boxes and the three-ring binders, back-to-school season is upon us again! Amid the mad dash for backpacks, pencil cases and the rapidly approaching school bus, it’s easy to forget about the health concerns of going back to school. Back-to-school time is also prime time for germs and bugs; an enormous number of children spend most of the day in close contact and touch a lot of shared surfaces (e.g ...

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People are often telling us they don’t know when they need stitches. This Medical Minute is here to answer all your questions. Whether or not you need stitches depends on a variety of factors. Factors you must consider… how big the wound is how deep it is where on the body it is located It is important to come on in to our west Hartford urgent care center, go to your doctor or visit ...

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We are conducting a quick survey to gain insights and perspective on Emergency and Urgent Care. Please take a minute to complete this short survey and share your thoughts with us. Thank you! // Post by West Hartford. Po

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Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a scary report, outlining the severity of the flu this year. Due to an uptick in deaths attributed to the flu, the CDC declared the flu had reached epidemic status. While that sounds serious, there are still ways for you to ward off the flu and stay healthy this season. The flu is particularly troublesome for children under 5 — and especially under 2 — and for adults ...

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