Recent Blog Posts

STD Testing Basics: When to Get Screened

Most adults will require an STD (sexually transmitted disease) test or screening throughout their life. In 2017, nearly 2.2 million adults reported cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis as more cases of these STD grew year-to-year. Additionally, most adults that are sexually active already have a high risks of contracting at least one STD in their lifetime. While most STDs are preventable and treatable, getting a screening as soon as possible can help reduce ...

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Vaping Healthcare Risks for Teens and Youth

As you may have heard, “vaping” or the consumption of e-cigarettes is growing immensely in popularity among teenagers and young adults. Nearly 11 percent of high school seniors, 8 percent of 10th graders, and 3.5 percent of eighth-graders have tried e-cigarettes or frequently use e-cigarettes, according to data gathered by Yale School of Medicine. These trends are particularly alarming since cigarette use, and other forms of tobacco/nicotine consumption, has fallen among youth populations ...

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The Key Differences Between Retail Clinics and Urgent Care Centers

If you have ever been in a major retailer, pharmacy chain, or a similar store then you likely have seen a “retail clinic.” For the most part, retail clinics aim to provide convenient and affordable healthcare services to shoppers while they’re already shopping or running an errand. A retail clinic may be good for an individual with extremely basic healthcare needs. However, a retail clinic is not usually a suitable alternative for an urgent ...

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A 2019 Chronic Care Checklist: Prevent and Screen Regularly!

2019 has just started, but it may be time to start thinking about the best ways to prevent or treat a chronic disease. Nearly six out of ten Americans have at least one chronic condition, according to the CDC. This means that every person has a significant risk of developing a chronic condition. Chronic diseases include diabetes, hypertension, obesity, alcoholism, cancer, and serious heart disease. Managing a chronic disease can be stressful at first. However ...

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When should you use an Urgent Care over the Emergency Room?

Injuries, illnesses, and other unexpected medical events can derail your normal life. In most instances, you’ll want and need medical treatment ASAP for whatever your ailment is. But most people may have trouble deciding when their medical situation is “urgent” or a full-on “medical emergency.” These terms confuse many patients requiring healthcare services since they sound identical in nature. Patients should understand that both situations are very different and that an urgent medical situation ...

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Urgent Care Center vs. ER

Injuries, illnesses, and other unexpected medical events can derail your normal life. In most instances, you’ll want and need medical treatment ASAP for whatever your ailment is. But most people may have trouble deciding when their medical situation is “urgent” or a full-on “medical emergency.” These terms confuse many patients requiring healthcare services since they sound identical in nature. Patients should understand that both situations are very different and that an urgent medical situation ...

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New Year, New Health

" The new year is the perfect time to create resolutions to improve your health, but the sad reality is that most people abandon their decisions by the end of February. We want to help you improve your health in 2019, so we created a manageable list of health tips and resolutions you can take on this year! The key to a good resolution is making one you can actually stick to, and these should all ...

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Ease Your Flu-Symptoms With These Tips!

" When the flu strikes, it can really take a toll on your body.  While there is no cure for the flu or a cold, there are many at-home remedies that can provide you with short-term relief, and a few of them might actually help you get better.  See which ones show the most promise! Chicken Soup Grandma might have been onto something.  Chicken soup may help alleviate some of your cold symptoms in more ways ...

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Occupational Healthcare – Caring for Employees and Employers

" Occupational Health refers to the many disciplines devoted to the safety and well-being of employees in the workplace, often concentrating on injury prevention. Even with solid practices in place, accidents do occur, and having an experienced occupational healthcare provider you trust can make all the difference. Workplace injuries can result in lost time, indemnity costs, and lower productivity for an employer. Studies have shown that the same workplace injury can have catastrophic consequences to the ...

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Avoid Getting Sick at the Gym

" The gym helps you look good and feel good, but if you happen to get sick from working out in a germ-infested environment, you won’t look so good and feel so good if you catch a cold.  Gyms are breeding grounds for germs that can make you sick and put you out for a few days up to a week.  If you plan on being in the gym this upcoming cold and flu season ...

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5 Ways to Protect Yourself Against The Flu

" As we enter the end of the calendar year and approach the fall and winter season, many people are cooped up inside, and more than likely sharing space with their loved ones who are coughing and sneezing.  While you may not be able to completely prevent you and your loved ones from getting sick every year, practicing good hygiene can leave you unscathed this flu season.  Here are a few ways you can. Get your ...

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Does Your Child Need a Physical for Fall Sports Season?

" The school year will be here before we know it, which means the fall sports season is here too, too. Before running off to the first soccer or football practice of the season, you need to make sure your child receives their sports physical. Why does my child need a sports physical? A sports physical can help identify if the sport is safe for the child to participate in.  During a physical, the physician can ...

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Workout Mistakes That May Be Causing Your Injuries

" Warmups and cooldowns are essential to your workout, and done correctly, they can reduce your risk of injury, improve your overall athletic performance, and increase your desired fitness results. Even though it may take a few extra minutes away from your workout, it can be easy to fall into the habit of not warming up or cooling down properly. Next time you’re hitting the gym, be sure to block off at least 60 minutes ...

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Keys to Hydration, Safety and Wellness

" Summertime should be a time for activities in the sun & lots of fun! But we have to be very mindful of paying attention to what our bodies need. The body is made up of about 60% of water. This means we have to constantly be replenishing the body when we are losing water. If we don’t replace the water in our bodies that we lose, we then get dehydrated. What is dehydration? Dehydration occurs ...

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Poison Ivy: Signs, Symptoms and Precautions

" Poison ivy is the most common allergy in the United States, affecting about 50 million people every year. The rash from poison ivy is caused by an allergic reaction to urushiol, an oily substance in the leaves, stems and roots of poison ivy, through direct contact. Urushiol is also found in poison oak and poison sumac, which means the rash can be contracted by interacting with any of the three plants. Other than direct contact ...

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Protect Yourself from Ticks and Mosquitos This Summer

" Summertime brings many opportunities for outdoor activities. From camping and hiking to playing tag in the backyard, kids and adults alike can enjoy the warm weather. Make sure your family takes the following precautions to avoid missing outdoor fun due to mosquito and tick bites. Before you go outside: Use bug repellent on your skin and clothing. The CDC recommends wearing an EPA-registered insect repellent that contains active ingredients such as DEET or picaridin. Wear ...

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The Nose Knows When It Comes To Seasonal Allergies

" When it comes to treating your seasonal allergies with home remedies, there’s usually more fiction than fact. There are healing claims about everything from apple cider vinegar to local bee pollen. The doctors at American Family Care understand that not everyone wants to grab a drug off of the pharmacy counter, but people want to be able to breathe too! So are there any proven natural remedies that the doctors here at AFC can ...

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Is It A Cold or Allergies: A Worried Parent’s Guide

" Life might be easier if kids came with an instruction book. Most parents usually have enough questions to fill one and it can be extra difficult when your child is looking to you for answers and you don’t have any. That is especially true when they don’t feel good. All they want is for you to “fix it and make it better” but that’s hard to do when you aren’t so ...

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Allergy Alternative? A Little Exercise RX

" When you have that miserable, stuffy, sneezy, stopped-up feeling from allergies, all you really feel like doing is climbing into bed or relaxing on the couch and taking whatever your doctor has prescribed. Probably the last thing on your mind is exercising! How can you run when you can’t breathe? How do you stretch when you’re sneezing all the time? The experts at American Family Care say a mix of the traditional and ...

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Treating Seasonal Allergies

" As the blissful fragrance of the new season fills the air, the grass turns bright green and birds sing their cheerful tune, most of us will opt outside to reap the benefits of beautiful weather. However, for more than 50 million allergy sufferers in the U.S., seasonal triggers can put a real damper on the blossoms of spring. With everything on the market today, from over-the-counter tablets to doctor prescribed nasal sprays, choosing the ...

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