A sinus infection, or sinusitis, is a frustrating ailment that causes a runny nose, congestion, swollen and/or itching eyes, a sore throat, headaches, and other symptoms. While there isn’t necessarily a quick sinus infection cure, there are certainly ways that you can ease your discomfort and speed up your recovery.  If you’re suffering from sinusitis, know that you aren’t alone; approximately 90% of patients with colds have an element of viral ...

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Local urgent care centers in West 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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Recently, we have been seeing people with strep throat-like symptoms. It’s not necessarily COVID-19 or flu related. Strep throat is a different type of winter illness that can cause that scratch in your throat, and more. COVID-19 isn’t the only sickness going around these days, especially during the winter time. This is why it is important to have a rapid strep test as a first step towards treatment. AFC Urgent Care West Springfield ...

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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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The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland located in the lower front of the neck. Unfortunately, millions of Americans are diagnosed with a Thyroid condition. 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 ...

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RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) is a common virus that affects the lungs or respiratory tract. In adults and children, RSV can be quite serious, especially if you have a pre-existing lung condition or are immunocompromised. In fact, RSV can be life-threatening in young children and people with weakened immune systems. If you or your child has been around someone who has RSV and is showing symptoms of it – including a persistent runny nose or cough ...

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Diagnosing diabetes can be scary, especially since some of us may be diabetic or pre-diabetic without even knowing it. The point is, it’s not a condition you want to develop, because it requires constant monitoring and management to stay healthy. The latest statistics of Americans with Diabetes is staggering and continues to rise every year.  There are multiple types of diabetes, which makes it important to know your health status in order to avoid ...

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While COVID-19 is still circulating nationwide, we’re now entering flu season. Don’t overlook the importance of getting a flu shot. COVID-19 and the Flu can knock you down.  If you're wondering when to get the flu or COVID-19, The CDC announced that you can get both vaccines at the SAME time and ideally before the start of the 2022 flu season. Both the  flu shot and COVID-19 vaccines are not designed to ...

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Have you noticed a lot of bees out lately during your outings? It’s not your imagination and they are more aggressive this time of year. Why? Because we’re entering angry bee season! “Angry bee” season starts around late summer into early fall. Bees and wasps are coming to an end of their life cycle which means they become increasingly aggressive and ready to sting.  Everyone reacts differently to bee stings and it is ...

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Summer is halfway over and it’s time to start preparing for back to school. Whatever grade your child is entering, they’re going to need a back to school physical. Why? Because physicals are the first step to building your child’s medical history and making sure they’re up to date with their vaccinations. Whether they decide to play a fall sport or need updated immunizations, a physical will cover all of that ...

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