Recent Blog Posts

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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The sun is out, and that means two things: it's time to get outside, and it's time to protect yourself from UV rays. But, I thought the sun was good for you? Yes, it is. However, it can also be your worst enemy when it comes to heat exhaustion, sunstroke and overexposure to harmful UV rays. No wonder, July is known as UV Safety Awareness Month. It's time to learn the dangers ...

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June is Men’s Health Month, and it’s a great time to focus on the health and wellness of our fathers, husbands, sons, brothers and friends. This month, let’s all commit to making small changes that will have a big impact on our health. Taking care of ourselves should be a top priority, and Men’s Health Month is the perfect time to start. AFC Urgent Care wants to help men prioritize their ...

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Deer ticks are winning the battle in the northeast and are giving people Lyme disease. Lyme disease has been a growing concern in the New England states for years, and Massachusetts is notorious for deer tick bites because these little guys think the woodlands and grassy plains of your favorite hiking spots are the best places for them to populate, latch onto you and spread Lyme disease. The worst part is these black legged ticks ...

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April is STD Awareness Month. If you’re reading this, you’re on the right path for lowering your risk of getting an STD ( sexually transmitted disease), STI’s ( sexually transmitted infections) and are looking into testing options. After all, STD testing should be second nature if you plan on becoming sexually active. Did you know that over 26 million people are diagnosed with STDs each year in the United States? About half of this ...

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If you have allergies or asthma, spring can be a challenging time of the year. Millions of people who suffer from spring allergies often come down with sneezing, wheezing, watery eyes and runny noses. But, could it also be COVID-19? Many of the symptoms often overlap! So confusing! We get it.  The good news is that the brutal r COVID-19 winter wave is starting to wane. Although it is still very much a threat, some ...

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“I have a sore throat. Is it strep throat or COVID-19?”  “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.  Colds, flu, strep throat and COVID-19 are very common right now, especially in the colder months. With cases of COVID-19 surging, the easy go to these days is that it’s COVID. But, you can ...

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  Aren’t all COVID tests the same thing? No, they’re not all the same. Rapid COVID tests may all produce rapid results, but the method of testing or the type of test you decide upon has its differences. If you’re confused about which one to get, then you’re in the same boat as many other people, especially after the holidays. Chances are you may have been exposed,  as the Omicron variant is ...

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  Tis the season to be COVID-19 free, fa la la la la, la la la la! Going to an event this Christmas? You can’t forget about Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and the New Year too. December is filled with holidays,  so let’s make sure you plan a health and safety checklist when planning a COVID-19 free holiday season.  COVID-19 is still around, although we now have vaccines for it and new testing options. Whether you ...

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Are you at risk for diabetes? How is one supposed to know if they have diabetes in the first place? In light of Diabetes Awareness month, AFC Urgent Care West Springfield encourages everyone to get checked out for diabetes.  Why? because Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects more than 30 million people in the United States. This is why it’s important to not dismiss the warning signs as diabetes can easily be ...

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With COVID-19 still circulating across the nation, we’re now heading into Flu season. Don’t overlook the importance of the Flu vaccine. Both COVID-19 and the Flu can knock you off your feet.  If you're concerned about when to get vaccinated for the flu or COVID-19, The CDC recently announced that you can get both vaccines at the SAME time. As some of you may have already gotten vaccinated for COVID-19, this will ...

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With COVID-19 still circulating across the nation, we’re now heading into Flu season. Don’t overlook the importance of the Flu vaccine. Both COVID-19 and the Flu can knock you off your feet. If you're concerned about when to get vaccinated for the flu or COVID-19, The CDC recently announced that you can get both vaccines at the SAME time. As some of you may have already gotten vaccinated for COVID-19, this will ...

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