As we head into hay fever season, it can be difficult to pinpoint the cause of your congestion– are your sniffles due to seasonal allergies or a sinus infection? The two conditions share similar symptoms, but are not the same thing.

Seasonal Allergies

Allergies occur when our body’s immune system mistakes a harmless, everyday substance for a dangerous one. The body releases histamines to fight the perceived intruder (the allergen), causing symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, itchy eyes, runny nose and scratchy throat.

Pollen and mold are major allergens for millions of people, and during springtime, as plant species begin releasing pollen particles into the air and outdoor molds release their spores, cold-like, allergy symptoms abound. These seasonal allergies are sometimes called “hay fever” or seasonal allergic rhinitis.

Sinus Infection (Rhinosinusitis)

In contrast, a sinus infection occurs when your nasal cavities become infected, swollen and inflamed, usually due to a virus. Infected sinuses cause pain and pressure in the face, severe congestion, and nasal discharge that is cloudy, green, or yellow. Other possible symptoms include sore throat (due to post-nasal drip), fever, tooth pain, headache, and bad breath.

Evaluation and Treatment

While allergies and sinus infections are separate conditions, their treatments do share some overlap—if you are experiencing congestion with either, a decongestant medication can help to break up mucus in your nasal cavities.

Allergies can be treated with antihistamines, such as Benadryl, Zyrtec, and Claritin. These medications block the body’s histamine-producing response and help to reduce symptoms. Allergies cannot be fully prevented, but you can minimize your exposure to known allergens.

For viral sinus infections, your best bet is to rest and drink plenty of fluids. Antibiotics are not effective in treating viruses. Nasal irrigation can also help to clear your sinuses, relieve dryness, and flush allergens. With proper care, most sinus infections go away on their own within 1-2 weeks.

If you’re suffering from seasonal allergies or a possible sinus infection, head into our clinic today. Our friendly medical team can offer quick treatment and expert advice to help you feel better.

Your toddler is running a fever and acting extra fussy… Do you rush to the emergency room, or simply set an appointment with the pediatrician for next week? How about a trip to the local urgent care center? Determining what level of care your little one needs is often a difficult and confusing task. While your first step should always be a call to your pediatrician or an after-hours answering service to discuss symptoms, below, we offer some general guidelines for when and where to take your sick child for care.

When To Head Straight To The ER

A visit to the emergency room should be reserved for true medical emergencies, such as trauma, surgical procedures, and life-threatening situations.

Call 911 or go right to the ER if your child:

• is under 2 months old and has a fever of 100.4 degrees F or higher
• suffered a serious head or eye injury
• suffered a serious burn or large cut
• had a seizure
• has a broken bone with visible swelling
• shows signs of dehydration (dry lips and mouth, absence of urination for more than 12 hours, lethargy and confusion)
• is having trouble breathing
• ingested a poison, drug, or unknown substance

When To Use An Urgent Care

If your child is able to walk, talk, play and interact, it’s most likely not a medical emergency. For minor injuries and illnesses that require immediate attention, an urgent care center is a time- and cost-saving alternative to the ER.

Urgent care centers are able to treat a wide range of non life-threatening injuries and illnesses, and offer extended evening and weekend hours, usually with X-rays and lab testing on-site. Average waits are under an hour and the cost per visit is much less than the ER.

Common children’s medical issues that can be treated by an urgent care include:

• Coughs/Stuffy Nose
• Strep throat
• Minor Cuts and Burns
• Common Cold
• The Flu
• Pink Eye
• Minor Broken Bones and Sprains
• Ear Infections
• Rashes
• Asthma
• Vomiting/Diarrhea

It’s also a good idea to call the urgent care ahead of your visit to verify what ages and conditions they treat. Based on your child’s symptoms, the clinic may direct you to the ER.

Now you know the basics of where to take your sick child for care. We’re here for you when an urgent care is the best choice.

Almost every adult will deal with low back pain at some point in their life. In fact, it’s one of the most common reasons people head to the doctor. While most cases of acute low back pain will go away without intervention, a visit to an urgent care center can help rule out more serious conditions and ensure you’re on the quickest road to feeling better.

Symptoms of Low Back Pain:

• Muscle aches in lower spinal region
• Shooting or stabbing pain
• Pain that radiates down your leg
• Pain that worsens with bending, lifting, standing or walking
• Pain that improves with reclining

If you’re suffering from the symptoms above, head into our clinic whenever it’s convenient for you. Our providers can review your medical history and lifestyle for signs of systemic diseases, social and psychological stresses, and risk factors that may be contributing to your pain. We will perform a comprehensive physical exam to inspect the back, assess areas of tenderness, and evaluate your spinal mobility. Through this medical evaluation, we can help narrow down the cause of your low back pain and develop an appropriate treatment plan. Some common causes of lower back pain include:

Muscle and Ligament Strains

Lifting a heavy object or twisting suddenly can strain the muscles in your back or the ligaments of your spine and cause diffuse back pain.

Herniated Disc

The intervertebral discs that act as cushions in your spin can become compressed and bulge outward (herniation) or rupture, causing dull or sharp shooting low back pain.

Compression Fracture

Commonly caused by osteoporosis, a spinal compression fracture occurs when a bone in the spine collapses, leading to debilitating back pain.

Osteoarthritis (spondylosis)

A breakdown of the cartilage of the joints and discs in the lower back can make movement difficult and painful.

Skeletal irregularities

Scoliosis, a condition in which your spine curves to the side, can lead to back pain later in life.

Visit our clinic today to better understand your lower back pain. Our talented and friendly medical team can quickly evaluate your symptoms, and determine a treatment plan to help you find relief. Initial treatment for low back pain may include hot or cold packs, over-the-counter NSAIDs, cortisone injections, and physical therapy. Integrative medicines such as acupuncture, chiropractic care, yoga and massage may be helpful.

Fall is here, and flu season won’t be far behind. Learn the best flu prevention methods, and when it’s time to see a doctor.

Flu is a contagious respiratory illness that can lead to serious complications such as pneumonia and even death. In fact, flu-related illnesses claimed over 80,000 lives just last year! Here’s how to protect yourself and your family this flu season.

Flu Prevention

Flu viruses occur seasonally (October through May) and spread through droplets in the air when people with flu cough, sneeze or talk. Follow these simple preventative steps to avoid falling ill.

• • The most effective way to fight the flu is to get vaccinated. Flu vaccinations save lives, and the CDC recommends that everyone ages 6 months and older get an annual flu vaccine. The vaccine can lessen the severity of an illness –if not prevent it all together– and reduce your risk of serious complications.
  • Practice good hygiene. Wash your hands often, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and moth, and disinfect surfaces.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick. While this step isn’t always possible, it’s worth noting!

Flu Treatment

A sudden onset of fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, runny or stuffy nose, headache and fatigue? You might have the flu. Here’s how to handle it.

See a doctor ASAP. Your doctor can run a rapid flu test and if indicated, prescribe an antiviral medication proven to lessen the severity and duration of your illness. When taken promptly, antiviral drugs can reduce the time you are sick by 1-2 days and also prevent serious complications, such as pneumonia.

Help stop the spread of flu. If you are experiencing flu-like symptoms, limit contact with other people and stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except for necessities and to get medical care. When you sneeze and cough, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue, then throw the tissue out and wash your hands.

We treat cold and flu on a walk-in basis, at an affordable price. Visit our clinic today to feel better faster.

The leaves are changing, the temperatures are dropping, the holidays are right around the corner…and, with the same punctuality of the falling leaves, you’ve started sneezing.

If the fall allergy season has got you down, it’s time to do something about it. The first step to managing your autumn allergies is determining what is triggering your symptoms. From there, you can create a strategy for surviving until winter.

What Are Common Fall Allergy Symptoms?

Fall allergies often show up in the same way as spring and summer attacks. Watering eyes, a stuffy or runny nose and sneezing are just a few signs you are suffering from an allergy attack. If you seem to have an endless cold that is triggered by going outdoors, your symptoms are likely allergy related.

What Causes Fall Allergies

The tree pollen may have calmed down, but that doesn’t mean you can expect to be allergy-free.

On the contrary, these three common fall allergies can create problems for your eyes and throat.

Mold: Outdoor molds tend to thrive after the first frost of the year, living in all manner of places outside. Mold can be found in soil and leaves, but are also airborne.

Ragweed: A full 75 percent of people who suffer from springtime allergies are also sensitive to ragweed. This clever allergen can travel hundreds of miles in the wind.

Dust Mites: Dust mites thrive in the fall because as they come alive in the summer, they set up shop in your heat ducts. The first time you fire up your heater in the fall, they make their way into your home.

How to Avoid Fall Allergy Season Triggers

While allergens are too small to be seen, there are some ways to avoid them. Clean your air ducts inside before turning on the heat and remove all dead and dying leaves from your yard as soon as possible. You may also find it helpful to plant cover crops in your yard that stop ragweed from thriving. Dry your clothes inside instead of hanging them outside on a clothesline and wear a face mask when you’re raking leaves.

Have the fall allergy blues? There’s no reason to suffer! With these helpful tips and some over-the-counter allergy relief, you can enjoy pumpkin pie season with the best of them.

If over-the-counter remedies just aren’t doing the trick, it might be time to visit the doctor.

Physicians Urgent Care can help you battle your fall allergies and get back to enjoying this beautiful season. Visit one of our locations today (no appointment necessary) and get the care you deserve.

You (and your allergies) will be glad you did.