How Your Walk-In Clinic Can Help You Spring Into Better Health

Springing Into Better Health

From the sniffles to slips and falls, winter weather can take a toll on your health. Don't spend the beginning of spring home sick in bed—here's how the Walk-in Clinic can help.

What Can I Visit the Walk-in Clinic For?

Think of the walk-in clinic as a place for urgent matters, where the emergency department should be for an emergency. Some reasons to visit our walk-in clinic include:

Stomach Flu

The stomach flu is a common reason to visit an urgent care facility. Though it is important to note that the term stomach flu is an inaccurate term for a virus, not to be confused with the influenza virus. The norovirus is the most common cause of vomiting and diarrhea.

Some symptoms of the norovirus include:

• Headaches
• Fevers
• Chills
• Loss of appetite
• Stomach cramps
• Low-grade fever

The Common Cold

The common cold is a viral respiratory infection that mainly affects people during colder seasons. Although symptoms and severity may vary from person to person, here are some common signs that may point to the presence of a cold:

• Sore or irritated throat
• Coughing
• Runny nose
• Sneezing
• Headaches
• Body aches

While most people recover from the viral infection on their own in about seven to 10 days, you should see a medical professional if you experience any of the following:

• Symptoms last longer than ten days
• Symptoms are abnormally severe
• If an infant younger than three months has a fever

Allergies

Contrary to popular belief, allergies don’t always wreak havoc during warmer months—environmental allergies can strike year-round. Allergies arise when your body identifies a foreign substance as a threat to your health, overreacting in an attempt to protect your body.

Environmental allergies are due to exposure to certain substances around you, such as dust or pet dander. Some of the most common allergic reaction symptoms include:

• Watery and itchy eyes
• Runny nose
• Congestion
• Sneezing
• Sore throat
• Coughing
• Rashes
• Hives

While many people who have allergies do not require treatment, others can interfere with day-to-day activities and can even be life-threatening. You should seek immediate care if you experience any of the following symptoms:

• Difficulty breathing
• You experience your allergy symptoms for several months out of the year
• Over-the-counter medications don’t relieve symptoms
• You often wheeze or cough
• You have asthma attacks even when taking asthma medication
• You feel tightness in your chest

Eye Irritation

Between cold temperatures, wind and snow, winter weather can do a number on your eyes when they aren’t properly protected. If you find yourself experiencing any of the following symptoms, you should seek immediate care:

• Feeling that something is in your eye
• Light sensitivity
• Pain in your eye
• Blurred vision
• Fever
• Redness to the whites if your eyes
• Itching or burning sensation
• Yellow or green discharge

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

Urinary tract infections (UTI) are infections that affect one or more areas of the urinary tract, which may include the kidneys, bladder, and urethra. If left untreated, the infection may spread to the kidneys, the bloodstream, and even has the potential to become fatal.

Symptoms that may suggest the presence of a UTI may include:

• A stinging or burning sensation while urinating
• Urinating more frequently than usual
• Feeling as if you need to urinate when you don’t
• Cloudy, smelly, or bloody urine

When to See a Doctor

Although UTIs are common, you should seek immediate care and speak with a medical professional about your symptoms. Usually, your symptoms are enough for a doctor to diagnose the infection. However, urinalysis can be done to determine the type of infection you have.

Seek immediate medical care if you experience any of the following symptoms:

• Fever
• Back pain where your kidneys are located
• Nausea and vomiting
• Fatigue

Dehydration

Dehydration occurs when your body loses more fluid than you’re taking in. When this happens, your body does not have enough water to perform regular functions properly. You can lose excessive amounts of water and fluids in the following ways:

• Sweating too much
• Urinating too much
• Not drinking enough water
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Fever

Common symptoms of dehydration may include:

• Increased thirst
• Fatigue
• Dry mouth
• Headache
• Dry skin

Although in most cases, dehydration is moderate—it can also be life-threatening. You should seek immediate medical care if you experience the following symptoms:

• Not urinating
• Dark urine
• Rapid heartbeat
• Rapid breathing
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Fainting

Can the Walk-in Clinic Replace Primary Care?

Though visiting a walk-in clinic is more accessible and flexible with hours, there are many medical concerns and complications that an immediate care facility is not equipped to treat. It’s still vital that you see your primary care doctor for routine visits.

Doing so can help build a great doctor/patient relationship and allows them to better understanding you and your family’s health history. This, in turn, will enable them to provide better assessments, treatment, and preventive care.

When to Head to the Emergency Department

A common misconception about immediate care facilities and walk-in clinics is that they are another form of visiting the emergency room or department. Though many moderate injuries can be addressed in walk-in clinics, you’ll want to head to the emergency department right away if you are experienced anything that could be time-sensitive and life-threatening such as:

• Chest pains
• Stroke symptoms
• Severe asthma attacks
• Loss of consciousness

Walk-in-Clinic in Gillette, Wyoming

If symptoms persist or last longer than a few days, the Walk-in Clinic in Gillette, Wyoming, is here to help. When it comes to urgent care, each patient can expect us to help them get back to life with quality care and personalized service. Save your spot in line or walk-in today! Learn more at www.cchwyo.org/wic.