NE Wyoming News

From the sniffles to slips and falls as well as the mental impact of cold, gray skies, winter weather can take a toll on your overall health. With spring just around the corner, Campbell County Health Walk-in Clinic and Family Medicine can help you beat the winter blues and spring into better health to embrace the sun, flowers and all the wonders of the spring season

 

Your primary care provider should always be your first call when you come down with a sickness. Whether you go to our Main Clinic location in Gillette, visit our Wright Clinic, or our Family Clinic in Hulett, your primary healthcare provider is your first line of defense against the springtime sniffles. They take the time to know you and your family’s history and know what will work best for you individually.

The walk-in clinic is a bridge between you and your primary care provider. When you can’t get an appointment as urgently as you need, and your symptoms aren’t life threatening or emergent, the Walk-in Clinic spans the gap. Here are some common ailments seen at CCH Walk-in Clinic and Family Medicine.

Stomach Flu

The stomach flu is a common reason to visit an urgent care facility. It is important to note that the term stomach flu is an inaccurate term for the virus that could be causing your sickness, 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 vary from person to person, here are some common signs 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 7 to 10 days, you should see a medical professional if you experience symptoms lasting longer than 10 days, abnormal or severe symptoms, or a fever (in infants younger than three months).

 

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 difficulty breathing, symptoms for several months of the year, wheezing or coughing, asthma attacks, tightness in your chest, or if over-the-counter medication does not relieve symptoms.

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 in 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 or bloodstream, and can become fatal.

 

Symptoms that may suggest the presence of a UTI 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

 

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 fever, back pain near your kidneys, nausea and vomiting, or 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 dark urine or you are unable to urinate, rapid heartbeat or breathing, dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting.

 

Remember that Campbell County Health is here for whatever life might throw at your health. Call us and let’s spring you back into better health!

Original source can be found here.