Article Courtesy of Reuel Heyden
August 15, 2014 – Holly Springs, NC – With fall just around the corner, FastMed Urgent Care, the largest urgent care network in North Carolina, has released its 2014 fall injuries and illnesses list along with tips for enjoying a healthy, injury free fall.
“FastMed sees patients visit our urgent cares for these common injuries and illnesses during the fall months in North Carolina,” said Melvin G. Lee, MD, Chief Medical Officer, North Carolina. “This list is designed to help individuals and families in the communities we serve to be proactive when planning their fall excursions.”
Whether you’re planning to spend time camping at the lake, hiking in the mountains, or enjoying the park this fall, FastMed encourages everyone to plan ahead to avoid these most frequent injuries and illnesses that FastMed treats each fall:
Allergies and Allergic Reactions – Fall and the changing of the seasons can introduce a lot of allergens, but other causes of allergies include: weeds, grass, trees, dust and dust mites, bug bites and stings. Check your local area FastMed clinic for common allergens in your community that might affect you.
Athletic and Sports Injuries – Whether it’s hiking, swimming, jogging, cycling, softball or basketball, any of these activities could give you an injury commonly seen at FastMed clinics.
The most common fall sports injuries occur around the joints including the knee, ankle and elbow, but tendon tears and joint inflammation can occur with physical fatigue. Head injuries should be immediately evaluated by a FastMed provider to determine if you have a concussion.
Dehydration – Up to 60% of a person’s body weight is water, with only a 1 to 2% drop in water weight to cause dehydration. Three simple steps you can take to staying hydrated are: having a water bottle with you wherever you go, eating healthy fruits and vegetables which are made up of water, recognizing signs of dehydration (light-headedness, nausea, weakness and fatigue are the most common) and acting quickly to drink water. Summer and fall sports and athletic activities significantly increase your perspiration, draining the body of water and electrolytes and significantly increasing your chances for heat related injuries. Drinking water frequently and water retaining sports drinks (not energy drinks) such as Gatorade and PowerAde will help replace lost electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium) when you sweat.
Scrapes – Hitting the ground on the baseball field or falling off your bike when riding in the park could land you with moderate or severe scrapes and cuts. These wounds should be cared for immediately at your local FastMed so they don’t become infected.
Wounds – Splinters, thistles and thorns are just a few outdoor puncture wounds seen at FastMed clinics that need immediate removal to prevent infection and discomfort. With little children, common foreign body removals are often in the eyes, noise, ears and mouth ranging from dirt, insects and food to plants and other small outside objects. These foreign bodies must be removed immediately by your local FastMed Urgent Care.
Bites – Fleas, mites, chiggers, ticks, parasites, snakes and many other insects and animals can take a bite out of you while you enjoy the outdoors. Insect repellent is a simple, hassle free deterrent and insect nets create an effective barrier when enjoying your porch or back yard. For small bites, there are a number of over-the-counter topical creams available to reduce skin itching and swelling. For more serious bites and stings, visit your local FastMed for immediate treatment. Prior to hiking, swimming in a lake or pond, or enjoying a local park in North Carolina, check the local parks and recreation department for the type of local wildlife you might encounter.
Skin Rashes – Eczema is any skin irritation or inflammation such as itching, redness, blisters or cracking of the skin caused by an allergic reaction to the skin. Common causes of Eczema include heat, perspiration, allergic reactions, plant rashes (poison ivy or poison oak), insect bites or skin contact with chemicals (such as pesticides or weed killers) and products (such soaps, detergents and fabric softeners). Visit your local FastMed to diagnose your skin rash and the best treatment course to clear up the rash.
FastMed Urgent Care is an owner and operator of urgent care facilities with locations throughout North Carolina and Arizona. FastMed focuses on the delivery of non-appointment based medicine to the non-emergency patient market. The urgent care centers are open 365 days a year and are staffed with experienced and licensed physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners. FastMed clinics hold The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for accreditation in compliance with the Joint Commission’s national standards for health care quality and safety in ambulatory health care. For more information, please visit www.fastmed.com. FastMed is managed by an affiliated entity of one of the investment funds of the Comvest Group.
About the Comvest Group:
The Comvest Group, with $1.2 billion of assets under management, provides flexible financing solutions to lower middle-market companies through its equity and debt funds, often meeting time-critical and complex funding requirements. The firm includes seasoned, senior level operating executives who partner with managers and owners of companies to operationally improve businesses and create long-term value. Since 2000, Comvest has invested more than $1.5 billion of capital in over 105 public and private companies. For more information, please visit www.comvest.com.
