How Should I Treat Kitchen Burns? Trading take-out for home cooked meals in 2024? As many people focus on health at New Year’s cooking at home becomes part of everyone’s resolutions. While cooking at home is great, don’t forget to let yourself have an occasional restaurant treat. Hickory has incredible local eateries, so consider treating yourself to brunch at Café Gouda or a dinner at Olde Hickory Station. Whether you’re aiming for a healthier diet or just want to explore new flavors, safety in the kitchen comes first. Brush up on basic cooking and safety tips so you have a safe, successful y ..read more

Why Does My Skin Get Dry in the Winter? As winter approaches, Hickory residents might find themselves dealing with that dreaded dry, parched skin. Whether you’re checking out cool planes at the Hickory Aviation Museum, hunting for treasures at the Hickory Furniture Mart, or just trying to keep up with the daily chaos, dry skin can quickly go from a minor nuisance to a major irritation. This winter, be proactive and take some preventive steps, so you and your crew can enjoy the Catawba County winter season without the discomfort of dry skin. Winter is coming, and with it comes the dreaded dry s ..read more

Oh, the holiday season. All of the delicious food, cozy nights on the couch and flowing drinks can make this a wonderful time of year to revel in another season of life surrounded by friends and family. However, all of this celebration can be hard on your body! Running around getting everything done ahead of time can put a strain on your immune system, and feeling sluggish after too many celebrations can end in a stubborn illness at the most inconvenient time. Our AFC Urgent Care Hickory team explains some simple ways to stay healthy while enjoying the holiday season to the fullest. How Can I ..read more

RSV can seem like a scary virus for new parents to be aware of, and unfortunately, it sometimes is. RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, can cause some serious breathing issues for your newborn or infant. While anyone can become infected with RSV, it disproportionately affects small children and older adults and can even be life-threatening in severe cases. Our AFC Urgent Care Hickory team wants you to be prepared as we head into RSV season, so read on to learn more about this pesky virus. In What Ways Does RSV Spread? RSV is a viral illness that can quickly spread through dense populations. T ..read more

Being a parent during the height of the cold and flu season can be really challenging. Navigating sick kids, keeping a clean house and calling in to work yet again because your youngest spiked a fever in the middle of the night can have us all dreaming of the warmer months ahead. No one wants their children to get sick at this time of year, but it is incredibly common as so many different infections are circulating at any given time. Certain resources, like the flu vaccine, are a great tool to help keep your kids healthy throughout the season. Come see us at AFC Urgent Care Hickory, and we can ..read more

As we enter into the heart of cold and flu season, it is important to be on the lookout for any signs of illness for your entire family. A single cold or the flu could sneak in and spread throughout your household if you aren’t careful. While it is impossible to completely prevent illnesses, taking preventive steps can help you stay healthy. This is especially true when strep throat, the flu and COVID-19 cases are rising all around us. If you start to feel sick this season, come see us at AFC Urgent Care Hickory. We explain a few of the more common illnesses of the season below, so read on to ..read more

We can almost guarantee that if we asked you if you knew someone who had a serious or even deadly COVID-19 case over the past couple of years, you would say yes. It affected our entire country in ways we could have never imagined. We are so grateful that cases haven’t reached the peaks that they did back in 2020 and 2021, but COVID-19 is still out there and can still make you really sick. Our AFC Urgent Care Hickory team explains more about the current COVID-19 symptoms below, so read on to refresh your memory ahead of the fall and winter seasons to come. Who Can Get COVID-19? Everyone is at r ..read more

Getting sick can be a really big source of frustration, especially when you have a busy week ahead! It can be even more frustrating when you are feeling sick but have no idea what is causing your symptoms. Thankfully, we are here to help! Our team is dedicated to caring for you and we are grateful to have multiple different diagnostic tools, like a state-of-the-art lab, at our disposal to help us along the way. Read on as our AFC Urgent Care Hickory team explains more about our lab and how it can help diagnose you faster and more accurately. What Can the Lab Diagnose? One of the most common te ..read more

Sure you can! You can do anything you set your mind to, though it may be a difficult thing to do. Quitting an addictive habit is hard work and takes determination, but you can do it. Smoking cigarettes and using other forms of tobacco are two of the most common addictions, so know that you are not alone and that there are other people out there wanting to quit as well. Our AFC Urgent Care Hickory team wants you and your family members to live healthy lives, so read on to learn more about the negative effects of smoking to hopefully inspire you to take the leap and quit. Why Is Smoking Addictiv ..read more

You never want to think about the possibility of getting sick. It’s never fun to feel unwell, but it can cause anxiety if you aren’t sure what is causing your symptoms. That is certainly true when it comes to STDs! Sexually transmitted diseases can not only make you feel uncomfortable, but they can have a significant impact on your health later in life if they aren’t treated properly. Our AFC Urgent Care Hickory team wants you to stay as healthy as possible, so read on as we explain the benefits of testing for and treating STDs early. Will STD Symptoms Appear Immediately? There are over 20 dif ..read more