Winter is a busy season for urgent care clinics and doctors’ offices everywhere. Cold temperatures keep many inside for a few extra hours. All that close-quarters togetherness means viruses are handed off at greater rates than in the summertime, when people are enjoying the great outdoors. And cold-weather indulgences like wood-burning fireplaces can trigger respiratory problems.

To help keep you and your family healthy throughout the winter, Solantic Baptist Urgent Care offers preventative tips to guard against the most common cold season illnesses:

Make sure you have a healthy winter season with a visit to your nearest Solantic Baptist Urgent Care clinic.

Common Cold: Statistics show there’s a 99% chance your child will catch a cold each winter season. In fact, young kids typically get three to 10 colds each year and as you know - there is no cure outside of letting it run its course. To help dodge a cold or quicken your recovery from one keep your natural resistance through good nutrition, exercise and plenty of restorative sleep. Dry air dries out and cracks mucous membranes in your nose and throat, creating entry points for cold viruses, so turn your thermostat down a few notches and keep the humidity up in your home or office. Avoid direct contact with others who already have colds and wash up to your hands frequently.

Influenza: The flu is another tough one to dodge, especially for kids and the elderly. Up to 40 percent of all children will get hit with the flu each year. For higher risk patients including elders and people with chronic health problems, the flu can lead to more serious complications such as pneumonia. In fact, more than 200,000 people in the U.S. (including 20,000 children) are hospitalized with flu-related complications annually and flu-related deaths number in the thousands each year. Solantic Baptist Urgent Care urges you to get your flu vaccinations early, before flu season hits hard. We know - nobody likes a shot! The good news: Only one flu vaccine is needed for the 2010-2011 influenza season. Last season, different vaccines were needed to help prevent both seasonal influenza and the 2009 H1N1 flu virus. This year’s seasonal flu vaccine protects against three strains of the flu including H1N1.

Stomach Flu: Also called “Viral Gastroenteritis,” this stomach bug typically hits a full 90 percent of kids at least once by age four. But thanks to the relatively new RotaTeq oral vaccine (save for babies two months and older) 79 percent fewer children fall ill with the stomach flu each year since the FDA’s 2007 approval.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV): RSV causes common cold symptoms and triggers bronchiolitis (an infection of the small airways) in 40 percent of cases. This adds wheezing, rapid breathing and a persistent cough to RSV’s common cold-like symptoms. It’s contagious during the four- to six-day incubation period, plus three to eight days afterward and may require inhaled medication or hospitalization. Air irritants worsen RSV symptoms, so avoid exposure to wood-burning fireplaces, cigarette smoke and strongly scented lotions and perfumes.

Roseola: Unfortunately, there is no preventative vaccine for this rash-causing illness that comes with a fever, cough and often, diarrhea. Avoid exposure to those who may be infected and insist on good hygiene practices.

To ensure you and your family are ready for the winter season, stop by your nearest Solantic Baptist Urgent Care clinic for all your seasonal vaccinations. If an illness hits, Solantic is open evenings and weekends and you never need an appointment.

Winter brings its own full set of potential health concerns, many that could land you or your loved ones in a hospital or urgent care center. But by far, the most prevalent winter ailment is the common cold. 

Urgent care centers nationwide see a lot of patients with the common cold each year. There are more than 200 viruses that can cause a cold and reports show that U.S. residents get more than a billion colds annually. It’s the No. 1 reason that children miss school and adults miss work.

Once a cold virus enters the body it begins to multiply, causing a whole host of symptoms including runny nose, watery eyes, sore throat, nasal congestion, sneezing, coughing, mild fever and aches and pains. There no cure for the common cold nor is there a vaccine to protect you from catching one. For the most immediate care of cold symptoms, try a mild pain reliever or over-the-counter cold remedy. Just know that OTC remedies will only help relieve symptoms, but will not shorten your illness. A common cold must simply run its course. Stay hydrated by drinking lots of water or juices and be sure to get plenty of sleep. 

To help prevent a cold wash your hands up to the elbows several times daily, particularly after contact with others showing any symptoms. Keep your natural resistance to illnesses strong by eating healthy, balanced meals, exercising regularly and getting adequate nightly sleep. Turning your thermostat down and keeping your home humid also helps. That’s because dry air dries out the mucous membranes in your nose and throat causing them to crack, creating entry points for cold viruses.

If your cold symptoms persist for more than a few days or if you begin to vomit, have chest pain or difficulty breathing or painful swallowing, head to an urgent care clinic or hospital as soon as possible. These may be signs of a secondary problem aggravated by a cold and requiring immediate care. For instance, aside from a mild discomfort, a cold will not cause painful swallowing. This may be a sign of a more serious infection or injury.

A cold also will not cause shortness of breath or chest pain. If you experience this, head to an urgent care center or hospital ASAP, as this could be a sign of a much more serious problem such as heart disease, asthma or pneumonia.

A cough that lasts more than a few days may be related to asthma or Gastroesophageal reflux disease (commonly known as GERD), a condition that causes food or liquid to travel backwards from the stomach to the esophagus. Physicians nationwide also have seen an increase in pertussis, aka whooping cough, in children over the past few years – something to check on if a cough lasts more than two weeks.

Each of these heightened conditions calls for immediate care. Solantic Urgent Care locations are found throughout Florida. You never need an appointment and we guarantee that if you’re not feeling better in three days after your initial visit, your follow up visit is free.