Avoiding infection when your kids go back to school

Classrooms are communicable

Next month about this time, urgent care and immediate care clinics will see a spike in the number of school aged children with colds and flu symptoms. The beginning of the school year is the time when your children will make new friends and in the process, meet lots of new germs and bugs. Just watch a group of children playing together. You will notice that they are always in close contact with each other and they touch a lot of shared surfaces such as:

• Doorknobs
• Desktops
• Toys
• Pens and pencils
• Food

Adjusting to new sleep patterns

The excitement and/or the dread of school can seriously affect sleep patterns and eating habits. Take a compromised immune system and add constant contact with a variety of germs and germ sources, you have a recipe for an illness that will usually go through the entire class before it runs out of steam. We want to offer you a few practical and affordable ideas that will make this year’s back-to-school season fun and healthy for everyone.

Proper sleep is crucial

As students get older, bedtime schedules are often more relaxed. Video games and electronic devices are guaranteed to make students stay awake late into the night. Studies have shown that teens need at least 10 hours of sleep a night, especially if they are involved in extracurricular activities and after school sports. Poor or insufficient sleep is the first step to a weakened immune system.

Convenient and comprehensive sports physicals in Germantown

We all want the best for our families, especially when it comes to healthcare and preventive medicine. If you cannot get a timely appointment for a sports physical exam through your primary care physician, Medical Access can help. Do you need immunizations for school? Medical Access urgent care clinic provides convenient walk-in service for every member of your family. Their friendly staff will carefully and quickly assess your needs, and provide the appropriate services. Care will range from preventive medicine to urgent care, even if it requires x-ray and lab services. Plan to walk-in clinic for school physicals and sports physicals at the same time.

Urgent care monitoring of your blood pressure

The dangers of high blood pressure

Unfortunately, high blood pressure will become an issue for many of us before we even reach middle age. In fact, one of every three adults will be diagnosed with high blood pressure this year, and the numbers are steadily rising. As impossible as it seems, nearly 400,000 Americans die every year with high blood pressure as a primary or contributing cause. That is over 1,000 deaths each day. High blood pressure increases your risk for dangerous health conditions such as:

• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Chronic heart failure
• Kidney disease

High blood pressure has such a negative effect on the body because it is a chronic condition that: 

• Propagates a lack of proper blood flow, which deprives vital organs and body systems of oxygen.
• If you do not carefully monitor and regulate blood pressure, you have no way of realizing and controlling damage to the heart and blood vessels.
• High blood pressure is called the silent killer because one third of those who suffer from high blood pressure have no idea they have the condition.
• Symptoms usually go unnoticed until the situation has become acute.

Convenient, walk-in care for Germantown, MD

We all want the best for our families, especially when it comes to healthcare and preventive medicine. Medical Access provides convenient walk-in care as an alternative to long waits in the emergency room. Their friendly staff will carefully and quickly assess your needs and provide the appropriate services, from preventive medicine to x-ray and lab services. Their facilities are fully staffed and equipped in order to meet the demands of their patients and their healthcare needs.

Dr. Manbir Takhar is the Chief Medical Officer, and has been associated with Medical Access since 1999. She is qualified to treat almost any type of injury or illness that may present itself. Call Medical Access today; or simply drop in as no appointment is needed to receive timely, quality urgent care for any non-life-threatening health issues.

Flexible work injury treatment

Convenient and flexible treatment

Do you have a work injury treatment plan for your employees? Is it convenient and flexible? If you find the right occupational health facility, you can have a worker’s compensation program that specializes in the treatment of work related injuries and the management of employee health issues.

When it comes to getting employees back to full health and back on the job, time is of the essence, make sure that your provider has the experience and the compassion that will allow them to minimize employee disability, promote employee health, and help control health care costs. You will want a full service provider that offers the injured worker complimentary treatment modalities that includes:

• Physical therapy
• Massage therapy
• Interventional pain management
• Occupational therapy

Maintain a healthy workforce with Occupational Health Services

With more than 27years of experience and expert clinicians in occupational health, Medical Access is focused on helping keep your workforce healthy and productive. In addition, we provide services through our highly convenient, walk-in location in Germantown, MD. From drug screenings to wellness programs, Medical Access offers a wide range of occupational health services to support employers in maintaining a healthy, safe workforce, while reducing the costs of work injury treatment for your company and your employees. Their facilities are fully staffed and equipped in order to meet the demands of their patients and their healthcare needs.

Dr. Manbir Takhar is the Chief Medical Officer, and has been associated with Medical Access since 1999. She is qualified to treat almost any type of injury or illness that may present itself. Call Medical Access today; or simply drop in as no appointment is needed to receive timely, quality urgent care for any employee.

School and sports physicals: What to expect

Sports and annual school physicals

Soon it will be time to go back to school, which means that most students will need an annual school physical and/or a sports physical. You can be sure that doctor’s offices are inundated and probably overbooked. Perhaps you have a middle school or high school aged child who decided to turn out for a fall sport at the last minute. Every athlete needs to complete a pre-participation physical in order to participate in an organized sport. If your family doctor is overbooked, or you cannot schedule a timely appointment, your best option is to walk-in to a Germantown Urgent Care Center for the required sports physical. In fact, if you have more than one athlete in the family, bring them all at the same time.

What to expect

The doctors at urgent care clinics do not consider these physicals to be routine. Look for a clinic that has competent physicians who will assess your child’s health systematically and pragmatically. You want someone who is committed to determining whether your child is in good health, and is fit enough to meet the demands of their sport. In order to make this determination, sports physicals should consist of two parts:

1. A complete personal and family medical history.
2. A universal medical exam by a health care professional.

Once all of the factors are scrutinized by the physician, you can expect:

1. A true and honest assessment of your child’s physical condition.
2. To provide detailed and valuable insight regarding your family health history.
3. If a health problem is detected, the doctor is will be able to recommend the appropriate treatment. 

This will give your child the best chance to practice or compete without concerns. More importantly, you will have peace of mind knowing that your child is in the best possible physical condition.

Convenient and comprehensive sports physicals in Germantown

We all want the best for our families, especially when it comes to healthcare and preventive medicine. If you cannot get a timely appointment for a sports physical exam through your primary care physician, Medical Access provides convenient walk-in service for every member of your family. Their friendly staff will carefully and quickly assess your needs, and provide the appropriate services. Care will range from preventive medicine to urgent care, even if it requires x-ray and lab services. Plan to walk-in for school physicals and sports physicals at the same time.

Walk-in for a travel vaccination before your international trip

Health hazards abroad

This is the time of year when many people are preparing for an international journey. Part of that planning is to remember to get the proper vaccinations in order to ensure that you will remain healthy during your trip, and long after you return home. Below we have listed some of the more common diseases you can avoid by getting the necessary travel vaccinations.

• Polio
• Malaria
• Yellow Fever

Regardless of the cost, reducing the risk of infection and death is certainly priceless.

Convenient and affordable travel vaccinations in Germantown

We all want the best for our families, especially when it comes to healthcare and preventive medicine. Medical Access provides convenient walk-incare as an alternative to long waits in the emergency room or when you cannot get a timely appointment from your primary care physician. Their friendly staff will carefully and quickly assess your needs and provide the appropriate services, from preventive medicine to x-ray and lab services. Their facilities are fully staffed and equipped in order to meet the demands of their patients and their healthcare needs. Call them today or simply drop in, as no appointment is needed to receive travel physicals and vaccinations.

STD testing at urgent care centers

STDs and STD Testing

Although we rarely talk about it, sexually transmitted diseases are a major problem in the United States. Every year, more than 20 million new cases are reported. Sexually transmitted diseases often cause infertility, cancer, or a host of other health issues if they are left undetected and untreated.

Protecting yourself and others

Abstaining from sexual activity altogether is not a viable option for many people. This means that:

• Regular testing is both prudent and responsible.
• Urgent care clinics seem ideally suited for STD screening because patients can be screened on a walk-in basis.
• Testing for common infections such as chlamydia is recommended annually for women aged 25 and younger
• Testing is recommended for all pregnant women, regardless of age.
• Everyone aged 13 to 64 should get at least one HIV test each year.

HIV is transmitted by many people who don’t even know that they have it. It is completely natural to feel anxious about being tested, but the sooner one gets tested, the sooner they can receive treatment.

STD screening and health services

With more than 27years of experience and expert clinicians on staff, Medical Access is focused on helping keep your privacy in secure hands. In addition, we provide a wide range of healthcare services through our convenient, walk-in location in Germantown, MD. Whether it is drug screenings or wellness programs, our STD testing center at Medical Access can help you maintain a healthy, safe lifestyle.

Dr. Manbir Takhar is the Chief Medical Officer, and has been associated with Medical Access since 1999. She is qualified to treat almost any type of injury or illness that may present itself. Call Medical Access today; or simply drop in as no appointment is needed to receive timely, quality urgent care for any non-life-threatening health issues.

Urgent care sun safety tips for choosing sunscreen

Hours of fun in the sun

Urgent care clinical staff will tell you that Damage from the sun is cumulative. Over the course of a person’s lifetime, 25 percent of their exposure to the sun occurs between birth and 18 years of age. Skin cancer is one of the few cancers that are almost entirely preventable; if we are aware and proactive.

Choosing the proper sunscreen

• Block the sun’s damaging rays with the use of a sunscreen that has an SPF of at least 30
• Use sunscreen that offers protection against both UVA and UVB rays.
• Apply the sunscreen liberally; according to the American Academy of Dermatology, most people apply only half as much sunscreen as they should.
• One ounce generally covers an adult sufficiently, and most children kids need about half of that.
• For a measuring guideline, an ounce of sunscreen should fill the palm of your hand.

The key areas

In addition to the obvious spots such as the arms, legs, and face; be sure to apply a generous amount of sunscreen to the:

• Ears
• Neck
• Backs of legs
• Tops of feet
• Hands

Keep in mind that lips can burn, too. Be sure to carry a lip balm that has an SPF of 15.

Convenient, walk-in care for Germantown, MD

We all want the best for our families, especially when it comes to healthcare and preventive medicine. Medical Access provides convenient walk-in care as an alternative to long waits in the emergency room. Their friendly staff will carefully and quickly assess your needs and provide the appropriate services, from preventive medicine to x-ray and lab services. Their facilities are fully staffed and equipped in order to meet the demands of their patients and their healthcare needs.

Dr. Manbir Takhar is the Chief Medical Officer, and has been associated with Medical Access since 1999. She is qualified to treat almost any type of injury or illness that may present itself. Call Medical Access today; or simply drop in as no appointment is needed to receive timely, quality urgent care for any non-life-threatening health issues.

Urgent Care tips for making hydration a habit

Keeping children hydrated

Urgent care doctors know that children are much more prone to dehydration than adults, yet it seems that the majority of hydration education is geared towards adults. The fact is that children’s bodies do not cool down as efficiently as adult’s bodies, and children are seriously at risk when the temperatures climb this time of the year. When fluids leave the body faster than they are being replaced, severe dehydration is the risk, and can even be a life threatening situation.

Make hydration a habit

• The best way to keep your child hydrated is to make sure that they drink liquids regularly.
• You should offer healthy beverages at every meal and with snacks.
• If your child is involved in organized sports, add some extra hydration in his or her first meal of the day, but start then drinking even the night before.
• Your child should drink the equivalent of a 16 ounce bottle of water about every 2 hours during their game.
• Remember that during activity, your child can lose up to a half-liter of fluid per hour.
• Get your kids to drink at least 5- 9 ounces of water or a sports drink every 20 minutes.

Convenient, walk-in care for Germantown, MD

We all want the best for our families, especially when it comes to healthcare and preventive medicine. Medical Access provides convenient walk-in care as an alternative to long waits in the emergency room. Their friendly staff will carefully and quickly assess your needs and provide the appropriate services, from preventive medicine to x-ray and lab services. Their facilities are fully staffed and equipped in order to meet the demands of their patients and their healthcare needs.

Dr. Manbir Takhar is the Chief Medical Officer, and has been associated with Medical Access since 1999. She is qualified to treat almost any type of injury or illness that may present itself. Call Medical Access today; or simply drop in as no appointment is needed to receive timely, quality urgent care for any non-life-threatening health issues.

Urgent care fireworks tips for a safe Fourth of July

Fun and fireworks safety

Urgent care clinics are bracing for the busiest day of the year for medical emergencies… the 4^th of July. Even though backyard fireworks are illegal in Montgomery County, and the penalty for possessing them is a hefty fine, there are always a few residents who think it is worth the risk. Unfortunately, we will see a percentage of these individuals because they have been injured while handling fireworks. The safest and smartest way to enjoy fireworks is to go out and view one of the many public displays in the area. We would like to provide you with some quick tips for having a fun and safe 4^th of July weekend.

1.       Only approved fireworks should be discharged.

2.       Remember that even if fireworks are legal in certain areas, they may be temporarily forbidden because of risk of wild fires.

3.       Never let young children handle or light fireworks.

4.       Sparklers are not as safe as you think; they can reach a temperature of 1800 degrees Fahrenheit.

5.       Only light fireworks that are placed on a stable and flat surface.

6.       Make sure that fireworks will discharge clear of any combustible materials, houses, and buildings.

7.       Never hold fireworks in your hand while lighting them.

8.       Keep a bucket of water and/or a hose ready as a precaution against fire.

9.       Never try to relight fireworks that failed to ignite.

Convenient, walk-in care for Germantown and Montgomery County

We all want the best for our families, especially when it comes to general healthcare and occupational medicine. Medical Access provides convenient walk-in care as an alternative to long waits in the emergency room. Their friendly staff will carefully and quickly assess your needs and provide the appropriate services, from preventive medicine to x-ray and lab services. Their facilities are fully staffed and equipped in order to meet the demands of their patients and their healthcare needs.

Dr. Manbir Takhar is the Chief Medical Officer, and has been associated with Medical Access since 1999. She is qualified to treat almost any type of injury or illness that may present itself. Medical Access one of the select facilities for sports physicals and immigration physicals. Call them today or simply drop in. No appointment is needed to receive timely, quality urgent care for fevers or any non life-threatening health issues.

Annual physicals and sports physicals at your urgent care center

Summer “to do” list

You can get ahead of the game by taking your family to your Germantown urgent care clinics for annual physicals and/or sports physicals. If you have a youngster that plans on participating in football this fall, it would be wise to get his sports physical as early as possible, Most football programs start training camp in August, and you can be sure that many doctor’s offices will be swamped with back to school physicals and vaccinations. Urgent care clinics are ultra convenient because you don’t need an appointment; walk-ins are welcome. Beyond sports physicals, your kids should have a physical every year, regardless of age.

Two birds with one stone

If your child plays a sport, taking him or her to an urgent care clinic for a sport physical can take care of two projects at one time. Sports physicals and regular back-to-school physicals are not the same. However, they can be completed in the same appointment, saving you time, money, and an extra trip to the doctor. Having a sport physical completed earlier will be very wise because it will give your child and his or her doctor the opportunity to address any concerns with regard to injuries, nutrition, training, or other health issues. In the event that injuries or health problems are discovered, it gives your child time to receive treatment and to recuperate before the sports season actually begins.

Convenient, walk-in care for Germantown and Montgomery County

We all want the best for our families, especially when it comes to general healthcare and occupational medicine. Medical Access provides convenient walk-in care as an alternative to long waits in the emergency room. Their friendly staff will carefully and quickly assess your needs and provide the appropriate services, from preventive medicine to x-ray and lab services. Their facilities are fully staffed and equipped in order to meet the demands of their patients and their healthcare needs.

Dr. Manbir Takhar is the Chief Medical Officer, and has been associated with Medical Access since 1999. She is qualified to treat almost any type of injury or illness that may present itself. Medical Access one of the select facilities for sports physicals and immigration physicals. Call them today or simply drop in. No appointment is needed to receive timely, quality urgent care for sport physicals or any non life-threatening health issues.