Urgent Care in Garfield, New Jersey

Aches and pains can occur in a localized spot in the body, or your entire body may feel sore, tender, or painful. It may feel like every bone in your body hurts. These symptoms may indicate a large variety of disorders, and seeking medical attention is the first step toward discovering its cause.

An allergy occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks an otherwise harmless substance. Your body then produces antibodies, which remain on the lookout for repeat exposure to that specific allergen in order to mount a defense against it. Allergy symptoms can vary from person to person and will depend on the substance you are allergic to and how you are exposed to it. Common symptoms include inflammation, rash, itching, sneezing, and shortness of breath.

Find out more about our allergy testing and immunotherapy services.

Asthma causes your airways to become inflamed and narrow, making it difficult to breathe. Why asthma affects some people and not others is unclear, although a combination of genetic and environmental factors is suspected. Triggers may include respiratory infections, exercise, cold air, stress, and airborne pathogens. Asthma itself can cause difficulty breathing, chest pain, cough, and wheezing.

Feeling dizzy may include being tired, weak, experiencing imbalance, and pain or pressure in the head or chest. Most people experience temporary sensations of dizziness from time to time in their lives. However, if it occurs regularly or is severe, it’s time to seek medical attention. Dizziness can be a sign of many different disorders, including low blood pressure, heart disease, anemia, hypoglycemia, infection, dehydration, and even anxiety.

We conduct many of the most common screenings for drugs or alcohol. Workplaces may require a urinalysis and/or blood test that tests for drugs or alcohol before hiring an employee, regularly during employment, or after a workplace accident or injury.

Find out more about our occupational medicine services.

Ear infections may be bacterial or viral in nature, often occurring after an upper respiratory infection or allergic response. Children are more susceptible to ear infections than adults. Symptoms of an ear infection include ear pain, difficulty hearing, and drainage from the ear.

The pain of a headache will vary, depending on its type or cause. It may be felt in one location on your head or all over. It may be a throbbing pain or constant. In some cases, the pain may radiate to your neck or shoulders. Headaches can become chronic and occur frequently.

The most common headache types are tension headaches, migraines, and cluster headaches – this is how headaches are described when the pain is not due to another medical cause or the cause remains unknown. A doctor can help rule out medical causes of your headaches and can help treat them when your symptoms are persistent or severe.

The providers at My Doc Urgent Care can provide many needed vaccines, including shots for the seasonal flu, pneumonia, shingles, hepatitis, chickenpox, tetanus, and more. Being properly vaccinated can help prevent the spread of many contagious diseases. It is important that you are not sick at the time of receiving your vaccine.

Find out more about our physicals & vaccines services.

In most cases, insect bites are bothersome and may cause mild itching or stinging at the location of the bite. Sometimes, however, an insect bite can trigger a more severe response. You or a loved one may experience swelling and redness that spreads from the site of the initial bite or sting. If symptoms become life-threatening – including difficulty breathing, swelling or hives on the face or neck, dizziness, or sudden confusion – emergency care is required. Call 911 or visit the nearest ER right away.

It’s very easy to sustain minor wounds. It can happen as the result of a fall, accident, burn, or being cut by something sharp. Depending on the extent or depth of the wound, you may require stitches for your skin to heal properly. Most important is to properly clean and disinfect the wound to avoid the risk of infection. If the injured area swells, is warm to the touch, or if you develop a fever, you may have an infection that requires medical treatment.

Video: Lacerations, Cuts, Stitches: What to Expect at My Doc Urgent Care

A physical exam is often required for students, those who wish to participate in certain sports, attend summer camps, and more. An employer may also require a physical exam. These exams can vary slightly, depending on its purpose, but the overall aim of a physical is to ensure a person is healthy and physically able to participate in the desired activity.

Find out more about our physicals & vaccines services.

Also called conjunctivitis, pink eye is inflammation or infection of the conjunctiva (the transparent covering over the whites of the eyes). It causes noticeable redness of the eye, which may occur in one or both eyes. Pink eye is commonly caused by a bacterial or viral infection.

Pink eye is highly contagious. It requires medical attention to limit its spread.

Video: What to Look for If You Suspect Pink Eye

One of the most common illnesses we treat at My Doc Urgent Care are respiratory infections. This includes the common cold, flu, pneumonia, and more.

We can test and diagnose you while you’re here as well as discuss your treatment options. Tests we can perform using our in-house lab include a respiratory pathogen panel (RPP).

Do you have any of the following symptoms? It may indicate you are suffering from a respiratory infection that requires medical attention.

• Difficult or painful breathing
• Fever
• Fatigue
• Cough
• Abnormal sputum
• Nasal symptoms: stuffy or runny nose, nasal congestion

If you are sexually active, we suggest you be screened for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) – especially if you don’t use condoms. STD testing offers peace of mind as well as treatment, should it be necessary.

Common STDs and their symptoms include:

• Chlamydia – an extremely common STD in men and women. It is easily spread because it often causes no symptoms, although it can permanently damage a woman’s reproductive function. Antibiotics can effectively treat chlamydia.
• Gonorrhea – especially common among young adults. Gonorrhea can cause infection of the genitals, rectum, and throat. An early symptom is pain during urination. It is treated with antibiotics.
• Syphilis – begins as a painless sore on the mouth, genitals, or rectum. Left untreated, syphilis can lead to a rash elsewhere on the body, and later may damage the brain and nervous system. Because it is a bacterial infection, syphilis is easily treated with penicillin.
• Genital Herpes – most people with the herpes simplex virus have no symptoms at all. When symptoms occur, you may notice painful blisters around the genitals, rectum, or mouth that take a week or longer to heal. It is estimated that 1 in every 6 adults of reproductive age in the U.S. has genital herpes. There is no cure for genital herpes, although medicine can prevent or shorten outbreaks – those periods when sores are present and the disease is contagious.
• Trichomoniasis – typically causes no symptoms. Left untreated, trichomoniasis can increase a woman’s risk of premature delivery, and may increase your risk of getting HIV. Once diagnosed, it is easily treated with antibiotics.
• HIV – the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) weakens your ability to fight infections. It is mostly contracted through contact with infected blood, semen, or vaginal fluids. Flu-like symptoms are common after the initial infection – then again when acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) develops. There is no cure for HIV/AIDS, but antiretroviral therapy can help you manage the condition and reduce the risk of contagion.

Also referred to as sinusitis, chronic sinus infections cause your nasal cavities to regularly become infected, swollen, and inflamed. Common symptoms of a sinus infection include headaches, facial pain, a runny nose, and nasal congestion.

You may experience a rash as bumpy, itchy, red skin. Your skin may also begin to blister and peel. In some cases, skin ulcers may appear. There are many reasons you might get a rash, including infection, allergies, heat, and as a side effect of certain medications. Your treatment options will depend on the reason for the rash or skin irritation.

If you notice a sore throat when you swallow, or you are unable to swallow properly, make sure you come in for a medical evaluation. A sore or scratchy throat can indicate many different illnesses and medical conditions, including a sinus infection, a cold, and more.

Video: When to See a Doctor About Your Sore Throat

Soft tissue injuries like sprains and strains are extremely common. Sports injuries, overuse, and falls or other accidents can cause sprains and strains.

• Sprains involve a stretching or tearing of ligaments, the tissue connecting bone to bone. Sprains typically occur at the joints, such as an ankle sprain, thumb sprain, or a sprained knee.
• Strains are the stretching or tearing of muscles or the tendons that connect muscle to bone. Common locations for a muscle strain – also called a pulled muscle – include the low back, neck, shoulder, and hamstring (in your thigh).

An X-ray or other imaging test can identify the extent of your injury, as well as rule out other causes of your symptoms. Find out more about the imaging services at My Doc Urgent Care in Garfield, New Jersey.

A urinary tract infection (UTI) typically develops after bacteria enter the urinary tract through the urethra and multiply within the bladder. Symptoms of a UTI include pelvic pain, more frequent urges to urinate, pain with urination, and blood in the urine.

Left untreated, a UTI may cause recurrent UTI infections, kidney damage, and sepsis, a life-threatening complication that can occur if the infection travels to the kidneys.