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Though the flu season has been relatively mild in the U.S. this year, influenza viruses are still circulating, according to a recent health alert from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – issued on March 28, 2019. The alert warns clinicians and community members alike that “influenza activity remains high” and “H3N2, an influenza strain known to cause more severe illnesses, is now making up a greater proportion of cases than it did early in the season.”

We encourage patients in our community of Middletown, New York and neighboring Hudson Valley communities of Goshen, Port Jervis, and Bloomingburg, NY, to seek treatment for their cold and flu symptoms. Nausea, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headaches, chills or fatigue tend to all be associated with the flu and even mild to moderate cases can leave you couch or bedridden for several days.

If you are seeking relief through the treatment of your symptoms you may consider over-the-counter medications with self-treatment at home, an appointment with your Primary Care doctor, or even a visit to the Emergency Room. Many patients may be finding it difficult to determine which of these options is best based on the severity of your symptoms or the symptoms of a loved one.

Our Garnet Health Doctors physicians would like to take a moment to remind patients, that in many cases, our urgent care centers can offer an effective, convenient option for the diagnosis and treatment of mild or moderate flu symptoms.

“We are in the midst of flu season and we know that getting your symptoms checked out immediately is important,” says Dr. Heublum-Colton, Urgent Care Medical Director for the Garnet Health. “Since Urgent Care usually has shorter wait times than the Emergency Department, we can get to patients faster”

Very often and for various reasons, patients will go to the emergency room for non-emergency situations. Dr. Heublum-Colton suggests these tips to help you determine whether Urgent Care or the Emergency Room is the right location for flu treatment based on your symptoms:

Go to an ER if:

  • Exhibiting severe warning signs of flu, such as chest pain, confusion and respiratory distress or difficulty breathing
  • You or your loved one are in a high-risk group. This group includes: infants, the elderly, women who are pregnant and individuals with medical conditions that affect their ability to fight infections

Consider an Urgent Care Center if:

  • You or a loved one is experiencing mild to moderate flu symptoms, such as cough, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, headaches, chills and fatigue.
  • You are seeking a medical attention immediately but are unable to get an appointment with primary care physician

Our urgent care center has the ability to offer testing to confirm whether or not you have the flu, as well as to prescribe you the medication you need to self-treat at home, in addition to executing X-rays, IV fluids, and blood work for you. We can also quickly assess whether you are experiencing severe and life threatening flu symptoms that do require the care of our emergency department team. In this case, we are able to swiftly transfer you to our Emergency Department, as our Urgent Care center is located on-campus and backed by Garnet Health Medical Center.

Treatment at urgent care centers for flu and illness symptoms allows our emergency rooms to focus on our patients who are experiencing life-threatening events.

Urgent Care in Middletown, NY

Our Urgent Care center is set up to assist our patients with various injuries or illnesses that, though not life-threatening, require immediate professional medical attention. No appointment needed, just “walk in”!

Open Daily, 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Outpatient Building
707 East Main Street
Middletown, NY 10940
845-333-7271

We also have an Urgent Care location in Monticello, NY.

Learn more

All content presented are provided for informational and educational purposes only, and are not intended to approximate or replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard or delay seeking professional medical advice because of something you have read within the website content. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call 911 immediately.

Originally posted January 2018

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