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Most of the time, a sprain can be treated with ice and rest. However, if the ligament is severely torn, you may need surgery to fix this injury.

Most sprains are mid-grade or minor and will take 1-4 weeks to heal. However, more serious sprains can take up to 12 weeks to fully heal. Schedule an appointment to determine the severity of your sprain and receive a more accurate timeline.

After a few days have passed and the worst of the pain has subsided, you can start gently stretching your sprained ankle by flexing it and moving it in circles a few times a day. Continue stretching after the ankle has healed to prevent reinjury.

Sprains cause swelling so elevating the sprained area, uses compression and ice, and taking a break from sports/exercise will all help reduce that swelling and speed up recovery.

A sprain occurs when a ligament (the connecting tissue between 2 bones) is stretched or torn. Strains are a tear or twist in the muscle or tendon. Strains are caused by stretching or pulling a muscle and sprains are caused by injuries like a fall or blow to the body that stresses the joint and supporting ligaments.

Most fractures heal in about 6-8 weeks. However, minor fractures can heal in as little as 4 weeks and serious fractures, such as a tibia fracture, can take up to 20 weeks.

This is a more complex question that you might think since it depends on the severity of the sprain and the break. High grade sprains can be just as bad or worse than a fracture and just as painful.

The symptoms of sprains and breaks are very similar so it can be difficult to tell them apart. However, if you hear an audible crunch, see a deformity in the limb, or are unable to put weight on the injury, you likely have a break. When in doubt, come in for an X-Ray to get the right diagnosis and treatment.

If you have a severe break, such as multiple fractures on one bone, you may need surgery to repair the damage. However, low grade fractures are sometimes treatable by setting the broken bone in a cast or splint.

minor burns usually appear as dry, discolored areas of skin. Burns on light skin tones will appear pink or red, while they may appear reddish-brown on darker skin tones.

A minor burn is also called a first-degree burn.

Burns are considered open wounds, so you should cover them to keep the wound free of harmful bacteria.

Superficial dermal burns are initially painful. This is because, without the protective covering of the epidermis, nerve endings are exposed.

A minor burn can occur due to any source of heat, including hot liquids, hot surfaces, chemicals, the sun, or fire.

Digital X-rays have the benefit of clearer images with higher resolution and better contrast. Since these images are taken digitally, your doctor can enlarge the image to focus in on the problem area.

Digital X-rays only take 5-10 minutes since they are immediately processed on a computer screen.

X-ray sensitive metal plates convert X-ray radiation into an electric charge that is digitally sent to a computer through a detector sensor.

Radiation exposure from a digital X-ray is 80% less than your exposure from the traditional practice of X-rays.

The advanced technology required for digital X-rays means there is more maintenance required for the hardware. The digital detector is also thick, so it is sometimes hard to position just right. These are not any disadvantages you as a patient have to worry about.

Unfortunately, it’s unlikely for an impacted ear clogged with ear wax to clear on its own. It most likely needs to be unclogged by a professional.

You may feel some discomfort during the treatment for ear wax impaction but you shouldn’t feel any pain.

To prevent ear wax impaction, avoid sticking anything in your ears, regularly soften your earwax with diluted hydrogen peroxide, keep your ears clean but don’t overclean, and avoid using ear candles.

Some of the symptoms include an earache, a feeling of fullness in the ear, hearing loss, dizziness, and a ringing noise in the ears.

Fixing an ear wax impaction on your own can be difficult and cause more harm than good. Seeking the help of a physician at WellCare Urgent Care to help you remove the earwax properly and safely is the best option.

It typically takes about two hours to rehydrate after being dehydrated but if you are severely dehydrated, it can take much longer than that.

To stay hydrated, men need about 15.5 cups of fluids a day and women need about 11.5 cups of fluids per day. Although, the exact amount of fluid you need will depend on your weight and age. The fluid intake can include water, other beverages, and food.

Yes, you can drink too much water and when this happens, your kidneys cannot get rid of the water fast enough. The sodium content of the blood becomes diluted. The condition is called hyponatremia.

Water and beverages that contain little to no fat and sugar are the best types of drinks to have when you’re dehydrated.

Yes! Feeling thirsty is normal and is not necessarily an indication of dehydration. But if you’re constantly thirsty, it can be a sign of dehydration.

The symptoms can differ between strep and a sore throat. Strep typically comes with a fever as well as a headache, swollen glands, and loss of appetite. A sore throat typically comes with a cough, runny nose, and watery eyes.

After taking antibiotics, you become less contagious within 24-48 hours, but if your strep is untreated, it can take up to two to three weeks before you are no longer contagious. If you suspect you have strep, come on into WellCare Urgent Care and we can ensure you get the treatment you need.

Yes. You can have strep and be asymptomatic. You may not have a sore throat or a fever and still have strep. Unfortunately, you are still able to spread the germs, but you are much more contagious when you have symptoms.

A sore throat that is not strep-related will typically go away in about a week, but you can manage the pain with pain relievers and over-the-counter cough and cold medicine. You can also suck on ice chips and drink warm beverages and plenty of fluids.

You want to avoid any acidic foods and drinks as they can further irritate your throat. Foods that are crispy with firm edges like crackers or chips can also bother your throat as well.

Colds can often feel worse at night because your body temperature can rise at night, your circadian rhythm can affect your immune system, and you have fewer distractions at night and more time to really notice your symptoms.

The side effects of the flu shot include soreness, redness, and swelling at the injection site. You may also experience headaches, a fever, nausea, muscle aches, and fatigue.

No. Colds are caused by viruses, not by being wet or going outside in the cold without a jacket.

The standard flu symptoms stick around for about 4-7 days. After that, you should start to feel better.

A cold is caused by viruses which often lead to inflammation in the membranes that line the nose and throat.

Some of the best ways to prevent colds are to wash your hands regularly, social distance when people around you are sick, and avoid touching your eyes, mouth, and nose.

Colds can often feel worse at night because your body temperature can rise at night, your circadian rhythm can affect your immune system, and you have fewer distractions at night and more time to really notice your symptoms.

The side effects of the flu shot include soreness, redness, and swelling at the injection site. You may also experience headaches, a fever, nausea, muscle aches, and fatigue.

No. Colds are caused by viruses, not by being wet or going outside in the cold without a jacket.

The standard flu symptoms stick around for about 4-7 days. After that, you should start to feel better.

A cold is caused by viruses which often lead to inflammation in the membranes that line the nose and throat.

Some of the best ways to prevent colds are to wash your hands regularly, social distance when people around you are sick, and avoid touching your eyes, mouth, and nose.

While both bacterial and viral pneumonia typically come with symptoms like coughing and shortness of breath, walking pneumonia often has much milder symptoms, and in some cases, there are no symptoms at all.

It depends on the type of pneumonia you have. If you’re dealing with bacterial pneumonia, you are no longer contagious once your fever is gone. With viral pneumonia, you are considered no longer contagious when you feel better, and your fever has been gone for several days.

You may continue to feel tired or weak for about a month after having pneumonia.

Both viral and bacterial pneumonia are contagious. Viral pneumonia is contagious until you start to feel better, and bacterial pneumonia is contagious until your fever goes away. Bacterial pneumonia also stops being contagious about 48 hours after taking antibiotics.

Bacterial pneumonia is typically more severe than viral pneumonia.

Though some of the symptoms look similar, there are a few key factors that separate the common cold from allergies. The most apparent difference is the length of the symptoms-- colds usually last two weeks at the longest, whereas allergies will persist as long as the allergen is present. Additionally, there is not a clear trigger with a cold in the same way as there is with allergies like pets or pollen.

It is common for children to outgrow various food allergies as they get older. In over half the cases reported, children with allergies to milk or eggs outgrow it by their teenage years. However, outgrowing allergies is not a certainty and should be approached carefully. The safest way to test if you have outgrown an allergen is with a doctor’s allergen test. Keep your allergy medication stocked even after outgrowing your allergies as they can come back occasionally.

If you notice your symptoms getting worse even after taking antihistamines, there could be a few reasons why. One of the simpler causes is that you’re taking the medication too late— antihistamines should be taken prior to allergen exposure, or they will not be effective. Other reasons could include your allergies worsening, or your immune system being suppressed with age.

Untreated allergies are not only a nuisance but can lead to serious complications. If left untreated, you could develop new allergies and severe allergy attacks. When you experience an allergy attack, your immune system is exerting its energy fighting off a perceived threat, and frequent allergy flare-ups weaken the immune system. Over time, this can manifest as infections building in the body.

Though it is not commonly labeled an allergy symptom, it is possible to experience nausea with allergy flare-ups. After prolonged exposure to an allergen, your body may have produced excess mucus buildup. As your body attempts to clear away this substance, mucus will begin to drain away as post-nasal drip. As it drains down your throat, mucus will begin to build in the stomach, inducing nausea and sometimes vomiting. Call WellCare Urgent Care if this symptom arises.

Under OSHA regulations, an employer must have reasonable suspicion that you were under the influence of drugs or alcohol during the time of the accident to require a drug test. Your employer will notify a testing facility, like WellCare Urgent Care, that you are coming in for a test. You will be given a urine test to check your system for illicit drugs or alcohol. It is important to notify your test provider of any current medications you are taking. If you fail your drug test, your worker’s compensation may be affected.

Injury leave is dependent on the type of injury received. If it is a minor injury, you will be able to head home after a physician examines you. Maintaining contact with both your doctor and employer is vital to proper healing and compensation during leave. With severe injuries in which you cannot return, you may receive benefits continuously all your life, though the amount will be reduced as you become a senior.

Strains are one of the most common workplace injuries, and most commonly occur in the neck and back. Repetitive motions that over-exert the muscles build up into strains, but these injuries can also occur rapidly from slipping or tripping on a wet floor. Exercising caution in the workplace, and utilizing aids when necessary, can help you avoid muscle strains.

According to OSHA, the threats that could lead to severe injury are falls, electrocution, caught-in, and stuck-by hazards. While the first two a relatively self-explanatory, caught-in and struck-by hazards may be a little less clear. Caught-in hazards happen when a construction worker enters a trench or excavation site without the proper protective systems in place-- this mistake can be fatal. Struck-by incidences can occur when the employee is struck by a falling object, moving object, or swinging object. Failure to follow safety protocols around potentially hazardous mechanisms can be fatal, which is why employers and employees must work together to avoid injuries.

Every injury is different, and the recovery process may not look the same for everyone. The best way to be sure you’re ready for work is to keep in regular contact with your doctor. If they have not cleared you for work, you should not return. If you feel yourself returning to normal and are feeling ready to head back in, consult your doctor. Returning to normal too soon could result in re-injury.