Stay Healthy This Cold & Flu Season: Your Guide to the Right Care

Cold and flu season is near—be ready now. Knowing where to go for care helps you recover faster, prevent complications, and avoid spreading illness.

Prevention starts with primary care. A primary care provider (PCP) is your first line of defense for routine checkups, prevention, chronic condition management, and treatment of common illnesses. They also coordinate referrals when you need a specialist. Yet according to the National Association of Community Health Centers, nearly 100 million people across rural and urban communities in the United States lack access to primary care.

Frederick Health makes receiving care easier for you and your family. With over 10 Primary Care locations across Frederick County, including a location in Emmitsburg, you can get same-day sick visits, see an expert provider who knows your history, and schedule a visit online from the convenience of your smart phone or computer.

Don't Wait for Care

Seeing a provider at the first sign of cold or flu symptoms doesn’t just prevent a sore throat. It can stop illnesses from worsening, reduce complications and infections, and help you avoid missing school, work, and other events. Acting early also lowers your chances of needing urgent care or an emergency room visit.

“During cold and flu season, wait times in the emergency room tend to be extremely long.” says Natalie Lowrey, a Nurse Practitioner (NP) with Frederick Health Primary Care Emmitsburg. “We see many people in the ER with upper respiratory infections that could have been treated by their primary care provider.”

Seeing Your Primary Care Provider First

If you’re sick but can wait a day, in most cases, your best option is to see your primary care provider. Not only does your provider factor in your health history to determine the appropriate treatment, but it can also save you time and money. Seeing your primary care provider early improves your chance of a quick recovery.

Lowrey adds, “If you are sick, you should be scheduling an appointment with your primary care provider to be treated rather than going to a higher level of care. We make sure to offer same-day appointments for sick visits.”

Frederick Health has also expanded online scheduling for all Primary Care providers, including Lowrey, making it easy to schedule an appointment from your computer or smartphone.

When to Go to Urgent Care

Urgent care is a good option when you’re not able to see your primary care provider. If you need medical care the same day and it’s not an emergency, Frederick Health Urgent Care can help. Our team treats cold and flu symptoms, earaches, back pain, fevers under 103°F, sore throats, minor injuries, and more —no referral needed.

Frederick Health offers walk-in visits and Virtual Visits at four convenient locations including Emmitsburg. Within an hour, Virtual Visit patients are connected online with a trusted Frederick Health provider from the comfort of their own home.

When to Call 911 or Go to the Emergency Room

There are times when going straight to the emergency room is necessary. If you need immediate medical care for a serious issue, such as chest pain, fever over 103°F, pediatric emergencies, serious wounds, uncontrolled bleeding, or trouble breathing, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. When in doubt, call 911.

Take Steps to Stay Healthy

Prevention is the best treatment. Wash your hands often, get enough sleep, drink plenty of water, practice good hygiene, eat a healthy diet, and stay up to date on vaccinations.

“What we like to pass along to our community during cold and flu season is taking preventative action to prevent illness,” said Lowrey. “Handwashing is by far the easiest and one of the most important things we can do to prevent the spread of illness.”

If you are feeling sick, it’s important to avoid going out and gathering with others. “We tend to see a lot more respiratory illnesses around the holidays because people are gathering with friends and families for the holidays when they’re feeling sick,” Lowrey notes. Knowing your symptoms and seeing your primary care provider can help keep your entire family healthy.

Get Your Flu Vaccine

With respiratory illnesses on the rise, getting a flu vaccine is the best way to protect yourself and loved ones. It’s recommended that everyone six months of age and older get a flu vaccine every season, with rare exceptions.

If you are a current Frederick Health Primary Care patient age 10 years or older, attend one of our upcoming flu vaccine clinics. Visit frederickhealth.org/FluVaccine for up-to-date times and locations. Children six months to age nine can get their flu vaccine by scheduling an appointment with their Frederick Health Primary Care provider.

Not a Frederick Health Primary Care patient? Don’t worry—flu vaccines are also available at Frederick Health Urgent Care locations in Emmitsburg, Frederick, Urbana, and Brunswick. Walk-in flu vaccines are available for everyone ages 18 and older and children 10 and older who have previously received a flu vaccine from Frederick Health.

Choose the Right Care When You Need It

Taking steps to avoid getting sick and understanding where to seek care helps control the spread of illness and makes your recovery process faster. Learn how to choose the right level of care-primary care, urgent care, or emergency services-so you can make confident, informed healthcare decisions.

To learn more about Frederick Health’s levels of care and treatment options, visit www.frederickhealth.org/GetCare. To make an appointment with Natalie Lowrey, NP, visit www.frederickhealth.org/Lowrey or call 240-215-6310.