TBH Medical is a direct primary care (DPC) provider in Colorado Springs, CO. Aja Hardesty, MSN, FNP-BC, AGACNP-BC, is a double board-certified Nurse Practitioner in Colorado Springs with 15+ years of emergency room, urgent care, and primary care experience. With direct primary care, you skip the hassles of insurance and pay a low-cost monthly membership fee to have faster and more personalized access to essential primary care services – Same-Day or Next-Day Appointments – No Copays. No Deductibles. No Surprise Bills – Clear Upfront Pricing and Great Personalized Care!
Direct Primary Care is a great money-saving option if you don’t currently have medical coverage or wish to pair it with a high-deductible plan or a military plan. You can save even more money by paying for your DPC membership with HSA or FSA funds. And you’ll definitely enjoy the much shorter wait times to be seen!
We want your influenza treatment to be as simple and quick as possible.
Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. It infects the nose, throat, and lungs and can range from mild to severe. The flu has similar symptoms to the common cold but comes on suddenly and is much more severe, which can increase your risk of developing secondary illnesses.
Common flu symptoms include:
Although more common in children, some people may experience vomiting and diarrhea. However, respiratory symptoms are the most common.
For healthy individuals, uncomplicated flu lasts anywhere from three to seven days. A persistent cough and fatigue may last for two weeks or longer. Make sure you rest and drink plenty of fluids to ensure a full recovery.
The flu and COVID-19 have the same symptoms, including fever, cough, and body aches. The only way to determine whether you have the flu or COVID-19 is through diagnostic testing. Our nurse practitioner at TBH Medical will administer the appropriate tests to determine which virus you have and develop a treatment plan.
Although prescription medication is available to fight the flu, treatment typically involves managing symptoms and supportive care. Our nurse practitioner will work with you to develop a personalized care plan to manage your symptoms and underlying medical conditions.
How does it work? Antiviral medication like Tamiflu stops the flu virus from spreading in your body. It may reduce the length of time you have the flu and decrease your risk of complications. Prescription medication is most effective if you take it within the first 48 hours of developing symptoms.
Yes, you can take OTC medications to alleviate certain symptoms like:
Our nurse practitioner will recommend the best course of treatment for your flu symptoms. Schedule an appointment today to learn more about how TBH Medical can help you manage the flu and other seasonal illnesses.
Over-the-counter medications like decongestants and cough suppressants may be used to help manage certain flu symptoms. We educate our patients on how to properly use these medications to prevent any drug interactions with medications that they are currently taking.
It goes without saying that rest and hydration are a flu sufferer’s best friends. You should rest as much as possible and drink plenty of water, clear broths, and electrolyte-rich beverages. In addition, you can add a humidifier to your bedroom or drink warm fluids that contain honey to relieve a painful cough and chest tightness.
DPC is a unique medical practice that offers a monthly membership fee to patients who want to receive individualized care from a primary care provider without involving any insurance company. Due to our cost transparency, TBH Medical is able to offer longer visits, direct access to our nurse practitioner, and personalized care.
As a DPC practice, we offer our patients same-day or next-day appointments to evaluate and treat flu symptoms as soon as possible. Because we know our patients very well, we are able to assess and treat their flu symptoms promptly.
Yes, because we maintain a smaller panel of patients, we have the bandwidth to see our patients on the same day or the next day for acute conditions, such as the flu. This allows our patients to be evaluated and treated with prescription medication within the first 48 hours of their flu symptoms.
Yes, we offer HIPAA-compliant telemedicine visits to our patients who do not feel well enough to drive to our office, who may be contagious, or who prefer to be evaluated in the convenience of their own home. Our nurse practitioner will evaluate your symptoms, diagnose the flu, and develop a treatment plan for you.
Yes, we do offer flu vaccines in our office to help prevent our patients from catching the flu during flu season. The flu and COVID-19 have similar symptoms, including fever, cough, and body aches, but COVID-19 may include loss of smell or taste, which rarely occurs with the flu, allowing some distinction between the two illnesses.
Resource: https://www.pfizer.com/disease-and-conditions/influenza
It is best to get your flu shot in Colorado Springs in September or October to prevent catching the flu before flu season starts. Typically, it takes a couple of weeks for the flu vaccine to provide immunity against the flu virus.
The flu spreads through droplets made when people with the flu cough, sneeze, or talk, and these droplets land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby. It can also spread by touching a surface or object that has the flu virus on it and then touching one’s mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes.
The incubation period of the flu, the time between exposure to the virus and the onset of symptoms, is usually about 1-3 days, but it can range from 1 to 4 days.
The diagnosis of flu can be made based on symptoms (such as rapid onset of high fever, severe headache, muscle pains, and malaise), timing (most cases of flu occur during the flu season), and knowledge of an outbreak. However, only a healthcare provider can make an accurate diagnosis.
While there are rapid flu tests available for consumer use, these tests are not as reliable or accurate as those conducted in a healthcare setting. If you suspect you have the flu, it’s best to consult a healthcare provider for proper diagnosis and treatment.
The effectiveness of the flu shot varies from year to year and depends on the match between circulating strains of the flu virus and the strains included in the vaccine. However, even when the vaccine strains are not a perfect match, the vaccine can still provide protection against serious flu illness, including hospitalization and death. Furthermore, even if vaccinated individuals do get the flu, symptoms tend to be milder and less likely to lead to serious complications.
Aside from getting a flu vaccine, you can take everyday preventive steps like frequent handwashing with soap and water, avoiding close contact with people who are sick, covering your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, and cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with the flu virus. Keeping your immune system healthy through adequate sleep, exercise, and nutrition can also help prevent flu and other viral infections.
At TBH Medical, all office visits (including flu evaluation) are included with the monthly fee. There are no copays due for flu evaluation during office hours.
Yes, unlimited office and telemedicine visits to evaluate and treat flu are covered under your monthly membership fee. Our goal at TBH Medical is to make healthcare costs transparent and convenient.
Rapid flu (and strep) testing is usually covered or billed at our cost. Prescription medications for the flu are usually purchased out of pocket at the local pharmacy. TBH Medical works hard to minimize the costs of prescription medications for you and negotiates a reduced cost for labs as needed.
If you are pregnant and think you or your child has the flu, it is essential that you or your child get evaluated by your provider within the first 48 hours of symptoms. Your immune system changes during pregnancy, making you more susceptible to severe illness from flu. Antiviral medications are safe to use and recommended during pregnancy to treat flu. TBH Medical will evaluate you, determine the best course of treatment, and provide prescription medications that are safe for both you and your baby.
Children and the elderly are at a higher risk of complications of the flu, including severe dehydration and pneumonia. The provider at TBH Medical will work closely with pediatric and elderly patients to manage flu symptoms, adjust medication dosages as needed, and ensure that patients in these higher-risk groups receive the hydration and rest they need to recover.
Chronic medical conditions like asthma, diabetes, and heart disease can become severe when you get the flu. If you have a chronic medical condition and you get flu symptoms, we recommend that you come in to the office within the first 48 hours of symptoms so that the provider can evaluate your condition and determine the best course of treatment for you. As your primary care provider, we can take care of your acute flu symptoms as well as any chronic conditions you may have to avoid critical complications.
Please go to the ED if you have symptoms like difficulty breathing, chest pain or pressure that won’t go away, confusion, or severe and persistent vomiting. While TBH Medical will take care of 99% of flu patients, it’s good to know when you need to get to the ED.
Yes, a nurse practitioner is an advanced practice nurse who is trained and licensed to assess, diagnose, and treat a variety of health issues, including the flu. In Colorado, nurse practitioners have full practice authority, meaning that we can evaluate patients, order and interpret labs and imaging, prescribe medications like antivirals, and create individualized care plans. The nurse practitioner at TBH Medical will treat your flu according to the current standard of care, and you will receive just as comprehensive care as you would from a medical doctor.
We follow current local data from El Paso County to determine the current activity and outbreaks of flu in the Colorado Springs community. This helps us quickly identify flu patients in our practice and provide early warning signs and prevention strategies to our patients.
Colorado Springs is a high altitude location, which means we have less dense air and drier air. This will increase your respiratory symptoms of the flu and can cause dehydration very quickly. We encourage our patients to drink lots of fluids and use a humidifier to combat the dry mountain air when they are recovering.
In addition to TBH Medical’s excellent care, we communicate with our local specialists, imaging facilities, and EDs in Colorado Springs if you need further intervention. We are your advocate in the health care system, and we make sure you are able to access what you need in our community.