Syphilis Testing More Important Than Ever

Syphilis testing is more important than ever. Over the past few years, the number of reported cases of Syphilis has increased 11.8 percent and continues to go up. 64% of the reported cases of Syphilis occurred in sexually active homosexual men. Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease that occurs mostly in adult men and women ages 20 to 39 years of age.

In the medical community, Syphilis has often been called “the great intimidator” because the signs and symptoms are very much similar to those of other diseases.

Contracting Syphilis

Syphilis is passed from person to person through direct intimate contact with a syphilis sore. Syphilis cannot be transmitted through contact with doorknobs, toilet seats, swimming pools, by trying on clothes or by using eating utensils at a restaurant. Pregnant women, however, can spread the disease to their unborn child, which is just one more reason why syphilis testing is so important.

Syphilis and Pregnancy

Depending up on how long a pregnant woman has had the disease, syphilis can cause the baby to be stillborn or develop serious problems within a few weeks from birth. These serious problems can lead to developmental delays, seizures or even death. It is very important if a woman is considering pregnancy, to be tested for Syphilis, as well as other tested for other sexually transmitted diseases.

The Dangers of Syphilis

If syphilis goes undetected or untreated, it can move into the late and latent stages. In this stage, the syphilis infection will continue even though the infected person is showing no signs or symptoms. At this stage, syphilis can damage your internal organs. If signs and symptoms of late stage Syphilis do show up, they include the following: difficulty coordinating muscle movements, paralysis, numbness, gradual blindness, and dementia.

Testing for Syphilis

Testing for Syphilis in sexually active people who think they may have been exposed to the disease is imperative. A simple blood test will detect whether or not you have the disease. Syphilis can be treated with a course of antibiotics from your physician.

To prevent the spread of Syphilis, please practice safe sexual relations, as well as refrain from sex if you have Syphilis until you have cleared it with your physician.

If you have any questions regarding the Syphilis test, or any other lab tests available at HealthcheckUSA.com, please contact one of our customer service representatives.

DNA Analysis Breaks the Curse of Hereditary Disease

DNA analysis and testing has come a long way. Once the stuff of science fiction, DNA analysis now allows people with a history of inherited disease to find out if they and their loved ones will be affected.

Unlike the DNA testing you see on CSI and other popular crime dramas, DNA analysis for hereditary disease has nothing to do with identity or sleuthing. Rather, it uses the same kind of DNA information to figure out if the test subject carries the genes - or DNA - for the disease being analyzed.

HealthCheckUSA’s consumer lab testing service currently offers the following DNA analysis tests:

• celiac disease DNA analysis
• Factor V Leiden testing (hypercoagulable disorder DNA analysis)
• Factor II prothrombin testing (hypercoagulable disorder DNA analysis)
• R2 polymorphism testing (hypercoagulable disorder DNA analysis)
• analysis and testing for hereditary hemochromatosis

DNA Analysis: Celiac Disease

As mentioned earlier in this blog, celiac disease is an autoimmune reaction to gluten. Celiac disease, while common, is often misdiagnosed and can easily be spotted with the proper DNA analysis testing. Celiac disease can be especially troubling to new parents who are distressed by the gastrointestinal problems of their infant.

Other people who should investigate DNA analysis testing for celiac disease are:

• people who have family with celiac disease
• people with iron-deficient anemia
• people with dermatitis herpetiformis
• people who suffer from diarrhea, abdominal pain and distention, cold sores, osteoporosis, infertility, multiple miscarriages, anxiety, or depression
• children with abdominal pain, diarrhea, abdominal distention, short stature, delayed puberty, irritability, attention-deficit disorder, or poor school performance
• people with negative or equivocal antibody or biopsy results and celiac disease symptoms.

DNA Analysis: Factor V Leiden Testing

Factor V hypercoagulable disorder is a potentially devastating inherited malady that affects the way the patient’s blood clots. Ordinarily, blood only clots when trauma or exposure to air requires it. In hypercoagulable disorder patients, the blood does not clot properly, and specifically, for victims of Factor V Leiden, clots are resistant to being broken down by the body’s normal processes. Factor V Leiden DNA analysis quickly determines if this is the case for you or your loved one. HealthCheckUSA also offers combined Factor V Leiden DNA analysis with prothrombin testing.

DNA Analysis: Prothrombin Testing

This mutation results in activated Factor II thrombin in the blood, which causes a high risk of clotting in the patient’s blood passages. Of course, this also brings with it a danger of heart attack, stroke and other cardiopulmonary incidents. Needless to say, if you believe you or your family are at risk for inherited prothrombin, we encourage you to investigate prothrombin DNA analysis immediately. Prothrombin patients often suffer from deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, cerebral vein thrombosis, premature ischemic stroke or premature myocardial infarction.

DNA Analysis: Hereditary Hemachromatosis

Almost one in ten American Caucasians is a carrier for hereditary hemachromatosis, a mutation that causes the body to absorb and carry too much iron. Unless you take a hereditary hemachromatosis DNA analysis test, you may be unaware you have this disease, especially if you are a man under 30 or a woman under 50. If you are a victim of hereditary hemachromatosis, you may experience arthritis, liver issues, congestive heart failure, impotence, skin pigmentation and pancreas damage.

DNA Analysis Testing Provides Early Warning

With DNA analysis testing from the accredited testing labs of HealthCheckUSA, you don’t need to live in fear of inherited disease. Simply select and purchase your test online. Then go for your DNA analysis test at a lab that’s convenient for you. That’s all it takes!