Low Cost Blood Testing: The Health Check USA Blog » Vitamin D Deficiency: Additional evidence on importance of Vitamin D

Posted by David | Posted on 26-05-2009

Vitamin D Deficiency: Additional evidence on importance of Vitamin D

Category : health screening, health tests, Vitamin d, Women's Health

Tags: blood, cancer, diabetes, disease, diseases, doctor, health, healthcheckusa, healthy, liver, physician, prevention, screening, test, testing, tests, type, types, undefined, Vitamin d, vitamin d deficiency, vitamin d test, vitamin d testing

“Vitamin D in the Crossfire”

From Experience Life, June 2006

While the tried and true advice — seek shade, wear sunscreen, avoid direct sun exposure between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily — hasn’t changed, recent research indicates that our hyper-vigilance about sun exposure may actually be compromising our body’s ability to maintain healthy levels of vitamin D.

We’ve long known vitamin D is essential to building strong bones, but a flurry of emerging studies is linking deficiencies of the sunshine vitamin to a growing list of serious health concerns, including hypertension, diabetes, depression and a variety of cancers. Despite vitamin D also coming from foods like eggs, cod liver oil, fatty fish and fortified products, many Americans, especially those living in cloudier climes, do not get today’s “adequate intakes” for bone health.

Read more about vitamin D in the crossfire here http://www.experiencelifemag.com/issues/june-2006/health-wellness/vitamin-d-in-the-crossfire.html?ht

HealthCheckUSA is the nation’s leader in low cost, direct-to-consumer blood and lab testing and provides people the ability to access all types of blood tests without a physician’s referral and at half the price.

HealthCheckUSA has packages that make it simple for consumers to measure, monitor, and improve their health by being able to order their own lab tests without a doctor’s order. HealthCheckUSA serves customers without insurance, have high deductible insurance plans, and taking control of their health because their doctor won’t order the test.

The tests available through HealthCheckUSA are the same medically accepted lab tests ordered by doctors for their patients. The tests are analyzed by an accredited medical reference laboratory. The results are confidential, and are available by fax to you or your doctor, or by mail to you (please allow 10 working days for mailing). Results are also available on the HealthCheckUSA Web site within 3-4 business days. An information sheet with an explanation of each test, including normal reference ranges, accompanies all results.

Posted by beth | Posted on 27-05-2008

Hepatitis B Test: What You Need to Know

Category : lab tests, std testing

Tags: disease, doctor, health, health check, health check usa, health check usa com, hepatitis, hepatitis b, hepatitis b screening, hepatitis b test, hepatitis b testing, lab, lab test, liver, liver disease, screening, test, testing

Hepatitis B: What Is It?

Hepatitis B is an infection of the liver caused by the Hepatitis B virus (HBV). According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, there are three types of the Hepatitis B: acute, chronic and perinatal. Acute Hepatitis B usually last for less than six months and your body is able to recover completely from it. Chronic Hepatitis B means that your body can’t rid itself of the virus and it may last for a lifetime and potentially leads to cirrhosis or liver cancer. Perinatal Hepatitis B is when the virus is passed from an infected mother to her newborn child.

Symptoms of Hepatitis B may never appear, and if they do it is usually within 12 weeks of acquiring the disease. These symptoms include the following: Symptoms of Hepatitis A include jaundice (yellow eyes and skin), abdominal pain, dark urine, joint pain, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, and fatigue.

Hepatitis B: How to Prevent It

Hepatitis B can be prevented with a series of vaccinations which can protect against the virus for at least 23 years. Other ways to prevent the disease is know the status of any sexual partners, practice safe sex, use sterile needles, vaccinate before traveling to regions there is a high-risk, and be cautious before accepting transfusions in foreign countries. Also, if you are pregnant, get tested just in case.

Hepatitis B Test: How to Test for It

Hepatitis B can be detected through a very simple blood test. Health Check USA offers a Hepatitis panel test that will detect Hepatitis A, B and C. To ensure accuracy of the panel, HealthCheckUSA.com recommends a ten-hour fast prior to having your blood drawn. However, water and black coffee are permitted during this time. If you have any questions regarding this lab test, please contact one of our representatives.

Hepatitis B: How to Treat It

Once you have realized that you have come into contact for the disease, notify your doctor immediately to receive an injection of Hepatitis B Immune Globulin within 24 hours of contact. Once you have developed Chronic Hepatitis B, there really are limited treatment options. Your doctor may monitor vs. treat. If the doctor decides to treat, there are several antiviral medications you can receive. However, if there is sever liver damage, a liver transplant may be necessary.

Posted by beth | Posted on 20-05-2008

What You Need to Know About Hepatitis C

Category : std testing

Tags: buy hepatitis test, cirrohsis, disease, get tested for hepatitis, health check usa, healthcheck, healthcheckusa, hepatitis, hepatitis A test, hepatitis c, hepatitis c test, hepatitis c virus, hepatitis lab test, hepatitis test, hepatitis tests, lab, lab test, liver, liver cancer, liver cirrohsis, liver disease, test, testing, tests, virus

Hepatitis C Testing: Do You Need It?

Hepatitis C testing detects this serious infection of the liver, which causes the liver to swell. Hepatitis C is a silent killer, as it rarely presents itself with symptoms. Unlike its counterparts, Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B, there is no vaccine for the Hepatitis C Virus. Hepatitis C is a highly infectious virus that causes extreme damage to the liver and over time can cause liver cancer, liver failure, cirrhosis of the liver and even death.

People with Hepatitis C can easily spread the disease to others, even without symptoms. If you think that there is a remote possibility that you have been exposed to the disease, the Center for Disease Control recommends that you get a Hepatitis C test right away.

Hepatitis C: How to Prevent It

As mentioned earlier, Hepatitis C can not be prevented through vaccination. The best way to prevent exposure to the virus is to avoid certain practices. You can get Hepatitis C by the following ways: sharing drug needles, getting pricked with a needle that has infected blood on it, having sex with an infected person, getting a tattoo or body piercing with unsterilized tools, and being born to an infected mother. Also, if you have had a transfusion before 1992 there is a possibility you have received infected blood. Before 1992, there were no tests for the Hepatitis C virus.

Hepatitis C: How to Test for It

Hepatitis C can be detected through a very simple blood test. Health Check USA offers a Hepatitis test that will detect Hepatitis A, B and C. To ensure accuracy of the panel, HealthCheckUSA.com recommends a ten-hour fast prior to having your blood drawn. However, water and black coffee are permitted during this time. If you have any questions regarding this lab test, please contact one of our representatives.

Hepatitis C: How to Treat It

Once you have received your test results back and have discovered you have the Hepatitis C Virus, notify your doctor immediately. Your doctor may perform a liver biopsy to see the extent of any liver damage that has already occurred. There are two drugs that doctors can treat you with, peginterferon and ribavirin. They are given through shots and have strong side effects. If you have had the virus for several years, you may require surgery or even a liver transplant.

Order a Hepatitis Test Now

Just like any other kind of STD testing, hepatitis testing is definitely a case of “better safe than sorry.” If you suspect you might be at risk for hepatitis, or just want to make sure you’re clean, order a Hepatitis test without delay.

Posted by beth | Posted on 15-05-2008

Hepatitis A: What You Need to Know

Category : lab tests, std testing

Tags: check, health, health check, health check usa, health check usa com, hepatitis, hepatitis a, hepatitis panel, lab test, liver, liver disease, test, travel

Hepatitis A: What Is It?

Hepatitis A is a liver disease caused by the Hepatitis A virus. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prvention, there are no long-term chronic effects to this illness; and once you have had it, you are immune to it. Hepatitis A virus is found in the stool of people that have the virus; coming into contact with anything that has touched the contaminated stool can cause the illness.

Symptoms of Hepatitis A include jaundice (yellow eyes and skin), abdominal pain, fever, diarrhea, nausea, loss of appetite, and fatigue. Lots of times, Hepatits A can easily be diagnosed as something else.

Hepatitis A: How to Prevent It

Hepatitis A can be prevented through proper personal hygiene, washing of hands before cooking and after using the restroom, and being cautious when traveling to places such as Mexico, Africa, the Caribbean and South America. A vaccination is also available for the Hepatitis A virus, ask your physician about this.

Hepatitis A: How to Test for It

Hepatitis A can be detected through a very simple blood test. Health Check USA offers a Hepatitis panel test that will detect Hepatitis A, B and C. To ensure accuracy of the panel, HealthCheckUSA.com recommends a ten-hour fast prior to having your blood drawn. However, water and black coffee are permitted during this time. If you have any questions regarding this lab test, please contact one of our representatives.

Hepatitis A: How to Treat It

There is no treatment for Hepatitis A, except for rest and proper nutrition. Hepatitis A is a virus and you will just have to let it run its course. Please be advised, though, that a relapse of symptoms can occur for over a six to nine month period. If you do have Hepatitis A and you are experience diarrhea and/or vomiting, please make sure to get plenty of fluids in order to avoid dehydration.

Posted by beth | Posted on 25-04-2008

Ferritin Screening and Why It is Important

Category : lab tests

Tags: anemia, cancer, check, diabetes, doctor, ferritin, ferritin screening, health, health check, health check usa, health check usa com, health screening, health test, iron, iron deficiency, liver, screening, test

Ferritin Screening: What is Ferritin

Ferritin, composed of protein and iron, is the storehouse in the body for iron. The doctor will order this test to determine how much iron your body has stored i ferritin screening n reserves for future use. This test is usually ordered because the doctor suspects that you have too little iron or you have too much iron in your body – both of which have health risks.

Ferritin Screening: Low Levels of Ferritin

Low levels of ferritin can indicate several different health issues. They can indicate either anemia, restless leg syndrome, or iron deficiency.

Anemia, indicated by low levels of ferritin, can be caused by low levels of iron or a reduction in iron. Symptoms of anemia include mild skin paleness, less pink in the lips and the nail beds, irritability, fatigue and dizziness with a rapid heartbeat. It is very important to have children showing these symptoms to get tested, according to the Nemours Foundation, as anemia can cause developmental delays and behavioral problems.

Ferritin Screening: High Levels of Ferritin

High levels of ferritin can occur in patients with hemochromatosis, inflammation, liver disease, infection, and certain types of cancer, such as lymphoma and leukemia.

Hemochromatosis is an inherited disease found mostly in Caucasians. Hemochromatosis interferes with the body’s ability to get rid of iron. Over time, there is a buildup of iron in the tissues and organs which can lead to the dysfunction and failure of several organs. Complications of this disease can lead to diabetes, heart failure, heart attack, arthritis and cirrhosis of the liver. Discuss with your doctor the ordering of the ferritin test if you are concerned with this genetic disease.

Ferritin Sreening: How It is Done

The ferritin test is a simple sample test completed by drawing blood from the vein in your arm. If you have any questions about this test or any other lab test we offer, please contact one of our health experts.