Celiac Disease:  What is it?

Celiac disease is a lifelong autoimmune intestinal disorder that affects genetically predisposed people of all ages from middle infancy on.  Celiac disease is triggered by the ingestion of gluten.  Gluten is a protein that can be found in all forms of wheat, including durum, semolina, spelt, kamut, einkorn and faro.  Gluten can also be found in rye, barley and triticale.  Persons with Celiac disease must eliminate all gluten from their diet.

Symptoms of Celiac Disease

Celiac Disease is very serious and should be tested for and treated if it is suspected.  Symptoms in children can include growth failure, vomiting, bloated abdomen, and behavioral changes.  In adults symptoms can include one or more of the following:  recurring bloating or gas, chronic diarrhea or constipation, unexplained weight loss or gain, vitamin k deficiency, fatigue, missed menstrual periods, canker sores in the mouth, and tooth discoloration or loss of enamel.

Complications of Celiac Disease

If you have undiagnosed Celiac disease and you continue to ingest gluten, several long-term conditions can occur; as well as some other associated auto-immune disorders, such as Insulin-Dependent Type I Diabetes, liver disease, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Thyroid disease, and Dermatitis Herpetiformis.

If someone in your family has been diagnosed with Celiac disease or one of the previous mentioned auto-immune disorders, you should take a Celiac Disease DNA test as soon as possible.

Celiac Disease Testing

A Celiac Disease DNA test from HealthCheck USA includes an easy and reliable genetic test; detailed reports with genetic interpretation, recommendations and education; and free genetic counseling for physicians, patients, and families through our partner company Kimball Genetics.

If your test results are positive, the only real treatment for Celiac disease is to completely abstain from ingesting any gluten.  Your physician may suggest other lab tests to check your current health status; and if so, one of our healthcare representatives can assist you with scheduling these.

Nutrition is the Foundation of Good Health

Nutrition has many more important factors to your health than just your weight. Although maintaining a healthy weight or losing those extra pounds are also important for good health; proper nutrition leads to less illness, stronger immune systems and overall better health. Nutrition is very important as a foundation to health; and, in many cases, medical conditions can be treated simply by eating better.

Total Nutrition Panel

HealthCheckUSA has a nutrition panel that will allow you to work with your doctor to build a nutrition and diet plan that is just right for you. The nutritional panel consists of three different parts: CHEM-26, Vitamin B12 with Folic Acid, and TIBC.

Nutrition Panel: CHEM-26

CHEM-26 is the part of the Nutrition panel known as the “Super Chemistry” test. This lab test will check your kidney, heart, and liver functions. CHEM-26 checks your cholesterol and triglycerides, as well as your glucose, calcium, uric acid, electrolyte and iron levels. Cholesterol and triglyceride levels may indicate a need for dietary changes and possibly medications. High glucose levels could indicate diabetes, and high levels of iron could indicate a serious genetic disorder.

Nutrition Panel: Vitamin B12 with Folic Acid

The Vitamin B12 with Folic Acid gives you a thorough analysis of your body’s metabolic functions. B12 levels can help physicians determine if your body is generating enough energy to power all the organs. Low levels of B12 can be an indication of a high-risk of organ damage. This part of the nutritional panel also determines how much folic acid your body is getting. A lack of folic acid can impair protein synthesis and cell division.

Nutrition Panel: TIBC

Finally, the last lab test in the nutritional panel is the TIBC or the total iron binding capacity. Elevated levels of TIBC can indicate that you have an iron deficiency, which means that you need to incorporate more green vegetables and possibly red meat in your diet. TIBC measures how efficiently your blood transports iron through the rest of your body.

Make sure that you are eating properly and getting the right nutrition, call and order a nutrition panel test today.

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.

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.

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.