Home Health Tests Reviewed

Home health tests, according to an article that appeared in the Star-Telegram, are helping people take control over their health.  The article discusses the accuracy and safety of home health tests.

Home Health Tests Accurate When Administered Properly

According to the article that appeared on August 4th, home health tests that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration are generally pretty accurate.  However, the article warns that the accuracy of home health tests does depend on how the sample was collected.  The article states that if a home health test comes up negative, most of the time they are.  Although, there are times that false positives do show up and you should consider receiving a lab test from your physician to be sure of the results.

Home Health Tests vs. Lab Tests

When you consider that most home health tests are for pretty life-altering medical events, such as pregnancy, HIV, hepatitis C, cholesterol levels and prostate cancer; wouldn’t you rather leave that up to a more accurate lab test?

HealthCheckUSA provides you with the same convenience as a home health test, i.e. you don’t have to go to a physician; yet HealthCheckUSA provides you with the same accuracy and confidence in the results as going to your physician to receive tests.

Home Health Tests:  Wise Choice?

HealthCheckUSA offers physician-interpreted tests in all major health areas, such as prostate and ovarian cancer, pregnancy tests, HIV, diabetes, cardiovascular, and even complete health risk assessments based on several predictor tests.  Unlike home health tests, the samples are collected by medical professionals in a sterile environment and an accredited Medical Reference Laboratory analyzes all of the test results.

HealthCheckUSA is also priced comparably to most home health tests, making HealthCheckUSA lab tests an even better decision when it comes to taking control of your health.

Discount Health Tests Reduce Medical Costs

Discount health tests can help keep medical costs down.  This is according to Dr. Greg Jackson, a physician at San Antonio’s Interceptive Health.  Dr. Jackson is also writing a book on preventative health care.

Discount Health Tests Assist in Prevention

Discount health tests are part of the plan Dr. Jackson uses with his patients to help keep their costs down.  Patients of Dr. Greg Jackson are taught to focus on prevention or catching health issues early.  The main part of Dr. Jackson’s plan is to have his healthy patients only come in for physicals every 15 to 18 months vs. every 12 months.  This way the patient might be able to “straddle” two calendar years and thus only have to pay one deductible payout.

Discount Health Tests with Quality Results

The discount health tests come into play right before a patient’s physical.  Dr. Jackson likes to have his patients come in with their lab results in hand in order to avoid the time and cost of having a follow-up visit to review the lab test results.  Dr. Jackson stated that he sends his patients to us, HealthCheckUSA, as we offer up a discount of up to 50 percent than most other labs.

Not only can Dr. Jackson’s patients receive their annual blood work; they can also receive a series of other lab tests in areas, such as cardiovascular or diabetes, that might be of concern to Dr. Jackson or his patients.

Discount Health Tests for Cost-Conscious

Dr. Jackson reminds his patients and every person receiving healthcare that if health costs are a concern have a discussion with your physician.  Dr. Jackson states that many physicians will work with their patients to make healthcare more affordable.  HealthCheckUSA will also work with you and your physician to provide quality lab tests and timely results that won’t break the bank.

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 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.