Thursday 25 February 2016

Major Blood Tests and Their Uses

Blood tests are performed to diagnose an illness or to prevent or treat life-threatening disease. Through blood test results, you can catch a health issue from becoming a serious illness such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, or even more worse.
This is the reason why physicians usually recommend that everyone should get annual physical tests in order to stay healthy.

If you live in farmingville, NY you can access a number of healthcare facilities that provide blood tests in the area. Almost all types of blood tests are performed in health care facilities like the patient care center in Farmingville. Some of the most common types of blood exams performed in health care facilities include-

CBC- Complete Blood Count test is one of the most common blood tests performed during an annual physical exam of a patient. The  overall picture of patient’s health is provided through this test.

The amount of hemoglobin in a patient’s body is determined by this test. In addition, the number, variety, percentage, & quality of red blood cells, and white blood cells are also measured through it.

The result of CBC helps to prevent health issues like anemia, infections, and other hematological abnormalities.

Hemoglobin A1C - This test helps to evaluate blood sugar level in a patient from the last two to three months.

The test result is categorized in three parts- normal (less than 5.7%), pre-diabetes (5.7% to 6.4%), and diabetes (6.5% or higher). Diabetes above 6.5% may cause serious health complications like eye disease, heart disease, nerve damage, stroke, and kidney disease.

Patients with diabetes should talk to their doctor and get the proper treatment to maintain healthy levels of hemoglobin A1C.

Homocysteine - This test is used to check homocysteine level in the blood that helps determine vitamin B12 or folate deficiency. High level of Homocysteine can cause cardiovascular disease.

It is advisable to go for regular testing, in order to keep homocysteine levels under control.

Fibrinogen Test - It is also known as a Factor I assay. This test is used to evaluate fibrinogen level in the blood. Results of fibrinogen tests help to prevent blood clotting, which might lead to serious health conditions like heart disease, and inflammatory disorders.

Annual physical exam is essential to evaluate a person’s health. It is a great way to ensure that a person is not suffering from any ailment. To get a better understanding of each test, always discuss the results with your physician.

Tuesday 23 February 2016

Ultrasound Services- Assisting Doctors In Different Medical Procedures

For many illnesses and diseases, X-rays prove to be an insufficient means of diagnosis. In such cases, advanced medical tests such as ultrasounds are conducted. In hospitals and clinics in Farmingville, ultrasound diagnostic services are used quite often to determine the cause of and properly diagnose, many different types of medical conditions.
This technology helps doctors in numerous medical procedures. Below mentioned are the few situations where this technology is commonly used.
  • With the help of ultrasound technique, doctors can easily view what is inside the body without having to open the body to see it. All the muscles, tendons, and wide variety of internal workings can be easily seen with the help of this technology.
  • The ultrasound technique is mostly preferred for pregnant women. Through this technique, the doctors can view the unborn child from a very young age. Additionally, the doctors can see if there is any problem with the developing fetus. However, this technique does no harm to the baby or the mother. 
  • This technology can also be used to detect any problems that are taking place within the heart. Through this technology, the doctors can easily see the valves while operating, which allows them to check for any deposits inside the blood vessels. 
  • The ultrasound technique is also used for diagnosing the troubles with different body parts such as liver, gall bladder, thyroid gland and even eyes, skin and more.
  • During biopsy (a sample of tissue taken from the body in order to examine it more closely), this technique helps the surgeon to check if he is working on the right area.  
Ultrasound tests are available in almost all hospitals and clinics but when time is of the essence one needs an ultrasound test facility that is easily available and preferably, affordable.

When going for an ultrasound test, always make sure that the test is performed by an experienced specialist and consult a doctor as soon as possible to ensure timely and accurate diagnosis.