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At one time you could check your blood glucose at home and there were a selection of pregnancy testing kits available on the market but little else was possible to self test. Nowadays, there is so much more that can be tested at home, saving time and the expense of attending a clinic.
There are tests that will enable you to monitor an existing condition and others that test for new diseases and disorders. Thyroid conditions and Diabetes can be checked regularly and sexually transmitted diseases can also be tested.
At most pharmacies it is possible to purchase tests for cholesterol levels; drug and alcohol levels; colon cancer; Hepatitis C, HIV and blood glucose. A negative test means there is no need to see your doctor, saving a considerable amount of money and time. For people who do not have health insurance, home testing can provide peace of mind with negative results and save a wasted appointment. For positive testing, such information validates a need to see a doctor. Even for people who are insured, test kits can cost less than clinic attendance.
One of the more valuable home tests is for sleep apnea: a sleep disorder suffered by as many as 18 million Americans but diagnosed in very few as most people are unaware they have a problem.
The condition’s symptoms are little more than heavy snoring and gasping during sleep, through an insufficient air flow caused by blockage in the throat or neck through fatty tissue. The sufferer may stop breathing for between 10 and 120 seconds, several hundred times throughout a night’s sleep and oxygen levels drop dramatically each time.
Typical sleep apnea victims are exhausted throughout the day due to their struggle to achieve a normal night’s rest. A home apnea test is now available, allowing OSD (Obstructive Sleep Disorder) sufferers to self test in the comfort and privacy of their own home. Once diagnosed, however, it would be necessary to consult a qualified sleep doctor for advice on treatment.
Sleep specialist Dr Avi, director of Aviisha Medical Wellness Institute, says: “We conduct sleep tests for sleep apnea both in our sleep labs, where we do overnight testing in a comfortable, hotel-like setting but we also offer patients the option to undergo the sleep test in the comfort of their own bed at home. This can save the patient a great deal of money and the results are found to be just as accurate as they are when we do sleep lab testing. Today, we may be the only medical facility allowing patients across the US to order a sleep test on the Internet. We are succeeding in eliminating the inconvenience and high cost of getting tested for sleep apnea.”
The Aviisha home sleep test includes an interview with a sleep specialist at no extra cost.
Posts Tagged ‘Pregnancy Testing’
Be Healthy At Your Convenience with Home Health Tests
Posted in home drug test 
Tags: Home Health Tests, Insurance Home, Pregnancy Testing, Self Test, Sleep DisorderCan you trust home pregnancy tests?
Trying to find out if you are pregnant can be a nerve wracking experience, filled with anticipation and the unknown, doubly so if you’re not even sure you can trust the results of a your home pregnancy kit.
Knowing when and how to use home tests can help you get the best chance of an accurate reading, but of course to be 100% sure you should always speak to a medical professional.
When should I use a home testing kit?
Some pregnancy kits claim to be able to accurately determine if you are pregnant from as early as a single day after a missed period but in truth they are only really accurate several days to a week after a missed period. At the start of a pregnancy many women develop pregnancy hormones at different times, and a negative result shortly after you have missed a period does not necessarily mean that you are not pregnant.
Are there any differences between home kits?
Most home pregnancy testing kits are very similar, some are more sensitive than others but generally they all work on the same principle. You either immerse the tip of the tester in your urine stream, or container of collected urine for a certain amount of time, and then there will be some kind of visible change, either a plus/minus sign, change of color or reveal the words positive/negative etc.
Some kits are easier to use than others, if you are not sure you can always try another brand, many women like to do at least 2 tests from two different kits to be on the safe side. Make sure you follow the instructions that came with your kit carefully.
How do home testing kits detect if I am pregnant?
When a fertilized egg attaches to the lining of your uterus your body will begin to produce a specific hormone called “human chorionic gonadotropin” (HCG), the levels of this hormone increase very quickly during the first two weeks of pregnancy and home testing kits work by detecting HCG in your urine.
Home testing kits can reliably detect this after several days to a week depending on their sensitivity. More accurate blood tests can be performed by your doctor which can detect HCG earlier than one week.
How accurate are the results of home kits?
Most home testing kits claim 99% accuracy or better on the first day of a missed period, research and testing suggests that a lot of kits cannot always detect pregnancy this early, but when used one week after a missed period they are very accurate as long as you follow the instructions properly. If you do need to know sooner then you should arrange an appointment with your doctor.
Are false readings common?
False positives are very rare, they can occur if you have traces of protein or blood in your urine. Some prescription drugs can cause false positives so check with your doctor to be sure if you are taking medicines. Using out of date or damaged kits can also give unreliable results.
It is more common to get a false negative, especially if you take the the test very soon after a missed period, or do not follow the instructions and timings properly. False negatives can also occur if you have very diluted urine, the best time to take a test is first thing in the morning.
What to do if my home testing kit says I am pregnant?
If your home pregnancy test shows a positive result then you should book an appointment with your doctor to confirm the results. The sooner it is confirmed the sooner you can begin preparing and start prenatal care.
Posted in home drug test Tags: Pregnancy Kit, Pregnancy Testing, Single Day, Uterus, Weeks Of Pregnancy