Monday 21 December 2015

What to Expect When Getting Blood Work Done

Not many people like needles, but having blood drawn periodically is necessary for many types of medical tests. Before you have your blood test, you should find out:

•    Whether you need to fast prior to the blood test
•    If the blood test is covered by your insurance company
•    Exactly what the blood test is for
•    When you can expect to get the results

1.    Fasting and Drinking

If fasting is required prior to a blood test, it isn’t usually for a full day, but for 8 to 12 hours. Keep busy so you don’t think about food. Many people mistakenly think it is a good idea to drink copious amounts of water prior to a blood test, but the opposite is true; water dilutes the blood.

2.    Dealing with Needles

Many people have a fear of needles, and it is important to tell the person taking the blood if you have fainted during prior blood tests. Try to make conversation while the blood is being taken or sing a song to yourself. You may not feel a thing.

3.    Shy Veins

It is possible that one of your veins is “shy” and the technician needs to tighten to tourniquet to reach it. Don’t be surprised if there is a bit of bruising after the blood test. For more information on blood work lab in San Diego, click through this website.

The Right Place to Turn for Small Emergencies

Knowing when to get medical help is one thing. Knowing where to go is another. With so many different injuries and illnesses at such different levels of severity, it can be hard to determine whether or not to seek help at all, let alone if it should be at the doctor’s office or emergency room. The good news is there are some resources you can look up for help making the hard decisions. If you are worried about small emergency injuries, the following should help you determine what to do and where to go.

The first thing to consider is the severity of the injury. If you had whiplash, you may not know how severe it is until days later, and it might be smart to just see a doctor immediately. Cuts have varying degrees of severity. If you can stop the blood yourself, and it’s not very deep, you may not need medical care at all. If the bleeding won’t stop after a couple minutes of pressure, or if it the cut is over 0.25 inches deep and 0.75 inches long, it could very possibly need stitches. There are similar considerations for every type of injury including burns, lacerations, fractures and more.

After you determine the severity of the injury, you need to decide where to go. In most cases mentioned above, an urgent care facility is your best option. Waiting too long for an opening at your doctor’s office could aggravate the problem and the injury. Urgent care clinics are equipped to cast a fracture, put stitches on a cut and treat a burn upon your arrival. As long as the injury isn’t life threatening, you generally don’t need to go to the emergency room for complete and proper care. The physicians at these clinics are trained and qualified to care for small emergencies, and will recommend stronger treatment at a hospital if necessary.

Urgent care treatment centers have different hours than a doctor’s office. The times they are open are more flexible, allowing treatment during times when you wouldn’t otherwise be able to go anywhere but the emergency room. It’s important that you contact some facilities in your community to obtain addresses and hours of operation so you can be prepared in the face of a small emergency.

Whether you have experienced such a situation in the past or are just extra vigilant at being prepared, knowing what to do and where to go for your small injuries is important. For injury care in San Diego, visit this website to find a facility near you.

Sunday 20 December 2015

Community Calif. Doctors, Nurses Find Meaning in Charitable Medicine

When a surgeon reflects on the lasting friendships formed with overseas children helped by him for no charge, the giggles... read more

The Importance of Getting Your Heart Tested


The notion of having heart tests can be daunting, but periodic examinations are essential for all adults, because they detect potential problems early. A test result that is not flawless is no cause for despair, because it can inform you in the early stages if you need to make lifestyle changes to avoid cardiovascular problems. Heart tests should begin at age 20 and should be followed up with a frequency that depends on:

•    Family history of heart problems
•    Prior heart issues, such as atrial fibrillation
•    The results of previous tests
Basic cardiovascular tests include:

1.    Blood pressure
 
High blood pressure carries no symptoms, and that is one reason it can be particularly dangerous. If your blood pressure is at 120/80, you should have it tested every two years, and if it is higher, more often, as directed by your doctor.

2.    Cholesterol test

For adults with a normal level of cholesterol, this test should be taken every four to six years starting at 20, and more often with elevated cholesterol or with age. The test involves fasting and blood work.

3.    Blood glucose

This test should be taken beginning at age 45, and predicts the likelihood of developing diabetes. For more information on heart testing in San Diego, click through the contents of this website.

Saturday 19 December 2015

Diagnostic Tests Can be Very Helpful


When your doctor isn’t sure of a diagnosis he or she may want to order tests. In the case of a head injury, it can be very important to get the tests done soon.


Between Urgent Care and Emergency Room, Which Is More Likely to Get Your EKG Faster?

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When something seems wrong with your health and you need to have the issue checked right away, the knee jerk reaction may be to go to the emergency room immediately. While at the emergency room, you most likely will be made to wait for what may be hours for an EKG or other tests. What many people don’t realize is that 80% of these ailments can be checked or treated in an urgent care facility. These facilities can be

1.    Cheaper

Often, it costs less to have something checked in an urgent care facility than the emergency room. While price isn’t the top consideration in an emergency, it does help.

2.    Faster

It is not unusual to wait in an emergency room a lengthy amount of time for tests. It is very likely that you could get an EKG faster in an urgent care facility than in the emergency room.

3.    Convenient

There may be an urgent care facility that is closer to you than the emergency room.
However, it is important to consider that urgent care facilities are not for immediately life threatening emergencies. Emergency rooms are still necessary for:

•    Potential heart attacks or strokes
•    Bleeding head or chest wounds
•    Loss of consciousness or numbness

For more information on radiology services in San Diego, browse this website.

Friday 18 December 2015

Narcan Nasal Spray Approved by FDA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Narcan nasal spray, the first FDA-approved nasal spray version of naloxone hydrochloride... read more