Take Your Blood Pressure at Home

If your doctor wants to monitor your blood pressure, consider learning how to take it at home and keeping a journal of results.

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.

Ebola Reappears in Liberia

Ebola, the virus that killed more than 4,800 people in Liberia since the outbreak began in December 2013, is back after the West African country… 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.

Bloodwork is Common

If you’re at the doctor’s office, he or she may want to run some tests on you. Bloodwork is one of the most common diagnostic tools that doctors rely on.

Signs Your Child Needs Urgent Care

Most children have illnesses from time to time, and in most cases, they go away on their own with a few days of rest. However, in some cases, what might look like ordinary symptoms in a child might spin out of control quickly. The following are signs your child might need urgent care

1.    Very high fever in young children

Small children tend to run high fevers since their bodies heat up fast, but if the fever approaches 103 degrees, he or she should be seen by a doctor. In the meantime, give fever reducer for children in pill or syrup form.

2.    A headache that doesn’t go away

Headaches seem like minor, yet annoying, complaints, but if they don’t go away even with children’s pain reliever, it may be time to take your child to a doctor, particularly if there are additional symptoms like:

•    Blurred vision
•    Difficulty walking
•    Confusion

In this case, a headache might be a reason to go to the emergency room.

3.    Rashes

It may be a case of contact with poison ivy or something more serious. If you touch the reddish area of the rash and it turns white and then back to red again, it is probably harmless. However, if it does not, it could be a sign of meningitis or sepsis. For more information regarding kids urgent care in San Diego, click through this website.

Responding to People with Mental Illness

Emergency responders face an increasing number of calls involving people with behavioral and mental health issues… read more

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

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.