Home Health Testing

Getting access to your doctor or health service may be a greater challenge than your health problems these days.  More patients are turning to home health care, treatment and diagnosis.  Preliminary self diagnosis aids are as close as the Internet and the corner drugstore.  DIY medical test kits are accurate and may aid your doctor in the final diagnosis.  Studies show that home testing may save your health, time, and money by making a correct diagnosis and starting treatment sooner.  Home health tests help many find answers to your healthcare concerns quickly and conveniently in the privacy of your home.

Home health testing is a mega billion dollar business which is an indication of their popularity and use. Many reliable test products crowd retail and drug store shelves across the world.  These tests enable you to screen, monitor, and/or diagnose yourself. 

As good as it may sound, DIY home testing is not a replacement for professional health care especially if the symptoms worsen or persist.  Once you have positive tests consult with your doctor or other health provider.  Get the tests repeated along with the others your doctor gets.  If a health care provider ignores your request, get another, or check at independent facilities that do testing for you.

 

Prevention Requires Less Intervention

Prevention and early detection are important for your health and wellness.  Routine check ups are shown to improve overall health while requiring less medical intervention and treatments.  Done on a "routine" basis means just that - in a consistent manner based on your health profile.  As one gets older, or if one has chronic disease they may become  more frequent than every few years.  As you prepare to see your doctor you will find that Patient Handbook to Medical Care: Your Personal Health Guide is the ideal reference book to inform you about what checkups and tests you may need for prevention intervention.

This Writer's Digest International Self-Published Book Award winner informs patients about basic medical care. By reading this how-to reference book you will learn:

• how to keep a medical diary
• how to get your medical records
• how to document your complete medical history
• what the physical exam should include
• about preventive tests and when to get them
• about tests your doctor orders
• about specialists and other medical providers
• about health care plans and coverage
• how to seek quality health services

Patient Handbook to Medical Care: Your Personal Health Guide is on Kindle, and can be borrowed via the Kindle Owner's Lending Library.

High Blood Pressure (HBP)

High blood pressure, also called hypertension affects 1 in 3 adults. Do you know your numbers? Do you what a normal reading is? Optimal is 120/80.  More precise classification is as follows:

  Normal 120-129/80-84

  High normal 130-139/85-89

  Mild 140-159/90-99

  Moderate 160-179/100-109

  Severe over 180/110

For more accurate measures of your blood pressure and what affects it consider home blood pressure monitoring. Buy a blood pressure monitor for home use. Wrist and arm monitors are available at retail stores, drugstores, and local medical supply stores.

Record your blood pressure readings daily starting with morning, midday, and night. Make a note of your activity and how you are feeling. You may notice that extreme anxiety makes it go up. The correlation to your pressure will help you manage the things that make it go up. Share your results with your doctor so medication and lifestyle changes can be made if necessary.

You may find that while your blood pressure is high in the doctor's office, it may be normal in everyday activity. Remember, the doctor's result is a one time reading every one to four or more months. With normal home results, and high results at your doctor visits you may have "white coat" hypertension http://bit.ly/1cGaeMj . There is much controversy over whether this should be treated. Check with your cardiologist.

If your blood pressure is borderline at 130/85, you want o start a low salt diet. The best is the DASH diet (http://bit.ly/hnbsL). Exercise, weight control, and stress reduction are other things to include in your treatment plan. For higher blood pressure readings over 140/90, medication may be necessary. Take your home blood pressure results in to your doctor. This will help in deciding on the best treatment for you.


by J.L. Richardson, MD, author of the Patient Handbook to Medical Care: Your Personal Health Guide.

No Insurance or Cash, No Medical Care

Doctors today are faced with so many issues that divert their attention from their patients. One of these is payment for services.  If a patient has no health insurance, cash or credit card, that patient will go without, or seek medical care at the ER and pay later. As physicians are faced with so many diversions like increasing patient visits and "paper work" (computer, phones, etc.) primarily associated with insurance issues, many are taking cash only.  Cash only secures immediate payment without paper pushing.  This decreases overhead as well because less staff is needed.  More doctors are finding this the preferred way to do business. 

Patients with insurance are already finding that some doctors are not taking any insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid.  Why?  Reimbursement rates for their services are getting less each year thereby decreasing overall income, and profit to run their office. The overwhelming amount of “paper work” is taking more time and often requires more staff.  Without this more time is spent in patient care.  This is what most doctors find rewarding – more time with patient care and doing what they do best, taking care of their patients.

Yes, you must pay to see your doctor and other health care providers, but how you pay may determine the availability.  Cash allows you to see who you want to see.  Health insurance usually has provider networks of who they want you to see.  Should you want to see an out of network doctor that you know, or feel would be better for you, you still have to pay for services rendered.  Even with health insurance cash/ credit is required for deductibles and co-payments.

The bottom line remains, no cash or health insurance, no medical care.  At least with health insurance, you are covered especially if a major medical malady occurs like surgery http://bit.ly/1hwqnpX or chronic disease.  If you have the cash you’re covered.  If not, get covered.  Great health is true wealth.

Best health! http://amzn.to/13m51UU

Surge in Surgery

How many surgeries does the average person have in a lifetime?  According to the most recent study of its kind from 2002, it was found that you could need surgery at least 9.2 times if you live to 85 years of age. It is no surprise that surgeries increase with age.  Surgery is also prevalent in women during their reproductive years.  For both men and women between ages of 45 to 75 there is also an increase.  Three of the top ten most common surgeries were for women’s gynecological conditions.  C-sections ranked as number one.  For men the top surgery was for cardiac conditions (angioplasty, heart bypass).  Fortunately many surgeries done today are minimally invasive done as an outpatient instead of in a traditional hospital stay.

These facts indicate that you will have surgeries in your lifetime.  Think about the cost of this.  Would you be able to pay for it?  Rising health care costs and increase in illness have made this nearly impossible for most on an average income of today. The sensible and responsible thing to do is have health insurance.  Is your health more important than that $50,000 car or $200,000 home you insure? Plus these insurances are usually required.  Your health deserves to be insured as well.

If your health insurance policy has been cancelled, your health insurance provider has other plans that will fit your need with comprehensive, affordable coverage that covers more and includes your same providers.  Look at the cancelled product as new and improved health benefits at a much lower price. Basically your policy has not been “cancelled”, but upgraded with many more options.

There is also the option of looking at the National Healthcare Insurance Exchange by phone, paper application, online, or in person at designated places.  This offers more choices from other health insurance providers with different “levels” of coverage.  Each level offers basic and free preventive care from less than 60%  to 90% coverage.  The cost is now actually less than what you may have paid previously under the “cancelled” policy!  Now that health insurance is more affordable and chances are you will need surgery, it makes sense to have it.  Plus you get the chance to maintain your health with prevention and proper treatment in hopes of preventing surgery.

The yearly cost of your health insurance premium is much less than the cost of one major surgery and recuperation (equals 5-10 years worth). Even if you have enough cash to pay, you will save more than your money by being insured. Get covered for good health!

Best health!