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Crohn’s Disease Signs and Symptoms

Posted by Blood Tests | Posted in Blood Testing, Blood Tests | Posted on 09-03-2011

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Crohn’s disease is a chronic and inoperable inflammatory bowel disorder (IBD). Though it is not fatal yet it can lead to several life-threatening complications. Therefore, it is important to see a doctor as soon as one notices any of the symptoms of this disease.

Crohn’s disease sign and symptoms can vary from mild to severe and they might appear over a period of time or at times without any prior warning. Signs and symptoms of Crohn’s disease are as follows.

Diarrhea –  The inflammation is the most prominent characteristic of Crohn’s disease. Cells in the affected area of the intestine begin to emit water and slat in large quantity due to this inflammation. Since the large intestine is unable to absorb excess fluid, one suffers from diarrhea.

Distorted intestinal contractions can also cause loose stools. People  might suffer from just looser or more frequent stools than normal in mild cases. However, in severe cases, one might have dozens of bowel movements in a day, which affect both sleep and other normal activities.

Abdominal Pain and Cramping –  The walls of part of the bowel gets swelled up and ultimately thickened with scar tissue due to inflammation and ulceration in Crohn’s disease. Therefore, normal movement of contents in intestinal tract via the digestive tract of is affected, which is responsible for mild to moderate intestinal pain, nevertheless, in severe cases, it may get severe and can take place along with nausea and vomiting.

Blood in Stool –  Another sign of Crohn’s disease is a bleeding of bowel. Actually, what happens, food passing via the digestive tract results in the bleeding of inflamed tissue and the bowel may start to bleed on its own. Bright red blood in the toilet bowl or darker blood mixed with stool can be noticed or occult blood that can’t be seen. In extreme cases of the illness, this bleeding may get serious and constant.

Ulcers –  The occurrence of Crohn’s disease starts with sores here-and-there on the surface of the intestine. Over the period of time these sores transformed into large ulcers that can pierce deep into the intestinal walls.

Weight Loss and Decreased Appetite –  Due to abdominal pain and contraction together with inflammatory reaction in the bowel wall affect the appetite and your capacity of digesting and absorbing food.

Miscellaneous Crohn’s Disease Sign and Symptoms –  Other Crohn’s signs and symptom include fever, fatigue along with the problems that may take place outside the digestive tract. These problems comprise skin disorders, eye inflammation and the liver or bile ducts inflammation.

The best option to keep control or reduce Crohn’s disease sign and symptoms is to be certain changes in your diet as well as in lifestyles.

Precise Pregnancy Test Results Guide

Posted by Blood Tests | Posted in Blood Testing, Blood Tests | Posted on 08-03-2011

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Most ladies are getting nervous with the pregnancy symptoms like missing a period or vomiting in early morning. It is necessary to confirm whether you are pregnant or not at the earliest. You may not consult a doctor because you want to keep this information secret or it’s difficult to get an appointment with Doctor. You may also need the privacy of being able to take a home pregnancy test yet it’s very important to get an accurate pregnancy test result.

Pregnancy tests detect the increase in human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) hormone in urine. Home pregnancy tests generally detect pregnancy at 50 mIU – 100 mIU hGG. hCG hormone secretion from the developing placenta begins shortly after a fertilized egg has been implanted in the uterine lining. Once the testing strip is exposed to urine, it detects the presence of hCG.

Step by step easy to follow guidelines for you

It is really simple to use home pregnancy test kit. It is not rocket science but you should understand all the directions otherwise you might miss some basics like how long to wait to get an accurate pregnancy test result.

If you’re having trouble urinating don’t try to drink a lot of liquid to try to force yourself to urinate because doing so might dilute the amount of hCG in your urine and the test may not pick it up.

Make certain to use the First Urine of the Morning before you eat or drink

There is a reason you’re supposed to use the first urine of the morning or if you work nights and sleep days, the first urine when you awake. This is because there are higher levels of the pregnancy hormone hCG in the urine after it has been in the bladder for several hours.

Do not try to Re-Make sure to use the Test

Once it is used, it is done. You won’t be able to re-use the kit and get an accurate pregnancy test result. It’s only going to work one time. Many women like to buy the double pack so they are able to take the test again within a few days.

If you do the testing too early, you may get a false negative result. It may also happen that you get a positive result but you are not pregnant. In both the cases, you should retest it.

What are the variables that control accuracy of results?

hCG will not be present in your system until the embryo implants in the womb. That’s why the date of implantation is important.

In most cases, hCG increases very rapidly. The amount of hCG in urine will be at its highest concentration if it’s stored for a long period. Therefore, it’s recommended to do the test with morning urine sample. You should avoid coffee, tea before the test.

If you are taking fertility medications, consult your doctor if or how they will interfere with using a home pregnancy test

Don’t buy a dusty kit on the bottom shelf of a store that doesn’t sell very many of the home pregnancy test kits. The older ones, regardless of the brand name only measure the larger amounts of hCG so unless you’re a week or two late, you’ll most likely get a negative result.

If you think you are pregnant, regardless of whether you get a positive test result at home, it is necessary to consult a doctor without waiting more.

How To Pass A Drug Test

Posted by Blood Tests | Posted in Biometric Testing, Blood Tests | Posted on 08-03-2011

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Really, if you want to know how to pass a drug test, the easiest solution is to stop doing drugs. I have no moral argument here. They are just plants that scare people and lawmakers. As a practical matter, though, there are so many problems with doing illegal things that it’s almost always best to just drop the drugs.

I don’t use illegal drugs myself, but I have researched the topic, and I’ve had friends who passed many drug tests despite regular drug use. I pass on the following hoping that you will use the information for justifiable purposes. In other words, if you are my taxi driver, I don’t care if you had a joint over the weekend, but if you are a school bus driver, please don’t toke up before driving.

If you want to at least stop using for a while, in order to pass a drug test, be sure you know what kind of test it is. A simple urine test can often be passed just by abstaining for a couple weeks. A hair test will detect use from months back, however, and it may look suspicious if you shave your head beforehand.

How To Pass A Drug Test – Most Of The Time

Fortunately for you, most drug tests are urine tests, because they are cheaper to do. These tests can be beaten in a number of ways, including the simple temporary abstinence mentioned above. That assumes that you have sufficient warning, of course.

Some people pass drug tests by using other people’s urine. It can be bought online, in liquid form or as crystals that need to be reconstituted. Alternately, users take a donation from a friend who doesn’t do drugs (I have been asked). To use it though, it must be body temperature. Testers check this.

One way this is accomplished is by strapping a condom full of the urine next to the inner thigh. This keeps it warm enough usually. If testers are not watching too closely, it is detached and slowly spilled into the cup and toilet to make the appropriate sounds.

I have known users who passed their drug tests by drinking a lot of water. It’s only logical. The test is for a certain threshold amount of the drugs in your system. Dilute your urine, and you might fall below that threshold. Drink several quarts of water in the hours leading up to the test,and you just may pass.

Good testers will notice that your urine looks like water, but there is little they can say. Be certain to take several B-complex vitamins with the water, and this will usually make your urine more yellow. If they require a new test because they suspect your trick, at least you have time to clean up your act.

You can also buy substances said to mask the drugs in your system, although users tell me most of them don’t work. None of these tricks work all the time, especially if the test is a complete surprise. Why not consider just saving your money and skipping the drugs? Now that’s how to pass a drug test.

Gestational Diabetes – What It Can Mean To Your Baby

Posted by Blood Tests | Posted in Blood Test, Health Screening | Posted on 08-03-2011

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Gestational diabetes, while only affecting 5% of pregnancies, can have serious effects on your baby. Here is a quick rundown on some of the possible complications.

During the 24th – 28th week of pregnancy, your doctor will give you a simple blood test for diabetes. Blood blood sugar levels, or blood sugar levels, that are elevated may be a sign of gestational diabetes. Left unchecked, this can cause:

Jaundice

Jaundice is fairly common after 5-7 days of birth. Generally, this isn’t a serious health issue, but needs medical attention however.

Death or baby being stillborn

The risk of death or stillbirth rises significantly with gestational diabetes that is left untreated.

Hypoglycemia

There are times when babies will develop low blood sugar after birth due to gestational diabetes in their mother. Their own insulin production has been extremely high in countering the increased levels of blood sugar, but is now needing some time to go down to a regular level.

Macrosmia

There are times when a baby will grow to a much larger size due to untreated gestational diabetes. This condition is known as macrosmia. It happens when the baby is exposed to far greater amounts of blood sugar.

Shoulder Dsytocia

Although rare, due to the increase in size of the baby it is unable to come through the birth canal.

Although gestational diabetes affects fewer than 1 in 10 women who are pregnant, it is a serious condition that should be treated.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome –  What’s It and How Do You Know if You Have It?

Posted by Blood Tests | Posted in Blood Testing, Blood Tests | Posted on 08-03-2011

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Irritable bowel syndrome  is the most common diagnosis (25-50%) given to people referred to stomach and intestine professionals. It’s reported to affect between 10-15% of people in the United States  However, it can’t be diagnosed by any specific tests. It’s diagnosed by criteria. The criteria are called the Rome II diagnostic criteria because a group of doctors meet periodically to establish rules for labeling intestinal conditions that have no diagnostic tests.

These conditions are called syndromes because they don’t meet the definition for a disease. They don’t have a specific known cause and/or diagnostic test(s). They’re often referred to as “functional” problems. The cause of the functional problem in Irritable Bowel Syndrome isn’t known. By definition there is no abnormality that can be seen on a biopsy, x-ray, blood or stool test. The diagnosis is made by applying criteria after exclusion of other conditions or diseases of the intestine. There is not a universally agreed upon consensus for what constitutes an adequate investigation to exclude other causes.

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome the criteria required to make the diagnosis is the presence of abdominal pain or discomfort that has been present for at least 3 months in the past year (not necessarily consecutively) and has at least two out of three of the following features –

1. The pain or discomfort is relieved with a bowel movement.

2. The beginning of pain or discomfort is associated with a change in frequency of bowel movements.

3. The starting of pain or discomfort is associated with a change in the appearance or consistency (hardness or softness) or stools.

There are other symptoms that doctors use to support the diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome and to further divide it into three different categories. The three categories are determined by whether there is a predominant stool pattern of diarrhea or constipation or is the stool pattern alternating diarrhea and constipation. The supporting symptoms are as follows.

1. <3 bowel movements per day

2. >3 bowel movements per day (diarrhea)

3. Hard or lumpy stools

4. Loose, mushy or watery stools

5. Straining during a bowel movement

6. Urgency, or the sense that you ought to rush to the bathroom to have a bowel movement

7. Feeling of incomplete emptying after a bowel movement

8. Passage of mucus or whitish material during a bowel movement

9. Feeling of abdominal fullness, bloating or swelling

Therefore, the diagnosis is made by a report of the symptoms and the doctor excluding other causes. The extent to which other conditions are excluded is highly variable and doctor dependent. Self-diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome should be avoided because serious conditions can cause  symptoms that mimic Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Theories of the cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome are not proven. Serotonin, a chemical present in both the brain and the gut, has been suspected. an imbalance in serotonin has been blamed for Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Serotonin increases the contractions of the intestine. Several medications that either increase or decrease serotonin have been created to treat constipation or diarrhea predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

More recently, research has been focusing on the common report of many people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome of a distinct time that their Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms started, often after some type of intestinal infection such as food poisoning, traveler’s diarrhea or gastroenteritis. This “post-infectious” concept has lead to theories of bowel injury and/or alterations in bacteria in the intestine. an imbalance of “good and bad” bacteria in the intestine is a theory. Some are treating people with antibiotics and/or probiotics. Antibiotics kill bacteria. Probiotics are live bacteria that are “good bacteria” like acidophilus and lactobacillus that can be taken as pill, capsule, powder or eaten or drank in yogurt or milk.

Food intolerances have been proposed as a cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome by some, especially in Europe, but haven’t been accepted by most doctors in the United States  Trials of elimination diets, with or without the use of food allergy or antibody tests have been announced in a few studies or a lot of testimonials to be helpful.

Lactose intolerance is a common condition that can cause  symptoms that may be misdiagnosed as Irritable Bowel Syndrome and resolve with avoidance of lactose. Undiagnosed colitis or Crohn’s disease can be a cause of symptoms that can be diagnosed by colonoscopy with biopsy of the intestine. Blood tests for colitis and Crohn’s disease also now exist.

Pregnancy Test – The First Confirmatory Test

Posted by Blood Tests | Posted in Blood Testing, Blood Tests | Posted on 07-03-2011

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A pregnancy test is essential to confirm one’s pregnancy because all the subsequent steps depend on the findings of this test. The pregnancy test helps one to measure the level of a specific hormone known as human chorionic gonadotropin(HCG), present in one’s urine. This hormone is produced when a fertilized egg gets rooted in the uterus and this usually occurs after six days of the fertilization. The level of HCG in the human blood stream increases after the fertilization of the egg. A pregnancy test enables a woman to know about the increase in the level of the HCG in her blood stream, generally a week after the expected time of the start of her monthly periods.

Pregnancy Test Kit

A number of pregnancy test kits are easily available in the market and are very easy to use. These kits involve collection of a urine sample to measure the level of HCG in a person’s body. It is better to collect the sample early in the morning when the hormone is undiluted. A pregnancy test kit contains a strip that needs to be dipped into the urine sample. These test kits use different methods to show the results of the sample. While some show positive (+) or negative (-) sign to indicate the result, there are others that show pink or purple lines to confirm the pregnancy.

Sometimes the test may give a negative result, despite one being pregnant. In that case one should check for the timing or regularity of the periods or the menstrual cycle. It’s also advisable to take another pregnancy test or visit the doctor for proper advice.

Chemical Pregnancy

In some of the cases, the results of a pregnancy test may not be accurate. It means that while the test may show positive results implying the presence of the HCG in urine, the development of the egg may not be proper. This is basically due to a concept called “chemical pregnancy” in which a fertilized egg starts producing HCG but fails to develop further.

In early stages of pregnancy, several signs of pregnancy such as a tender breast, exhaustion, morning sickness, frequent urination can easily be noticed. However, one cannot rely only on the symptoms of pregnancy or a pregnancy test alone. It is always better to carry out subsequent pregnancy tests to confirm one’s pregnancy even after the test is positive or negative.

Pregnancy is a wonderful experience in a woman’s life. So one should remain confident during its tenure and go for all the necessary tests. In cases when an early pregnancy test shows negative results and you are experiencing some of the symptoms of the pregnancy, it’s better to consult a doctor and resolve all the doubts. One should not hesitate to seek an answer to all the queries and fears in mind. A pregnancy test, however, remains the foremost and the first step to confirm the pregnancy.

Pregnancy tests are required for confirmation of pregnancy status, after witnessing early pregnancy symptoms. If the test result is positive, be prepared to enjoy this prestigious phase of a woman’s life and take care of yourself to lessen the inconvenient symptoms of pregnancy.

Depression – A Test To Know If You Have One

Posted by Blood Tests | Posted in Biometric Testing, Blood Tests | Posted on 07-03-2011

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Self depression test is just like a boon for those who want to know whether they have depression. The test is a great way to analyze the traces of depression in an individual. This is usually known as self-test.

Everybody experiences some amount of depression in one’s life. However, for some people, the amount tends to increase with time. When this amount increases to a great extent, it is not normal. The stage affects a lot in a person’s mental and physical status.

When it comes to the normal blues, these are sometimes triggered by anything from a particular thing someone had seen, said, thought or feared. Oftentimes, these blues occur without any valid reason, warning or explanation. This is the time where one just waits for the bad period to just pass by quietly.

However, if you are keen on knowing whether you have serious depression, it’s a wise idea to go for some kind of self tests. These self depression tests will explain you clearly about whether you have a serious depression or plain blues.

Answer the following questions to do self depressions test:

a)  Are you feeling totally withdrawn from pleasures of life? This is actually the most accurate self depression’s test. All you require to do is to try out something that you are aware of and used to give a lot of happiness in earlier days.

This may be anything from your favorite movie, hobby, shopping venture etc.  In case, you find out that all these things do not have anything to do with your pleasure now, then this is definitely a sign of serious depression.

b)  Have been forgetting a lot of things off late? Do not forget that depression tends to cause hiccups in your memory and you’d come to know that certain things are completely wiped out from the memory. The often leaves you totally baffled. This is another test that works towards providing you precise results.

c)  Is it becoming difficult for you to skip at night? Or have you been sleeping very little during the night? If yes, then it may be due to a lot of coffee or stimulants. Why do you like coffee or stimulants too much? If you don’t have an answer for this, than the self depression test is going to provide you a great answer for it.

d)  Have you lost your appetite recently? There are times when one does not feel like eating. This is normal. However, if it becomes a common affair, the self depression test, confirms that it’s a ‘yes’.

e)  In case, your answer to all the questions mentioned above is in ‘yes’, then you are definitely suffering from a serious depression. Here, it is really important for you to get some hold or yourself and go for a professional help.

f)  There are some other tests you might go for. One of the most popular tests remains the gold berg test. This test was designed by Dr. Ivan Goldberg. The test consists of some eighteen questions. Each question is supposed to be answered by the individual. The use of a sliding scale of responses is mandatory. This actually shows how they have felt during the week that has just gone by.

As soon as all the questions are answered, scores are added for the final score wherein each score has a specific significance. The final score settles whether you are depressed or not.

Diabetics – How to Lose Weight and Reduce Glucose

Posted by Blood Tests | Posted in Blood Test, Health Screening | Posted on 07-03-2011

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If you are diabetic and over weight, there is a good chance that you have tried many kinds of diet programs. I hope by the time you read this article, you have already got your weight and glucose under control. If not, you might try some of the suggestions below.

1. Before you begin, cleanse your body system of toxins and get rid of all parasites and plagues.

Bowel detoxification with liquid clay and ground fax seeds are particularly helpful for bettering body conditions, because the clay absorb toxins while the seeds expands in water and brush the intestine clean. Also bowel detoxification with ground dandelion leaves and apple juice help the liver to cleanse toxins rapidly.The next approach now is how to eliminate the parasites and plagues.

Harmful parasites: if left to live and breed inside your stomach, small and large intestine and your colon ant then uses your body as a food store house so they are able to live and breed by the millions. They will eventually cause you to get sick.

Plague: If let alone, it’ll cause you to get sick more often.

Vermifuge, taenifuges, anti fungals are natural remedies helpful to get rid of these harmful parasites and plagues.

2. Make sure to put extra protein in your diet, but reduce daily intake of red meats.

By substituting your daily intake of red meat by cold water fish that has plenty of proteins and omega 3 fatty acid. Omega 3 fatty acid helps to lower triglycerides without causing the rise of glucose in your bloodstream.

3. Increase intake of food with high fiber and blood purifier.

Fiber helps to reduce the amount of insulin released by the pancreas by slowing down the breakdown of carbohydrates into glucose entering the bloodstream. Fiber also absorb water, causing it to swell. This gives a nice feeling of fullness that many weight loss programs do not provide. Food with high fiber such as broccoli, berries, peanut, spinach, whole grain, etc. lower cholesterol, triglycerides and improve diabetes.

4. Add some foods that reduce cholesterol and high blood pressure.

Most foods that reduce cholesterol and high blood pressure has a profit of lower glucose in your blood stream. Omega-3 fatty acids have the uncanny ability to

break down cholesterol in the lining of blood vessels and also serve as a solvent

for saturated fats and eventually lower your blood pressure.

5. Foods help to reduce glucose in your blood stream.

1/2 table spoon of cinnamon and cactus tea daily could be enough to help control your blood sugar. Cinnamon can help your fat cell recognize and response to insulin better. Other natural remedies such as garlic, ginger, bitter melon and etc. also have the same ability to lower blood sugars as well.

6. Quit use of tobacco and reduce alcohol intake.

7. Exercise.

Physical activity improves insulin sensitivity, allowing your body to make better use of its own insulin.

8. Water and green leaf vegetables.

Drink at least 8 ounces of water everyday to avoid brain dehydration and help the kidney to cleanse through the urine produced.

Green leaf vegetable has vitamins A, C, E and other minerals that help to replace vitamins and minerals of juices. You can enjoy leafy green vegetables every day without having to worry about them raising your blood sugar levels.

Blood Tests for Colitis and Crohn’s Illness –  an Introduction

Posted by Blood Tests | Posted in Blood Testing, Blood Tests | Posted on 07-03-2011

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Blood tests for colitis and Crohn’s disease are a relatively new and exciting development that have added significantly to the screening, diagnosis and management of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Differentiating the two may allow better predictions regarding responses to medical treatments, decisions regarding surgery options and the risks of various complications. Antibodies to various proteins including Baker’s or Brewer’s yeast (saccharomyces cerevisiae) and bacteria like Escherichia. coli (E. coli) are present in the blood of many people with Crohn’s disease but rarely in normal people. Antibodies to a normal cell component, a nuclear protein, is present in most people with ulcerative colitis, a few people with Crohn’s whose colitis behaves more like ulcerative colitis than Crohn’s, and rarely in normal people.

Antibody tests or serologic markers are blood tests looking for markers of diseases. The serologic markers or antibody tests for ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are pANCA and ASCA, OmpC, and CBir1 Flagelin respectively. The latter three blood tests for Crohn’s are only available through one laboratory, Prometheus Laboratories, Inc.

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) of anonymous cause that only involves the colon. It affects the superficial lining of the colon and rarely causes bowel obstruction (blockage) or perforation (rupture) but frequently causes severe bloody diarrhea, blood in the stool, weight loss, abdominal pain, in addition to joint aches or arthritis, skin rashes, eye irritation and occasionally a severe liver disorder known as main sclerosing cholangitis that can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. Ulcerative colitis can be cured by complete removal of the colon but not Crohn’s disease.

Crohn’s disease can also cause colitis but usually also affects the very end of the small intestine called the ileum (ileitis or regional enteritis). When Crohn’s affects only the colon it may be difficult to distinguish it from ulcerative colitis though Crohn’s tends to affect the colon in a patchy manner whereas ulcerative colitis is continuous. Crohn’s can affect the gastrointestinal tract anywhere from the mouth to the anus and is not curable by removing the colon. It’s also frequently associated with bowel strictures (constrictions) causing obstruction that may require surgery. It also may be associated with fistula that are abnormal connections of the intestine to other organs and the skin or it can result in abscesses or perforation requiring surgery It’s important to distinguish Crohn’s disease from ulcerative colitis since medical treatments and surgical approaches may differ and the types of complications that can occur can be much different.

Traditionally, the diagnosis of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease is highly exact by the appearance of the colon on colonoscopy or x-rays that confirm the presence or absence of involvement of other parts of the intestinal tract. Diagnosis is confirmed by a averagepattern of inflammation of the intestine lining as seen under the microscope on tissue obtained by biopsy during colonoscopy. However, before blood tests were available about 10% of people with IBD were diagnosed as having an indeterminate colitis because the biopsies couldn’t distinguish between the ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.

The blood tests currently available are pANCA, anti-ASCA, anti-OmpC, and anti-CBir1 flagelin antibodies. pANCA is the peripheral anti-nuclear antibody. It is an abnormal antibody to nuclear protein of cells and is highly sensitive and specific for ulcerative colitis. The pANCA anbibody has been further divided into subsets by Prometheus Laboratories Inc. Neutrophil-specific pANCA ELISA (NSNA) is positive in the majority of people with ulcerative colitis (UC) and a small subset of people with Crohn’s disease that have disease characteristics more like UC. Immunofluorescent cellular staining of neutrophils (NSNA IFA) and enzyme Dnase testing (NSNA DNase sensitivity) is also done as part of the Prometheus IBD Serology 7. The latter test when present in high levels is significantly associated with development of inflammation of the rectal pouch (pouchitis) created when someone has their entire colon removed for ulcerative colitis that does not respond to medical treatment.

ASCA is anti-saccharomyces cerevisiae antibody. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is Brewer’s or Baker’s yeast. Crohn’s patients have a high prevalence of abnormal antibodies to this yeast. Some have suggested that another yeast, Candida albicans, somehow plays a role in this abnormal response. Several people with celiac disease have this antibody present in their blood in the absence of signs of Crohn’s disease. OmpC is the abbreviation for an antibody that develops in many Crohn’s patients to the outer membrane porin protein of the bacteria E. coli though that bacteria isn’t thought to be the cause of Crohn’s disease. Just recently Prometheus Laboratories added antibody testing for a specific protein on bacteria that constitutes the flagelin or hair like structure on certain bacteria enabling movement and attachment of bacteria in the intestine called CBir1 flagelin.

Future blood tests may include antibodies against certain sugar (mannose) residues in the cell wall of the yeast saccharomyces cerevisiae. Anti-laminaribioside and anti-chitobioside antibodies were recently reported to be present in Crohn’s patients who were anti-ASCA negative possibly further strengthening the ability to distinguish them from people with ulcerative colitis. This is also interesting because of suspicions and the lay public interest in the role of sugars or glycans and yeast in IBD. Particularly the reports in lay literature of success of carbohydrate specific diet in IBD.

If you have a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease these blood tests may be very helpful in your treatment. If you have unexplained abdominal pain, diarrhea, or blood in your stools then these tests should be considered. If you have a diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), these tests may exclude ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Since as many as 10% of people with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease might also have celiac illness, celiac blood tests should also be considered. Lactose intolerance is also common in IBD, Irritable Bowel Syndrome and celiac disease.

Pregnancy TestAre you pregnant?

Posted by Blood Tests | Posted in Blood Testing, Blood Tests | Posted on 06-03-2011

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If you have a doubt about your pregnancy you will do a pregnancy test. There are more than one pregnancy tests that will help you arrive at a conclusion. Pregnancy tests look for a hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), in urine or blood. HCG can be found in your urine as early as 6 days past ovulation. You can get accurate results in the privacy of you home.

For the purpose of doing a pregnancy test, it’s best that first morning urine is used as sample.

For taking a pregnancy test later in a day, it’s necessary to make sure that one does not urinate 3-4 hours prior to doing such a test.

Pregnancy test kits can be bought at practically at any retail store, supermarket or in mega stores like the Target or Walmart. Purchasing bulk pregnancy tests costs less but give same results like the well packaged pregnancy tests.

Pregnancy tests give results as in one line means negative, i.e. not pregnant and two lines means pregnant. Some pregnancy tests have plus and minus signs on them to show the results instead of two lines. It’s important to follow instructions before taking a pregnancy test. Before taking a pregnancy test, it is better to collect urine in a clean cup, and use a dropper to put drops of urine on the test strip. You will have to make sure that dropper is provided in pregnancy test kit. This will avoid any mess and give a clear result of test. Proper time should be given for the pregnancy test to show correct results.

A pregnancy test if take too early can yield incorrect results. Therefore, if in doubt a pregnancy test should be taken after the first period has been missed. If pregnancy test does not yield positive results then one should wait for one or two days and take the test again so that it gives correct results.

With the advancement of science pregnancy tests will become more accurate and will be able to give results earlier. There will not be any requirement to wait till the first period is missed.