Wednesday 25 June 2014

ESR Blood Test Reveals Inflammatory Activity in the Body



An erythrocyte sedimentation rate test, generally known as ESR test, is an important blood test which can reveal inflammatory activity in your body. It is an easy and inexpensive test. Doctors perform this test to measure the pace at which red blood cells settle to the bottom of an upright glass test tube. This measurement has its own importance because when irregular proteins are in attendance in the blood, they cause red blood cells to clump together and sink more quickly.
ESR Blood Test is being used for several years to detect conditions linked with acute and chronic inflammation, including infections, cancers, and certain autoimmune diseases such as temporal arthritis and polymyalgia rheumatica arthritis, lupus, and Kawasaki disease. A high ESR is one of the main test results used to support the diagnosis. Though ESR is a prominent test, it alone cannot be used to diagnose any one particular disease. The patient who has been advised to undergo the test needs no special preparations for this test. 

Though this test can help diagnose some serious ailments, an abnormal ESR should not be taken as the final call. You should not start thinking that you have a certain condition. Other tests are almost always advised before you arrive at any conclusion. An increased ESR rate may be due to:
Anemia
Kidney disease
Pregnancy
Thyroid disease
Cancers        
Our immune system helps in protecting our body against various foreign substances which can be harmful. Autoimmune disorder is a medical condition in which our immune system by mistake assails and tears down healthy body tissue. ESR is time and again at higher level than normal in people with an autoimmune disorder. Common autoimmune disorders include:

Lupus
Rheumatoid arthritis
You should undergo ESR Test to ensure that your blood has the ability to protect your body against all harmful substances. Now you must be wondering that which lab you should contact in order to get your test done in a hassle-free manner. Well, there are a great number of labs you may find in your vicinity, you should visit the Nearest lab of SRL Diagnostics.

The SRL Diagnostics, in practice since 1995, is one of the largest healthcare service providers in India with hundreds of labs across the entire length and breadth of the country to serve patients. The SRL Diagnostics is dedicated to providing the highest quality diagnostic services to patients coming not only from India but different other part of the Asian Continent. It boasts of the most advanced technologies and uses these technologies judiciously in helping referring physicians accurately diagnose their patients. It leaves no stone unturned to use its advanced technologies to effectively and efficiently care for patients, never forgetting to treat each patient with dignity and compassion.

If you or anyone from your family wants to undergo an ESR Blood Test, then I thing the SRL Diagnostics is the right place. You can find their labs in your vicinity, but in case you don’t, feel free to make a simple call at SRL Diagnostics Customer Care Number (1800-222-660/1800-102-8282). You can also visit SRL Diagnostics Website (http://www.srlworld.com/article/10/271/esr-blood-test.html).These people also offer Home Collection facility. So in case you are unable to walk all the way to an SRL Diagnostics Lab, call their Home Collection Number. A phlebotomist will come at your home for the collection of samples. As simple as that!

Saturday 17 May 2014

TMT Test: Protect Your Heart Against Heart Diseases



The TMT Test is generally for individuals who are prone to various heart ailments. It is a quite popular test though a recent study published in the Journal of Associations of Physicians in India states that it is not a fool-proof procedure to know the precise condition of the heart. Nevertheless, majority of doctors still recommend this test to patients.
TMT Test
TMT Test

For evaluation of the heart, cardiologists have been recommending TMT Test for quite a long time now. Used for exercise testing TMT stands for treadmill test and is a popular test to diagnose heart diseases. In this test, the patient is made to walk on a motorized belt. There are a range of protocols for treadmill testing, one of them being the Bruce protocol in which the initial slope of the treadmill is 10 percent. In each three minute stage the gradient increases in steps of 2 percent. The opening speed remains at 1.7 miles per hour and in the next level it increases to 2.5 miles per hour. Nowadays the test is performed with the help of computers thanks to the advent of technology. The speed and gradient of the treadmill is now being controlled by a computer console. Along with it, computer also monitors the ECG of the patient and showcases it. The computerized console also measures the various ECG parameters and displays alerts if required. The blood pressure is measured and entered in the console by the operator. The test is performed in the medical set up by an expert technician with modern paraphernalia at hand in case of any unpleasant events.

It is not an uncommon phenomenon to find heart patients who have normal ECG. One needs to remember that the ECGs are taken at rest when the heart of the patient is beating at its lowest rate. One thing is worth mentioning that even with 90% blocks the patients can have a normal ECG. In this situation the patient would also be of the same mind that while resting there is no pain in the chest. The angina symptoms would surface only when heart rate is increased, while doing some physical activity like walking. This is the condition where a TMT test is required. The patient needs to progressively amplify their heart rate, thus raising the blood requirement of the heart muscles. Simultaneously ECG records are noted.

People experiencing symptoms of any heart related issue should not waste time and immediately consult the doctor. The doctor, if needed, can ask them to undergo the TMT Test. Though you can visit any well-equipped laboratory for the test, I would recommend you to contact SRL Diagnostics. SRL Diagnostics offers comprehensive TMT Test at all its leading labs all over India. If you want to undergo a TMT Test for accurate diagnostics and effective treatment, I would recommend you to visit your closest SRL Diagnostics lab now. Being a premier name in the arena of Indian healthcare, SRL Diagnostics is visited by thousands of patients everyday.

Wednesday 16 April 2014

Pathology Lab: A Changing Scenario

Pathology Lab! What actually crops up in your head when you hear this term? Confused? Ok then! Before we familiarize ourselves with a Pathology Lab and why it has so much importance in today’s fast paced life, we fist need to understand the actual definition of Pathology. According to Dr. Ananya Mandal, MD, “Pathology is a branch of medical science primarily concerning the examination of organs, tissues, and bodily fluids in order to make a diagnosis of disease.” The main branches of pathology include clinical pathology, anatomical pathology or a combination of the two, referred to as general pathology.

There is no denying the fact that India being one of the most populated countries on the earth needs a robust healthcare system to tackle with various ailments strongly. A Pathology Lab is a place where a patient goes first after consulting with the doctor. It goes without saying that modern life is plagued by plethora of health issues and ailments, which have shown an unprecedented escalation in recent times due to breakneck changes in contemporary lifestyles. Therefore, healthcare has inexcusably become an important aspect of our life. Today, people do not mind spending on their health. These sudden changes in the attitude we perceive our health has led healthcare industry to huge expansions as well as modernization of healthcare facilities. 

In nutshell, you can say that health cautious people have changed the overall landscape of Indian healthcare system and compelled the industry to come up with new procedures and cures for effective diagnosis as it is considered to be the first step towards treatment. Healthcare Industry is one of the fastest growing markets across the globe. It has indeed grown in leaps and bounds over the years. In 2011, the global healthcare industry generated revenues of USD 6 trillion. It is really a whopping figure, and is expected to double in coming years.

Several distinguished names are entering the market with new diagnostic centers, equipped with the latest technologies and skilled staff. One can witness this huge expansion not only in metros, but some players have also ventured into Tier-III and Tier-IV cities. They have set up their topnotch, well-equipped labs in these cities as there is a big unexploited potential in these far flung places of the country. These diagnostic centers, no matter which area of the nation they are operating in, are currently in the process of upgrading the existing equipment from traditional to high-end automated systems. 

India has a host of state of the art Diagnostic Labs in India, with SRL Diagnostics being one of the most premier ones. Headquartered in Gurgaon, SRL Diagnostics boasts of an extensive presence not only in India but abroad also. One can find its labs in countries like Nepal, Dubai, Sri Lanka, Kuwait, Tanzania and Oman, to name just a few. A number of my friends and acquaintances have been using SRL Diagnostics’ pathological services since long. I would recommend it to all those patients and their family members for topnotch diagnostics facilities with unparalleled personalized care.

Wednesday 9 April 2014

Vitamin D Deficiency can cost you more



Vitamin D is as important for our health as other vitamins. It plays an important role in the growth and development of bones in our body. Even then we pay almost no attention to the importance of this vital vitamin until we start experiencing serious consequences of our ignorance. One factor that has ostensibly led to this is the lack of knowledge in many people.

Importance of Vitamin D in our Body

Vitamin D is a vital vitamin to ensure good health, overall growth and strong bones. It has been seen that a lack of vitamin D is very common, but most of the times people do not come to know about the deficiency. Reason being, they do not know how to get this vitamin in profuse. On the other hand, fashion cautious people shun the sun in order to saving their skin from getting darker, thus completely neglecting the most important source of Vitamin D – the sun. A host of people in India do not know that Vitamin D is mostly made in the skin by exposure to sunlight. Some think that they take vitamin rich diet so how can they have deficiency of certain vitamin. Perhaps they do not know that most foods they take contain very little vitamin D naturally, though some are fortified with added vitamin D. People do not experience major symptoms if they have mild lack of Vitamin D in them. Mild lack of this vital vitamin can only cause tiredness and general aches and pains. But if not taken well care of in the beginning, a severe lack can invite serious health problems such as rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults.
                                                                 

Vitamin D Deficiency Treatment

What is Vitamin D Deficiency Treatment? You must have heard every Vitamin D Deficient asking the same question over and again. Treatment for Vitamin D Deficiency is with vitamin D supplements. If someone is Vitamin D Deficient, he or she needs to adhere to a strict diet full of Vitamin D, including some fish, fish liver oils, and egg yolks and in fortified dairy and grain products and spend some amount of time under the sun. Known as the sunshine vitamin, Vitamin D is profusely produced by the body in response to sunlight. People who are more at risk of vitamin D deficiency are recommended to take vitamin D supplements on a regular basis. Aged people, breast-feeding women, pregnant women and growing children need an extra amount of vitamin D because it is required for growth. 

No matter whether you are suffering for Vitamin D Deficiency or not, testing for the insufficiency is not recommended for everyone. In case you do not know whether you are Vitamin D Deficient or not, you can undergo a normal test to find out. SRL Diagnostics is a renowned and well-staffed Diagnostics Services Provider offer Vitamin D Deficient Test at all its labs across India. You can visit your nearest SRL Diagnostics Lab and undergo the test.

Tuesday 25 February 2014

Why & How Chest X-ray is done?



Chest X-Ray is a basic screen for lungs, usually part of all wellness health checks. It is to evaluate the lungs, heart, blood vessels, lymph nodes and the chest wall for diagnosing any abnormalities or early changes associated with the disease process in any of them.

Procedure : A chest x ray is a painless, noninvasive test that creates pictures of the structures inside your chest, such as your heart, lungs, and blood vessels. "Noninvasive" means that no surgery is done and no instruments are inserted into your body. One has to stand in front of the x-ray machine, and then hold the breath when the x-ray is taken. Chest x-rays are NOT recommended in pregnancy.

Symptoms : A persistent cough/ Chest injury/ Chest pain/ Coughing up blood/ Difficulty breathing/ fever. It may also be done if you have signs of lung cancer, or other chest or lung disease, especially useful in an Indian context for the diagnosis of Tuberculosis infection in view of the magnitude of the disease in the country.

If you have any decease in your chest then you can go to nearest SRL Pathology Lab. http://www.srlworld.com/content/65/find-a-lab.html