What is a Nerve Conduction Velocity (NCV) test?

Nerve conduction velocity (NCV) is a test prescribed to determine how well and how fast nerves conduct electrical signals. Healthy nerves carry the signals quickly and proficiently, whereas sick or injured ones carry the signal slower and with less power. Doctors request these tests to identify the signs of nerve injury or damage along with evaluation for nerve and muscle disorders that can include symptoms such as numbness, weakness, tingling pain, etc. NCV test also enable doctors to see how the nerves working and locate where there is pressure on it and how serious it is.

However, the procedure for the test varies from individual to individual and mainly depends on the condition of the patients. It’s a procedure that doesn’t involve needles because it is completed by attaching electrodes on the body of the patient over the nerves at different areas. It helps in generating a precisely timed set of nerve impulses.

Most of the times, healthy nerves will have conduction velocity of about 50-60 m/sec, even though result can differ depending on patient and type of nerve tested. Irregular results could be an indication of the damaged or injured nerve, or it can be due to certain health condition. Your physician will discuss everything in detail before making any conclusion.

Preparing for the procedure?

It is essential for you to maintain regular body temperature prior and during the exam because low body temperature can affect the nerve conduction. On the other hand, you would not require fasting or sedation for this procedure. However, you must inform your doctor about medications that you might be taking. You also need to prevent using oil and lotions on your skin for some days before the exam. You must ask your doctors whatever questions you may have, as special preparations may require depending on your condition.

However, when scheduling a nerve conductivity test NYC, it is vital to find an authentic place. A little research on the web can help you find board certified physicians to schedule your exam.

Why preventive healthcare is important for your health?

The preventive healthcare deals with managing and preventing patients from all those factors that lead to disease or infection. In other words, maintaining the overall health and well-being of an individual is the main motive behind preventive healthcare.

The preventive healthcare mainly consists of various types of tests and screenings such as screening of different medical conditions for e.g.- anemia, cancer, depression, obesity, HIV screening, screening for different STD’s and also provides diet counseling. These medical screenings needs to be performed frequently for maintain a good health. 

 

As stated before, preventive healthcare is important for maintaining the overall health of an individual but other than this, there are number of other reason that highlight the importance of preventive healthcare.

• The preventive healthcare services include vaccination for different diseases. Some of the common vaccinations include- Hepatitis A and B, Tetanus, Influenza, measles and many more. These tests are performed to detect the different health issues in patients. Different vaccinations are necessary to prevent individuals from various infections or viruses.
• Various types of tests are also performed to detect any kind of health problem among the patients. Doctors prescribe various tests if they feel something wrong with the patients. Usually tests are performed to detect diseases like anemia, HIV, osteoporosis, depression, and many more.
• Preventive healthcare also include diet counseling from a professional physician. Specifically for all those who are suffering from obesity, a highly educated professional is appointed to provide the required counseling and control the diet. Doctors provide strict instructions regarding the diet and make sure that the patient is following it regularly. This will further help an individual in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
• In addition to all of the above, a preventive healthcare is necessary to manage the existing diseases. It includes screening of obesity cholesterol and many more. The doctors perform several tests to monitor the patient’s health and take measures accordingly.

All the medical test and screening are different for each patient depending on their age, medical history and for which particular disease the test need to be performed. The only thing you need to do is, find a reputed preventive healthcare Mt. Sinai or any other nearby place. Moreover, it is always recommended to visit a healthcare center regularly even if you are healthy.

What are the main factors that make Preventive Healthcare Essential?

Have you heard the adage that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of care”? Yes, it is true, especially when it comes to healthcare. This is also the main reason why preventive care services have been designed. The main aim behind these services is to help individuals prevent diseases and maintain proper health.

It can include regular check-ups, routine physicals, diet counsel, anemia screening, STD screening, vaccines, etc. However, you should remember that these medical tests might vary depending on the age, sex, and specific health condition of an individual. 

 

If you are wondering about the importance of such services, following are the main reasons that make preventive healthcare an essential requirement-

• Early identification is vital when it comes to treating serious health conditions and preventive healthcare offers the same. It helps physicians to diagnose and treat the disease in its early phase before it becomes severe.
• Even individual in good body shape can have underlying serious conditions without any signs or symptoms. Regular screenings included in the preventive care enable physicians to grab the early warning signs.
• One of the best ways to stay fit is to adapt a healthy way of life. During the wellness screening, you doctor may recommend you some lifestyle changes that are vital to ensure that you do not become a victim of certain diseases.
• Role of such services is not just restricted to health benefits, as it can also save you large sum of money by preventing health related issues that could cost you plenty.

Therefore, there are no reasons for you to avoid or delay such healthcare services. However, you need to ensure that you discuss your medical history and any other conditions that you may have with your doctor. You should ask all the questions that you want to ask, as your doctor will happily answer them all.

When looking for preventive healthcare NYC, it is essential to look for doctors with immense experience in primary care. A little research on the web can help you find names of the reputable physicians in the city.

Did you know why Regular Glaucoma Screening is vital for you?

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness that affects millions of people on a regular basis. The main problem with it is that it causes slow vision loss without you knowing it until it’s too late. It is the reason why it also called the silent stealer of sight. It’s a disease that cause elevated pressure in the eye that can damage the optic nerve that can cause vision loss. It’s a serious health problem that requires immediate attention. It can affect anyone, which is why physicians recommend regular Glaucoma screening NYC in adults.

However, few risks factors that increase your risks of developing this disease are-

• Age over 40
• Family history of glaucoma
• Thinner corneas
• Higher eye pressure
• Being of African American 
  
   

Other risk factors for this problem can include oral contraceptive pills, sleep apnea, and few other medical conditions such as hypertension and diabetes. As mentioned above that it doesn’t really show any symptoms, but some of its most common symptoms can include-

• Headaches
• Severe eye pain
• Blurred vision
• Reddening of the eye

Your eyesight is the most valuable asset of yours, as you depend on it for virtually everything whether it’s working, playing, or just hanging around the house. Therefore, you must act smartly and ensure regular screening. It helps your physician to detect the problem in its earliest form and prevent further damage. Even though there is no known cure for glaucoma, but its progress can certainly be halted with early detection. Hence, if you never considered it seriously in the past, time has come for you to give it a serious thought.

Your physician will ask you about its symptoms and few other questions before screening you for this health condition. Depending on your present condition and outcomes of the test, your doctor may recommend certain medications, laser treatment or surgery to manage it appropriately.

Therefore, there are no reasons for you to delay regular screening, which is why you must book an appointment with your physician immediately. Get on the web and look for primary care physicians in your area to ensure safety of your eyesight. A little research on the web can definitely get you the names of reliable physicians in the city.

What are the various reasons for which blood tests are performed?

Blood test is an important laboratory analysis that is performed to detect different medical issues. The different blood tests are performed to identify the existence of various ailments of the body. The different tests also help in determining the pathogens in the body.

Blood draw service is basically performed for following reasons- 

 

• To detect any health problem- Whenever a person is suffering from bad health, he/she goes to the doctor. In most of the cases, the doctor before starting the diagnosis takes the patient’s blood sample to check it. The different blood tests are performed to detect any type of health issue. It is always advisable to have regular blood tests to detect risk factors and symptoms to prevent serious complications such as high level of cholesterol, heart attack or stroke or different cardiovascular diseases.
• To detect the main cause of sickness- Blood tests are commonly performed to detect the main cause of patient’s sickness. For example- the glucose test is performed to identify the blood glucose level in a patient’s body.

The doctors prescribe blood tests only if they notice that an individual is suffering for certain kind of disease.

• To detect any blood related problem- These tests are also performed to get information about the different body fluids in the body. It includes red blood cell counts, white blood cell counts, hemoglobin level, and platelets level in the body. Moreover, with the help of blood tests, one can also determine the blood group or type. Some of the tests also help to detect different types of disorders such as leukemia and anemia.
• To detect some existing problem- Doctors prescribe different blood tests on a regular basis to be sure about the patient’s health. Through regular tests, it becomes easy for the doctors to prescribe the necessary medications accordingly.

Doctors usually prescribe blood tests if they find anything that you need to worry about. Apart from the aforementioned reasons, these tests are performed to detect possibility of any infection in the body. Illness such as diabetes and those related to thyroid glands can also be looked at. Sometimes there are abnormalities that are caused from the lack of excess of chemicals, hormones etc that can be revealed through blood tests.

What are the components of Primary care?

Health is wealth and needs to be taken good care if you need to lead a healthy life. However, at some point of time, all of us do fall ill, and this is where we require primary care.

Primary care services include number of tests and screenings that are necessary for the overall health of the individual. Such as-

• Diabetes- The primary care provides medical care for patients suffering from diabetes. Diabetes is one of the serious health problems among most of the people today. When your body is unable to create insulin, it means that you are affected by diabetes. Once you suffer from this disease, your organs fail to get the amount of glucose level they require. The doctor at primary care provides the best possible treatment to control diabetes.
• Obesity- Obesity is a huge problem world over and is essentially a condition when the calories you consume are more than those you burn. The physicians help patients in controlling weight, maintaining healthy routine and lifestyle. You can fight with this problem and lose weight by following healthy eating habits and doing regular exercise.
  
  
  
• Arthritis- Screening of diseases such as arthritis is also a vital part of primary care. Arthritis is a problem that causes lot of pain and inflammation of bones and joints. It is a form of joint disorder. The symptoms to this include inability to walk or use hands, morning stiffness, poor sleep, and restlessness. The primary care physician Mt. Sinai advise patients who are suffering from arthritis to follow only the natural and organic diet followed by a proper exercise and good amount of sleep.
• Depression- Depression is very common and due to the stressful life style, even teenagers become victim of depression. It includes evaluation of an individual’s mood and activities. If you are suffering from any type of depression, it is always recommended to consult a doctor so that you can easily identify the source of your depression.
• Asthma- The preventive care also provides screening of different types of respiratory problems such as asthma. It is a respiratory disorder, which is characterized by difficulty in breathing and complications with respect to lungs and other respiratory organs of the body. There is no exact cure for this disease, but the physicians provide the best tools and medicines to control it.

Everything that you need to know about Glaucoma and its treatment

What is glaucoma?

Glaucoma is the most dangerous eye- disorder and is the foremost cause of blindness. In this damage to the optic nerve takes place due to abnormal high pressure inside the eye. If no proper treatment is taken, it can cause permanent loss of vision.

What are the causes of glaucoma?

The glaucoma is caused due to abnormal eye development, eye infection, drugs, no supply of blood to the eye etc. However, the exact cause to this dangerous disease is still not understood.

What are the common symptoms of glaucoma?

The main symptom is the gradual loss of vision while some other symptoms include-

• Sudden severe headache
• Redness of eye
• Severe eye or eye brow pain
• Hazy or Blurred vision
• Loss of eyesight
• Nausea and vomiting
• Flashes of light
• Appearance of rainbow colored circles around bright lights
• Sudden sight loss
• Tunnel vision in advanced stage.
  
  
  

What are the risk factors of glaucoma?

Anyone can suffer from glaucoma. However, one should be aware of the following risk factors-

• Age – Age factor matters a lot. People of around 40 or 60 years and above are at more risk of glaucoma.
• Family history- This problem is genetic which means if anyone in your family has suffered from this problem then you have a greater risk of developing it.
• Several medical conditions- people suffering from several medical problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart diseases are the reasons for this disease.
• Long-term medication use- Using medicines such as eye drops for a long period is a common reason.

Some other risk factors include –

• Contraceptive medications
• Sleep disorders
• Migraine
• Nearsightedness

Diagnosis and treatment

There is no cure for glaucoma however, it can be effectively managed, and loss of sight can be minimized. Regular examination of your eyes is the only diagnosis option. People should have a regular test in every three to four months. There are number of hospitals that provide glaucoma test NYC.

The main treatment options include

• Eye drops
• Laser treatment
• Surgery

If you find any of the aforementioned symptoms, it is imperative to seek immediate medical attention.