Friday 22 January 2016

Should Blood Tests Be Included In Your Annual Checkup?

Like many people, you should schedule a yearly checkup with your doctor. It usually involves discussing your health history and some routine questions. You can also get various tests done such as a urine test, EKG, blood test etc.

Annual blood tests are necessary for aging adults to catch possible health concerns as early as possible and prevent any life threatening diseases or illness.

Your doctor will determine whether you are at risk falling prey to a disease, so that they can take appropriate measures to counter it.

In NYC annual checkup is practised by almost everyone and complete attention is given to annual physical blood test by NYC doctors. 



Blood tests reveal the glucose level, blood count, cholesterol etc of a person. The results of these tests help doctors determine whether a patient may have anemia and whether the red blood cell count is adequate, decreased or increased.

Doctors will check the white blood cell count and platelet count, which will indicate any infection in the body. Low platelet count can also be a reason for increased bruising. There are many other essential blood tests that should be carried out periodically to ensure that you are in perfect health.

Following is a list of some essential blood tests everyone should have at least once a year:

1) CBC: Common blood count(CBC) is a baseline for key factors such as Red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.

2) Radar: Blood tests like these help determine the sugar core of the body and for checking whether you are diabetic or not. You will have to fast before the glucose test for better results.

3) Cholesterol test : This will keep an eye on fats and harmful cholesterol levels in the body.

4) CRP in your blood: If there is an elevated level of C-reactive protein in your blood then there is a risk of inflammation. The inflammation may lead to cardiovascular diseases. If your CRP as well as Cholesterol is high then you are at a risk of having a heart attack.

5) Thyroid test: Thyroid when left untreated can lead to life threatening illness. Hence timely tests are essential in this case.

Thursday 7 January 2016

Which Qualities Define A Good Primary Care Physician For Patients?


Finding the right  primary care physician in Mt. Sinai, may seem like a difficult task. Because of a number of options available, it may become difficult to choose physician among all. As a result, most of the people seek help of newspapers, internet, or advertisements to find the best physician.



However, there are certain things that you need to look for in a good primary care
physician. Apart from qualification, certification, or reputation, you also need to look for certain qualities to endure that the physician you choose is best in the industry. 

 


Some of the essential qualities are listed below.


•   A patient listener - Doctors are always busy and you want the one who is willing to listen to your health concerns patiently. You need a physician who will listen and address all your health concerns as well as concerns about your family or children’s health.
Therefore, when you schedule an initial consultation with the physician, make sure he does not rush through the visit and listen to all your problems carefully.



•    Easily available- Make sure that the physician you choose is easily available after his working hours or also offers emergency visit at your place, if required. The best physician is the one who can offer medical help at any time of day or night.  



•    Appointment availability - A good physician is the one who can provide easy appointment facility to the patients. So make sure that the doctor you choose is available whenever you want him.  You can visit the doctor and know about the typical waiting time for appointments.



Apart from the aforementioned qualities, you also need to look for a doctor with a good pleasing personality so that you feel comfortable with him.  At times, there are certain health issues that might be personal, so make sure you feel comfortable discussing them with the doctor.