STD Test – Who Should Get Tested and Why?

STD also known as sexually transmitted disease (STD) is an infectious disease that generally spreads from one person to another through intimate contacts. Some of the sexually transmitted diseases are – HIV, Chlamydia, Genital Herpes, Genital warts, Gonorrhoea, some forms of Hepatitis, Syphilis and Trichomoniasis, etc. 

Among these, Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Syphilis are caused by bacterial STDs. HIV, Genital Herpes, Genital Warts (HPV) and Hepatitis B, on the other hand, are caused by viral STDs. And, trichomoniasis is caused by parasites. 

Who should be tested for STDs?

An STD test is recommended to a person who was and is sexually active. It is especially a good idea to get tested against STD if you are:-
•    About to begin a new relationship.
•    Planning to have unprotected sex.
•    Engaging in a sexual act with more than one partner
•    Noticing symptoms of STD. 

Types of STD Tests: Blood and Urine

There are many different kinds of STDs that can be detected using a urine or blood test. The common STDs that can be diagnosed using the two effective tests are as follows:-
•    Chlamydia
•    Gonorrhea
•    Hepatitis
•    Herpes
•    HIV
•    Syphilis

Tests against Specific STDs

 
•    Chlamydia and Gonorrhea: Chlamydia and Gonorrhea testing is performed either through a urine examination or through vaginal, cervical or urethral swabs. The sample collected is sent to the laboratory for analysis. 

•    HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis: HIV testing has always been encouraged by The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP), at least once in a year as a part of a routine check-up. Teenagers aging between 15- 25 years, are at a high risk of getting affected by STD and hence must get a STD test done once in a year. HIV, Syphilis and Hepatitis are recommended to those –

   -    who have more than one sexual partner for a long period,
   -    Use intravenous (IV) drugs,
   -    Forced to do an intercourse or engage in sexual activities against the will of the other partner.

•    Genetial Herpes: A blood test helps detect Herpes infection, which can differentiate between the two main types of the Herpes virus. However, the results may not be completely clear and depend on the sensitivity of the test and the stage of the infection.

•    HPV Test: Several types of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) can cause cervical cancer while other varieties of HPV cause genital warts. There is no HPV screening test available for men. Whereas, in women, HPV testing involves:

       -    Pap test: Pap test is used to check for abnormal cells in the cervix and are recommended every three years for women between the age of 21 to 65 years.

       -    HPV Test: Women aging over 30 years are suggested the option to have HPV test along with Pap test in every five years, provided that the previous tests were normal. An HPV test is recommended to women between the age of 21-30 years if they have had abnormal results on their Pap test.

Several types of vaccines can protect both men and women from some types of HPV, but are most effective when taken before a sexual activity begins.

An Overview of Absolute Eosinophil Count Test

An Absolute Eosinophil Count test (AEC Test) is a type of blood test that helps measure the number of white blood called eosinophils in the blood. Eosinophils typically have two distinctive features – they activate when the body has been attached by an infection, allergic disease or a medical condition, and create an inflammatory response, especially in case of an allergy and asthma.

When is an Absolute Eosinophil Count Test Ordered?

A physician is likely to order an Absolute Eosinophil Count test to an individual in case has had a while blood count differential test and the results were abnormal. The test showcases whether an individual has an unusually low or high count of if he/she has atypical cells which are an outcome of a particular disease.

The physical may also suggest AEC Test to confirm the presence of certain types of conditions or diseases such as:-

• A chronic allergic reaction,
• Acute hypereosinophilic syndrome
• Infection caused by parasites, and
• Early stages of Cushing’s disease.

What Happens During the Test?

Being a type of blood test, AEC test is easy to perform and requires no such prior preparation. A pathologist or healthcare provider draws a sample of blood from the arm’s vein and stores it in special blood sample tubes. These tubes are then sent to the lab for the experts to test, draw out results and prepare reports. The test is painless, harmless and gets over within a couple of minutes. 

What do the Test Results mean?

Normal Results - Normal test results means that AEC must be lower than 350 eosinophil cells per microlitre of blood. 

Abnormal Results – In case of any deviation than the normal range specified above, it confirms that the patient is suffering from Eosinophilia – a kind of disorder. A high AEC count may be due to the following reasons:-

•  Asthma
• Eczema
• An allergic reaction to parasitic worms,
• Seasonal allergies
•  Lupus
• Crohn’s disease
• Scarlet fever
•  Leukemia, or
• Ulcerative colitis.

On the other hand, a low count may be due to:-

• Alcohol intoxication, or
• Overproduction of certain kinds of steroids such as cortisol in the body.

Note: - The range mentioned above can vary from one pathology lab to another. 

To know more about Absolute Eosinophil Count Test – CLICK HERE!

The Complete and Accurate Analysis of Kidney Function Blood Test

Overview of kidney function blood test

It is a confirmed fact that all of us have two kidneys on both the side of your spine that are indeed each of the approximately the size of a human fist. They are in fact, together located subsequent to your abdomen and underneath your rib cage.

Hence, it can be concluded that both your kidneys are here to play some several vital roles in completely maintaining your health. Indeed, one of their most important jobs is always about to filter some of the waste materials from the blood and even expel them from the body as a form of urine. The kidneys are as well present there to assist and control the complete levels of water and even various essential minerals in the body. 

In addition to this, they are always critical to the complete production of:

1.       Vitamin D
2.       Red blood cells
3.       Hormones that regulate blood pressure
 

The Symptoms of Kidney Infection

The symptoms, which may indicate a problem with some of your kidneys include the following:

1.       Elevated blood pressure
2.       Blood in the urine
3.       Recurrent urges to urinate
4.       Striving beginning urination
5.       Aching urination
6.       Swelling of the hands and feet due to a build-up of fluids in the body
 

The types of kidney function blood test

In order to test your kidney function, it is always your doctor, who will order some set of tests that can actually estimate your glomerular filtration rate or which is also known as GFR. It is this GFR that actually tells your doctor about how quickly your kidneys are continuously clearing waste from your body.

1.       The Urinalysis

A urinalysis is nothing but a complete screening process for the presence of some protein and blood in the urine. 

2.       The Serum Creatinine Test
 

This is nothing but the complete blood test that actually examines whether there is creatinine present in building up in your blood. The kidneys are usually and completely filter creatinine from your blood. A high level of creatinine hence, suggests a kidney problem.

3.       The Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN)
 

The blood urea nitrogen (BUN) is definitely the kind of test that is supposed to keep a check for all the waste products in your blood. BUN tests is always there to measure the amount of nitrogen in your blood. 

For more info visit :- https://www.lalpathlabs.com

 

The Details of PTT Test

How is PTT Test used for?

The complete PTT Test is definitely used for the purpose to primarily investigate the complete unexplained bleeding or even the clotting. It may also be ordered that along with the prothrombin time (PT) test to adequately evaluate hemostasis, the entire process that the body actually uses to form blood clots in order to help stop bleeding. These are definitely the tests that are usually the starting points for every investigating excessive bleeding or even clotting disorders.

Several proteins called the coagulation factors are involved in hemostasis and the complete formation of blood clots. When an injury actually occurs and bleeding begins, some coagulation factors are in fact activated in a sequence of steps (coagulation cascade) that eventually help to form a complete clot. 

The PTT Test is therefore used to indeed evaluate the coagulation factors. By completely evaluating the results of these tests together, a health practitioner can always gain some kind of clues as to what bleeding or even clotting disorder may be present. It is the PTT and PT that are not diagnostic but usually provide information on the fact that whether further tests may be needed.

What does the actual test result mean?

The PTT results are definitely reported in seconds. A PTT result therefore falls within a laboratory's reference interval, which is usually indicative of normal clotting function. However, the aspect of mild to moderate deficiencies of a complete single coagulation factor may be indeed present. The PTT may not be in fact prolonged until the essential factor levels have therefore decreased, to 30% to 40% of normal. Also the lupus anticoagulant may be actually present but may not prolong the PTT result. If the so called lupus anticoagulant (LA) is suspected, then a more sensitive LA-sensitive PTT or even a dilute Russell viper venom time (DRVVT) can be therefore utilized to test for it.

A prolonged PTT definitely means that the clotting is actually taking longer to occur than the simple and the normal aspects and may be indeed due to a variety of causes. Often, this is suggests that there may be some coagulation factor deficiency or as well a specific or nonspecific antibody (inhibitor) affecting the body's complete clotting ability.