Can Past STDs Cause Infertility Now?
Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), also referred to as sexually transmitted infections (STIs), impact millions of people worldwide, often with consequences that extend far >> Read More ...
Diagnostic Procedures
HIV Lab Tests and Types of Testing for Diagnosis or Monitoring
HIV Lab Test vs Rapid Test HIV testing can be broadly divided between rapid tests and laboratory tests. The rapid test can be done at home or at a screening facility and a result is available within minutes. It should be followed through with laboratory testing should there be a positive result. Although rapid tests are >> Read More ...
Brittle Bones Tests, Scans and Other Diagnostic Investigations
Screening for osteoporosis in high risk groups like postmenopausal women, elderly men, or patients on long-term corticosteroid therapy is always advisable for early detection. Management of osteoporosis also requires recording of the baseline values of parameters for monitoring the progress of osteoporosis therapy. The >> Read More ...
How To Do A Self Breast Exam – Visual, Standing, Lying Down
Introduction to Self Breast Exam Regular breast self-examination for women is often recommended by physicians as a means of checking for signs of breast cancer. Mammography is the most effective way of detecting breast cancer, but along with clinical breast examination by your doctor, a self breast exam is important in >> Read More ...
High Sugar (Glucose) Levels in Blood or Urine – What does it mean?
How does sugar get into the blood? All food that is digested and then absorbed travels through the bloodstream to the liver. Here it is processed further – some is broken down into simpler compounds, some is stored and others may be converted or even excreted. However, the body retains almost all of the >> Read More ...
Chest X-Ray Guide, Abnormalities of Lung and Heart Diseases
What is a chest X-ray? A chest X-ray (CXR) or chest radiograph is an image obtained by passing ionizing X-rays (electromagnetic radiation) through the chest (thorax). This is helpful in screening and diagnosing various diseases of the organs in the thoracic cavity including the airways and alveoli (lungs), pleura, heart >> Read More ...
Bowel Examination (Tests, Scans, Scopes) Pictures, Diagnosis
Digestive problems are among the most common medical complaints. It can be acute where the symptoms last for a short period of time and resolve with/without treatment, or it can be chronic where the symptoms persist or occur episodically. Although the symptoms along with a case history may be sufficient for a diagnosis, at >> Read More ...
Small Bowel or Capsule Endoscopy – Procedure, Video and Pictures
What Is Capsule Endoscopy? In capsule endoscopy, you swallow a pill-shaped camera (PillCam) that then travels through your gut and makes pictures of your small intestine (1). Picture 1. A capsule camera to swallow in capsule endoscopy (source: Wikipedia) A capsule camera is 28 mm (about an inch) long and 11 mm wide. It >> Read More ...
Upper Endoscopy (Gastroscopy) Procedure, Video, Pictures, Cost
Upper GI Endoscopy = Esophago-Gastro-Duodenoscopy (EGD) Upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy is a diagnostic procedure enabling your doctor to see inside your esophagus, stomach and duodenum (the first part of the small intestine), using a flexible viewing tube – gastroscope. Gastroscope has a light and camera on >> Read More ...
Diagnostic Imaging of the Abdomen: X-Ray, Ultrasound, CT, MRI
Plain X-Ray In severe acute abdominal pain, plain X-ray of the abdomen is usually the first investigation. X-ray can show: Kidney stones Gallstones (if they are large and calcified) Pancreatic calcifications (in pancreatic cyst or chronic pancreatitis) Air under the diaphragm (in stomach or bowel perforation) Air in the >> Read More ...
What Is Normal Blood Pressure Range? Blood Pressure Chart
What Is Blood Pressure (BP)? Blood pressure, abbreviated BP, is the pressure of the blood against the arterial walls. Blood pressure results from the force of the heart that pumps the blood into the arteries, and the force of the arteries as they resist the blood flow. Why Are Two Values in the Blood Pressure Reading? >> Read More ...