What’s the One Blood Test All Student Athletes Are Required to Have?

It is no surprise that student athletes participate in high intensity workouts. Whether it’s for conditioning, during practice time or game time, an athlete is continuously placed in situations where they need to raise their heart rate and push their bodies to the limit. Because of this, it is extremely important for school athletic directors and coaches to make sure that their student athletes are healthy and that their bodies can endure the physical activity expected of them.

There is one health condition in particular that could hinder a student athlete from truly competing to their best ability. This condition is known as sickle-cell trait. Inherited from a parent, sickle-cell trait can cause red blood cells to sickle and block blood vessels, denying oxygen to muscles and organs. If a student athlete with sickle-cell trait over-exhausts their body due to physical activity, their health could be put in serious danger if their oxygen supply iscut-off.

In order to ensure that this risk never becomes a reality, colleges require their NCAA student athletes to receive a sickle-cell trait blood test. Fortunately, as long as the coaches are aware of the diagnosis and take proper precautions with their diagnosed athletes,those athletes can still enjoy a successful and healthy athletic career. And all the student athlete readers said, “Whew!”

If you are an aspiring athlete and want to check on your health before heading into your college career, especially if attending a Division I or Division II school, contact your local Any Lab Test Now® today and let us help you get the answers you need. Our Sickle Cell Anemia Screen will test you for the sickle-cell trait and give you fast, quality results that you, your doctor, and your coach can use to ensure that your athletic career has a bright and long-lasting future.

Remain at the Top of Your Game – Athletic Testing is Here for You!

With back-to-school announcements approaching quickly, so is the kickoff to the fall athletic season. Sports teams will begin tryouts, mandatory practices and, soon enough, be in full swing for the season. We know that, as a parent, you want your child to remain competitive and healthy while playing the sport they love. Yet there’s always a chance that a young athlete’s immune system and overall performance may fall vulnerable to numerous internal and external factors. Fortunately, Any Lab Test Now offers a timely and convenient method of obtaining the lab tests you need to help take control of your child’s health.

Benefits of Athletic Testing Services

All student athletes are required to have an updated physical on file prior to competing. In addition to a basic physical, you may want more in-depth knowledge on your child’s health so that they can continue to perform at their peak. Any Lab Test Now offers a wide range of lab tests with results typically available in 72 hours or less. No appointment or insurance is necessary for the tests. Not to mention, lab tests are still the most cost-effective approach to uncovering and preventing disease.

After testing, your athlete will receive the information they need, within a prompt time frame, to report back to their primary physician. Whether your soccer star has been struggling to catch his breath on the field and you’re worried about allergies or your cross-country runner is more tired that normal, Any Lab Test Now can help you uncover hidden issues that may be impacting your child’s health and physical performance.

Common lab tests to help monitor an athlete’s overall health, include:

Allergy Tests

Vitamins, Minerals And Nutrition Lab Tests

Anemia Panel

Sickle Cell Anemia Screen

Preventing Injury and Improving Performance

It’s crucial for young, competitive athletes to remain attentive to their body’s needs during such a pivotal time in their growth and development. Sometimes, this can be a challenge as ambitious athletes want to focus their full attention on improving their performance on the field, court or track. Fortunately, the variety of tests offered at an Any Lab Test Now location can ensure athletes accomplish both.

Lab tests supply detailed information on specific processes happening within the body. By locating the origin of a problem, an athlete can learn more about their body and educate themselves on how to stay healthy when playing at a competitive level. Preventing long-term injury and/or internal imbalances are pivotal for an athlete’s achievement.

Lab tests also provide scientific data that can set a baseline of where an athlete stands in comparison to the status quo. This allows them the opportunity to set personal health goals and improve their fitness. The smallest change in an athlete’s diet or training could make all the difference in shredding a few seconds off a mile-time or scoring an extra goal.

Competing at the high school level, on travel teams or in front of college recruiters requires dedication to overall fitness and wellness. Ensure your child’s health is on the right track by addressing any sign of potential injury and helping them stay educated about their bodies. If you want immediate answers regarding your young athlete’s health, visit your convenient Any Lab Test Now location to get them tested today.

Drug Testing Students

The upcoming school year seems so full of excitement and promise. Students can’t wait to find out which friends will be in their classes and re-commit themselves to getting top grades this year. Parents are frantically running around making sure that school supplies are purchased and doctor appointments attended. School administrators and teachers patiently prepare lessons and activities.

Yet for all the positive activity, there is a looming reality that some of these students will make poor choices when it comes to alcohol, tobacco or drugs. In fact, 11.3% of students have tried marijuana by the age of 13. So, it’s important for parents, administrators and teachers to be on the lookout for children who may be at risk and to routinely engage in open discussions about the dangers that these substances can cause.

If the time comes when you suspect that a student is using drugs, alcohol or tobacco — or if you’re simply looking for a tangible deterrent to help your student avoid the temptation — turn to Any Lab Test Now for support. We offer a variety of drug tests for teens that can help you determine if the student is using substances and what those might be.

Confidential

Any Lab Test Now, there’s no reason to worry that samples or personal data will be insecure. Specimens follow strict chain-of-custody protocols, and results are heavily protected throughout the testing process to preserve confidentiality. Individuals maintain complete control over their specimens; unless the results need to be court-admissible, you can even bring your specimen in yourself. Additionally, to maintain our various accreditation’s and certifications, we must regularly report on our efforts to protect client data security and confidentiality. This gives patients and regulatory agencies alike confidence in the safety and accuracy of test results.

Comprehensive

No matter what drug, or drugs, you expect to find, you can rest easy knowing Any Lab Test Now has a panel that can uncover it. We have 5-panel, 10-panel and 12-panel tests that look for the most commonly abused drugs, or you can select a customized healthcare or prescription drug testing panel. Within these panels, we can find evidence of recent use of illegal drugs, prescription drugs, nicotine and alcohol. Any Lab Test Now can also do emergency drug testing, in the event you believe a student was unknowingly drugged.

Customizable

With Any Lab Test Now, you can choose which tier to test at and for which drugs you would like to look. If you just want to know whether a student has recently taken drugs of any kind, a simple drug screen might be the only thing you need. A drug screen is much faster than a full test, but it cannot differentiate between different types of drugs and can only confirm or refute the presence of drugs in someone’s system.

You can also choose the type of test used, depending on how far back you need your results to span. For example, testing urine or saliva will reveal recent use of the drug. If you need to know whether the drug was used in the past three to six months, testing fingernails or hair follicles is the better way to go.

As adults, we understand the impact that using drugs can have. While students may look like adults, they simply aren’t yet. Their brains still haven’t finished developing the centers that manage reasoning and self-control. So, it’s important that we all keep an eye on our teens. Whether you work with them or raise them lovingly, continue to talk about the dangers of illegal substances. And, help them make the right choices by using drug testing as a deterrent.

If the time comes that you do suspect a student of using drugs, reach out to your local Any Lab Test Now for help with teen drug testing.

Titers Testing Provides Proof of Immunization

The school year is approaching and with it comes excitement for those students entering a new school. For Mom and Dad, however, making sure students are properly enrolled can be stressful! One hurdle can be that requirements for enrolling often include documented immunization records: Parents must present proof that their children are immunized against various diseases. If for some reason parents don’t have these records, laboratory tests can be performed to quickly and easily provide the documentation that the school requires. These are called titer tests.

Titer Testing Not Just for Students

Of course, it’s not only students who need documentation to support their immunization status. There are many instances when this may be required, such as:

  • Employment in the education system
  • Employment or study in the healthcare system
  • Employment in the veterinary field
  • Participating in athletic programs or various activities
  • Pending travel plans

What Is a Titer Test?

The tests examine a blood sample to determine if it contains antibodies of a specific disease. The blood would only contain these antibodies if they had been released at one point in response to that disease’s virus or bacteria. This means that someone who has the antibodies in their blood has been exposed to the disease already – either naturally or through vaccination – and is now immune to the disease.

At Any Lab Test Now, we offer a variety of titer tests, including:

  • The MMR Titer tests for immunity to measles, mumps and rubella. This is a great option for anyone studying or working in a medical setting where you are at a higher risk of being exposed to these diseases.
  • The Varicella Titer tests for immunity to the varicella zoster virus — more commonly known as chickenpox and shingles.
  • Hepatitis B. The Hepatitis B Titer tests for Hepatitis B, inflammation of the liver. This can be contracted through exposure to infected blood from another person, among other causes, so those working or studying in the healthcare field are at a higher risk of coming into contact with blood infected with hepatitis and should consider testing for all three types (A, B and C).
  • The Rabies Titer monitors rabies antibody levels to ensure you are not infected with the rabies virus.

And More!

Any Lab Test Now offers hundreds of testing options, with convenience and affordability in mind. With no appointment necessary, wait times under 15 minutes and results back in 24–72 hours for titer tests, you’ll be glad you chose Any Lab Test Now to help with your proof of immunizations and other testing needs. After all, whether you’re diving into a new career or juggling kids, you have enough on your plate without wondering about proper immunizations.

Let Any Lab Test Now help you out today. Make an appointment online or call our experts to discuss what testing options are right for you.

Safety First! Any Lab Test Now Offers Lab Tests for Athletes

As an MMA fighter, boxer or other combative sports competitor or athlete, you already know that achieving peak performance means taking care of your body and health first. Vitamin deficiencies, hormone imbalances and other health problems can affect your success in the ring and even put you in danger of injury. That’s why many athletic organizations go so far as to require lab testing for their athletes — to make sure they are healthy and fit to compete and won’t be placing themselves in harm’s way.

The good news is, if you need required lab testing before your competition, you can get your results quickly and easily at Any Lab Test Now. Your local Any Lab Test Now location can provide your lab results before your next big fight or other athletic event, with no appointment or insurance necessary. You’ll have your results in 72 hours or less. We are proud to be the Lab Testing Provider for MMA and other combative sports fighters, getting fighters the results they need without the wait or the hassle.

MMA, Boxing and Other Combative Sports

The Fighter Panel at Any Lab Test Now is specially designed to meet the lab test needs of MMA fighters, boxers and other combative sports athletes. To be eligible to compete, many combative sports fighters are required to present their test results to their state athletic commission. The Fighter Panel includes tests for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. These tests will ensure your immune system is not compromised and that you are ready to fight.

While certain tests are required for competition, others are simply recommended for peak health, safety and performance in the ring, including:

Make sure you’re taking care of your health first to become the athlete you were always meant to be.

Other Athletes

If you aren’t a combative sports athlete, you may not need the same required lab testing that competitive fighting requires. However, many competitive athletes will still benefit from establishing a baseline for their health and fitness goals. Your baseline will help you improve your performance and let you know what might be going on when something doesn’t feel quite right. Common lab tests for athletes looking to monitor their overall health include:

As an athlete, your health is crucial to staying safe, fit and high-performing on the field, court or fighting ring. Stay at the top of your game by taking care of your health first. Schedule a lab test appointment online or call the experts at Any Lab Test Now to learn what testing options are right for you.

 

Safety in the Ring! Why do Combative Sports Fighters Have to Be Tested Every Year?

When mixed martial arts fighters discuss what they do to prepare for a match, the focus tends to be on the intense training they undergo to make sure they are totally ready to take a pounding and keep on swinging, ultimately to defeat an equally strong and prepared opponent. With such an exciting and dangerous sport, the last thing a fan would think about is whether each fighter is complying with the *shudder* regulations. But it’s because this sport is so exciting and dangerous that regulations need to be a big part of the conversation.

Most state athletic commissions require testing for combative sports fighters to compete. They require drug testing, as well as additional blood tests for diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis B and C. This is to protect the fighters, as well as to keep competition fair. There have been cases in unregulated fighting environments of horrible injuries and unfair competition due to the lack of rule enforcement. These are potentially life-ruining situations. If a fighter competes while infected with a bloodborne illness, the results can truly be tragic. As cumbersome as they may be, regulations are in place to prevent serious injury and death.

For fighter testing, the bloodborne infection aspect may not make sense at first blush. But with sports like MMA, which tend to get bloody, there is a real risk of passing on an infection. However, it’s not just a hazard to an opponent. The body of someone affected by a disease that attacks the immune system is generally weaker and easier to exhaust than that of a healthy person, so having a disease like HIV is a serious handicap in a fight.

Fighters have to be tested every year in order to comply with most state requirements. This is to monitor fighters’ health and keep them from passing on diseases they might not know they have. But if a fighter’s manager or agent has concerns, officials recommend getting the tests as often as necessary. The Fighter Panel at Any Lab Test Now is an easy tool to get all of your state-mandated testing done, with a fast turnaround. So protect yourself and your opponents, and be sure to get tested!

National Immunization Awareness Month: What that Means for Your College Student

Now that August has arrived, that can only mean one thing — it’s time for your student to start heading back to school! But did you know that August is also National Immunization Awareness Month? Getting immunized against infectious diseases is important for your health, as well as the health of those around you. And with the start of the new school year just around the corner, you may need to make sure your student is up to date on all their vaccinations.

Most colleges, universities and technical programs require students to provide proof of their necessary immunizations. Our titers tests for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella are an easy alternative to tracking down your old pediatrician from 10+ years ago or finding those old medical records you promised yourself you’d get around to organizing. Instead of spending hours searching for lost records, a titers test can quickly and easily check if you are immune to certain diseases. In just one visit, we can have you tested and your results ready to send to your student’s school within 48 -72 hours of testing.

Some health care study programs may require additional tests including proof of immunization for Hepatitis B and C, a yearly flu shot or even drug testing. The good news is, we can provide these, too! Instead of going to your doctor and racking up lots of fees and sitting through several separate doctor visits, why not make it easy on yourself and get everything done at once — cheaply, efficiently and hassle-free!

We know starting the new school year can be hectic. That’s why we at Any Lab Test Now want to relieve some of your stress by offering easy and affordable solutions to all of your most pressing back-to-school health care needs. We can provide proof of immunizations, flu shots and even help you fulfill those extensive requirements for health care study programs. And there’s no additional cost for a physician’s visit — we provide the doctor’s order. So don’t run all over town. We’re your one-source solution at Any Lab Test Now.