Shortage of the Sunshine Vitamin

It’s hard to imagine it, but even in the middle of summer, there are people who aren’t getting enough sunshine in their life. There could be all kinds of reasons why, but the most likely one is because they are being wise and listening to the well-placed warnings from their dermatologist about skin cancer. So, they slather on sunscreen, suit up in long sleeved shirts and pants and basically avoid the sun when possible. But some doctors are seeing an unintended consequence to this advice: vitamin D deficiency.

What is Vitamin D

According to the Vitamin D Council, D is unlike any other vitamin. Your body can make its own vitamin D when you expose your skin to sunlight. But, your body can’t make other vitamins; you have to get them from the foods you eat.

Basically, when your skin is exposed to the sun, it produces vitamin D and sends it to your liver. Your liver then changes it to a substance called 25 OH D. When your doctor talks about your vitamin D levels you’ll basically be talking about the amount of 25 OH D you have in your blood. You can also get vitamin D from supplements or even small amounts from the foods you eat.

Vitamin D at Work

Vitamin D plays a crucial role in keeping your bones strong. Your body needs it in order to absorb calcium. If you don’t have enough, your bones can become soft, thin and brittle. In children, this is called rickets. In adults, it’s known as osteomalacia. Researchers are also looking into the role that a vitamin D deficiency plays in:

  • Cancer
  • Asthma
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • High blood pressure
  • Depression
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Crohn’s disease
  • Type 1 diabetes

Are You at Risk?

A lack of sun exposure due to sunscreen use isn’t the only risk factor for a deficiency. Some people are just more inclined to it. According to the Vitamin D Council, people at risk for D deficiency include:

  • People with darker skin. The darker your skin the more sun exposure you need to get the same amount of vitamin D as a fair-skinned person.
  • People who spend a lot of time indoors during the day. For example, if you’re housebound or work nights and spend the day sleeping.
  • Older people, because they have thinner skin and may not be able to produce as much vitamin D as younger people.
  • Pregnant women and breastfed-only infants.
  • People who are overweight.

The symptoms of a vitamin D deficiency are so vague you might not have a clue. They can range anywhere from tiredness and general aches and pains to a pain in your bones and weakness. Some people don’t even have symptoms at all.

Testing to Know Your Levels

Testing to find out your levels of this important vitamin is as simple as going to your local Any Lab Test Now location. The test you’ll want to ask for is the Vitamin D 25-Hydroxy Test (25 OH D). It’s a simple test that requires no fasting and results generally take between 24 to 72 hours. Our experts have found that people who take the Vitamin D 25-Hydroxy Test (25 OH D) will also request one of the following relevant tests as well:

If your levels are abnormal a trip to your doctor is in order. They can talk to you about safe and sensible sun exposure and supplements. Having plenty of the “sunshine vitamin” can really be the key to feeling sunny every day!

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.

 

Cheers to Men’s Health Month!

Women often joke that getting a man to go to a doctor is almost as difficult as getting him to ask for directions when he’s lost. In both situations, men tough it out until they feel better or gotten where they are going, even if it took twice as long as it needed to. When it comes to their health, that stereotype isn’t always wrong. According to the CDC, women are 100 percent more likely than men to visit the doctor for annual exams and preventative services.

To help address this, June is Men’s Health Month. It’s a good time to take a look at some of the risks you may not even realize you’re taking. There are some simple things you can do to be healthier. Any Lab Test Now can help you see places you need to make changes, and you can do it without even needing a doctor’s appointment.

Heart Disease

Heart Disease is the leading cause of death in men. Many of the risk factors for it are things that we can control. If you smoke, drink too much, eat a diet high in saturated fat (think: cheeseburgers and fries), lead a sedentary lifestyle and are overweight, you can change those things. Hey, no one said it would be easy! Stress can also be an important factor in heart disease.

Your cholesterol numbers are also a factor. Cholesterol is fat produced by your liver. You also get it from the foods you eat. Low levels of HDL (sometimes called “good cholesterol”) and high levels of LDL (sometimes called “bad cholesterol”) are the opposite of what you’re after. Any Lab Test Now has a Lipid Panel available that screens for HDL, LDL, the ratio of the two as well as your triglyceride levels. The result will let you and your doctor see if your cholesterol levels need attention.

Diabetes

Your chances of having a heart attack are also greater if you have diabetes. Diabetes is easy to ignore because at first you feel just fine. But the disease affects other organs: your heart, blood vessels, nerves, eyes and kidneys. Left unchecked, the long-term complications can be disabling or even life-threatening. In addition to heart disease, diabetes can cause blood vessel damage, kidney damage, eye damage, foot damage, hearing loss, and possibly increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

The symptoms develop slowly — often a person has type 2 diabetes and doesn’t know it. Symptoms include: increased thirst and frequent urination, increased hunger, weight loss despite eating more, and fatigue. If you think you might have diabetes, or if you have diabetes and want to get a check on your blood levels, you can use the Diabetes Maintenance Panel at Any Lab Test Now.

Underlying Causes

Heart disease and diabetes aren’t embarrassing to talk about. But two men’s health issues that can lead to both of those can be uncomfortable to discuss —  prostates and testosterone. After you hit the age of 40, your prostate starts to grow. The symptoms you notice are a slower urinary stream or the sudden urge to go. But an enlarged prostate is also linked to metabolic diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Another issue men face as they age is a drop in testosterone. The symptoms are a decreased sex drive, erectile difficulty, mood changes and even memory problems. Low testosterone increases the risk of developing diabetes and hypertension. You can find out what your levels are with a simple testosterone test from Any Lab Test Now.

Men, it’s time to take control of your health and well-being! The first step in leading a healthier lifestyle is knowing what changes you need to make. Along with your local Any Lab Test Now, it’s easy to find out what areas you and your doctor can focus on as you make a roadmap to follow for better health.

Tired of Feeling Tired?

The fast pace of life can leave you dragging your feet. It’s normal to feel worn out at the end of a busy day. When you’re shuttling between the responsibilities of work, home, busy kids or aging parents, it should come as no surprise that you’re left feeling exhausted. But what if every day leaves you feeling this way?

When does sick and tired become just sick? While there are a number of medical issues that can leave you feeling fatigued, one common cause is an iron deficiency.

Iron = Energy

Iron is a mineral found in every cell of the body. It’s considered essential because your body needs it to make the proteins hemoglobin and myoglobin which carry oxygen through your body. Hemoglobin is a part of your red blood cells while myoglobin is found in your muscles. With that basic information, it’s easy to see why a lack of iron means a lack of energy.

You can get iron from food sources including:

  • Dried beans
  • Dried fruits
  • Eggs
  • Lean red meat

But not everyone is able to get enough iron naturally.

Low levels of iron over an extended period of time can cause problems. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) warns that a lack of iron may cause iron deficiency anemia. Along with shortness of breath and dizziness, extreme fatigue and weakness are the big red-flag warnings of an iron deficiency.

Boost Your Energy

Fortunately, it’s easy to be proactive and take control of your health. In fact, Any Lab Test Now offers testing that can pinpoint if an iron deficiency is draining your energy. The Iron and Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC) is a non-fasting test that measures the amount of iron in your blood.

If you want to dig a little deeper, you can opt for the Fatigue Panel. The Fatigue Panel is a series of tests designed to help you get to the root of your exhaustion. It includes the Iron and Total Iron Binding Capacity Test, along with the following:

  • Complete Blood Count (CBC)
  • Chemistry Panel
  • Urinalysis
  • Lyme Disease
  • Mononucleosis
  • Epstein Barr

While iron deficiency is a common cause of fatigue, many health factors can affect your energy level. This comprehensive panel checks a broad range of factors to provide you with as much information as possible.

If it does turn out that an iron deficiency is the cause of your fatigue, work with your doctor to come up with a treatment plan. More than likely, this will include dietary changes to increase the amount of iron you are consuming, as well as the amount of vitamin C you are eating since this nutrient helps with iron absorption. If that isn’t effective, or if you are severely iron deficient already, there are other alternatives that you can discuss.

Of course, starting with knowledge about your current situation is step one, so walk in to your local Any Lab Test Now to identify the cause of your fatigue and put yourself on a path to increased energy.

Keeping Mom Healthy

Mother’s Day is around the corner, on May 14th. We usually give Mom a card or maybe take her to brunch. This year, you can do a little more to show your mom that you love her and want to spend many more Mother’s Days with her by talking to her about her health.

Navigating a Checkup

In fact, it’s a good idea to do an annual check-in with Mom before her annual checkup. Write down any of your mom’s questions so she can take them with her. Visit Any Lab Test Now to help provide answers she wants, quickly and easily. These will help her identify what she needs to talk about with the doctor.

Talk About Healthy Basics

Some basics to good health remain the same no matter what our age! Talk with your Mom about:

  • eating a healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables,
  • maintaining a healthy weight,
  • exercising 30 minutes a day,
  • getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night,
  • not smoking,
  • wearing a seatbelt and
  • not texting while driving.

These are all good reminders when it comes to living a fulfilling and healthy lifestyle. To add even more encouragement, perhaps you could tackle one or two of these together or create a challenge with the whole family.

Changing Vitamin Needs

There are some things that do change as Mom ages. Not all of them are things we’d think about. Did you realize the vitamins you take should change as you age? A mom in her 30s still needs to be sure to take folic acid every day, whereas a mom who is older and has gone through menopause doesn’t.

Once a woman has reached 65, she should be sure to add vitamin D into her daily regimen. Along with exercise, adequate levels of vitamin D can help prevent falls. If you aren’t sure that your mom is getting enough, you can suggest she have the simple Vitamin D Test done at Any Lab Test Now! Getting enough Vitamin D can be tough — especially if you follow a strict vegan diet. Other than fortified milk, not many foods have it.

Why is Mom Tired?

Being worn out and tired is just par for the course of motherhood, right? Not necessarily. Instead of letting Mom think that she has to spend 18 (or more) years exhausted, make sure there isn’t an underlying nutrient problem, such as iron deficiency anemia. In fact, the most common symptoms of this are fatigue and weakness. A woman who has anemia is tired because her blood isn’t getting enough oxygen to her body.

Any Lab Test Now has an Anemia Panel that can determine if Mom has an iron deficiency. Then, she and her doctor can come up with a plan to have her feeling more like herself again. The solution is usually a combination of iron supplements and adding iron-rich foods into her diet. No, she isn’t going to put liver on your dinner plate. Lentils, tofu, green leafy veggies and dried fruits are all great ways to get more iron in your diet.

Your mom spends a lot of time taking care of you. This Mother’s Day, take a little time to take care of her. Help her take charge of her health care needs and get the answers she seeks so that she can continue spending happy, healthy days with you and the family.

Solutions for Those with High Deductibles or No Insurance

If you don’t have insurance or have a high deductible and have difficulty affording healthcare, there are still options for you to get tests done and make your health a priority. Any Lab Test Now offers a multitude of tests at low prices and convenient times, and you don’t even need insurance to use their services.

No Insurance Necessary

If you are currently uninsured, it can be difficult and pricey to get medical attention. Any Lab Test Now will provide you with the tests you need, no insurance required. Now, you don’t have to worry about skipping a blood test or ignoring possible allergies. All tests are available to you, regardless of your insurance status.

In addition, if you will be paying for your test out-of-pocket, you can use your health savings account (HSA) or flexible spending account (FSA) for payment.

Low Prices

A lot of people skip their medical exams because they are overpriced. Any Lab Test Now offers tests at the lowest prices possible, ensuring that anyone can get tested and focus on their health. Patients are not charged excessive fees or high deductibles for their tests; instead, they are offered the same quality tests as other testing centers for an affordable price that can fit most budgets.

Easily Accessible

When cost is an issue, it’s easy to make excuses for skipping medical tests. It’s easy to blame the distance to the office or the time spent in a waiting room for not getting tested. After all, time spent on medical test can mean time spent away from work.

Fortunately, Any Lab Test Now understands this. Our locations are spread across the country and located in places where people work and live. You can easily find your local Any Lab Test Now and get started with your tests. You can also get your tests done in a convenient amount of time, so you don’t have to worry about sitting in a waiting room and wasting a whole day. Patients can, generally, have tests completed in 15 minutes or less and there is no appointment required. The locations are typically open at convenient times that will fit your schedule, including Saturdays, so you don’t even need to take time off during the work week.
Any Lab Test Now offers a service that allows you to prioritize your health. You can get any of the tests offered without insurance and at a low price. Now, there are no excuses to not get tested. Anyone can take charge of their health and get tests completed, even if they are uninsured or on a tight budget.

SPRING IS IN BLOOM; SO ARE SEASONAL ALLERGIES

If you’re a seasonal allergy sufferer, you don’t need a calendar to tell you when winter is over; your nose probably will. Spring came a little early this year and it took many seasonal allergy sufferers by surprise. If you can’t stop and smell the roses because you’re too busy sneezing and sniffling, then it’s probably because you suffer from seasonal allergies. Luckily Any Lab Test Now is here to help arm you with information to ease your suffering.

Why Spring Means Suffering

According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI), allergies are a major cause of illness in the United States, with as many as 50 million people having allergies of some type. Allergy symptoms occur when your immune system overreacts to a trigger found in your environment. Usual symptoms include:

  • Sneezing
  • Coughing
  • Itchy eyes and/or nose
  • Runny nose

The usual culprits? Grass, pollen and mold are common triggers! All the things that make spring so special. Of course, no season has the market covered when it comes to allergies. Some people can sail through the bloom and get caught in the fall with woodsmoke, or in the winter with holiday decorations pulled down from a dusty attic.

How to Manage Your Seasonal Allergies

According to the ACAAI, the most important step to managing your seasonal allergies is to know your triggers. The most common tests for these types of allergies are IgE tests. These tests detect immunoglobulin “E” traces in your blood, and can pinpoint the allergen. That’s where Any Lab Test Now can help. Some of the most popular IgE allergy tests now offered by Any Lab Test Now include:

One of our medical assistants can help you decide which test is best for you; or you can try our easy to use Road Map of Symptoms to help guide you to the most appropriate option.

What to Do After You Know Your Trigger

You’ll want to check with your doctor to decide on the best treatment for you, but there are many medications available both over the counter and by prescription that can help. Some patients find that immunotherapy helps. There’s even promising research on probiotics. And, reducing your exposure to your allergy triggers is always a good idea.
At Any Lab Test Now, we want you to fall back in love with spring and all that it has to offer. Understanding your seasonal allergy triggers is the first step to feeling more comfortable at this time of year, so walk in to your local Any Lab Test Now to talk with a medical assistant about the test that’s right for you.

Are You Getting a Good Night’s Rest?

Whether you like to be curled up under a pile of blankets, buried under a mountain of pillows, or free from constrictive bedding, a good night’s sleep is essential to your health. In fact, quality sleep is as critical as proper diet and exercise. It is a key factor in immune function, metabolism, memory, and learning; yet, more than a third of United States adults do not get enough sleep.

 

Insufficient Sleep

Insufficient sleep is on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) radar and has been labeled a public health concern. So, what constitutes a successful night of slumber? The CDC recommends at least seven hours per night for adults and even more for teens and children. In a 2014 survey, only 65 percent of Americans reported a healthy sleep duration. Incredibly, 12 percent reported sleeping less than five hours and 23 percent reported only six hours per night.

Sleep Quality

While the number of hours of sleep is important to restoring and revitalizing your body, the National Sleep Foundation’s new report presents sleep quality differently. It recommends that you strive for these four bedtime accomplishments:

  • Sleeping 85 percent of the time you spend in bed
  • Falling asleep in 30 minutes or less
  • Waking up no more than once a night
  • Falling back asleep within 20 minutes

Impacts of Too Little Sleep

Too little sleep negatively impacts both your physical and mental health. Lack of sleep can contribute to a variety of serious medical issues, including obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. In the immediate future, it can also contribute to motor vehicle and other accidents because you are not as alert as you would be if you were well rested and may have impaired judgement. Additionally, long-term sleeplessness can contribute to forgetfulness, depression, and anxiety.

At Any Lab Test Now, there is an option to help you determine if you are suffering from insomnia. The Sleep Balance Take Home Hormone Kit can help find the possible causes of disturbed sleep. The kit is a simple urine test that measures melatonin and cortisol. Melatonin is the hormone that helps to regulate when the body should be asleep vs. awake. Cortisol is produced in response to stress to keep your body on-guard, but should naturally decline at night: if it does not, your body can have trouble calming itself. As the test helps you better understand what is preventing a restful slumber, you can work with your doctor to mitigate these issues.

Talk to our experts at Any Lab Test Now to learn more about the test and how to improve your sleep cycle for optimal health and wellness.

Get Tested During Colon Cancer Awareness Month

Have You Been Tested for Colon Cancer? If Not, Should You Consider It?

March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month, and despite this yearly designation, many people still don’t know about the dangers of colon cancer. A cancer diagnosis is always scary, but if found early, colon cancer is one of the most treatable cancers out there. With screening and early detection, colon cancer patients can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that they have a 90 percent chance of survival, and that number is increasing every year. But if all this is true, why is colon cancer the second-leading cause of cancer death in those aged 50 and older?

Early Detection Saves Lives!

Colon cancer is one of the most treatable cancers in the U.S. today, yet it remains the second-leading cause of cancer death in U.S. adults aged 50 and older. This is because nearly a third of adults are skipping their recommended screenings. These screenings are vital to your health, as finding colon cancer early will significantly increase your chance of survival and recovery. Even adults under 50 years of age should consider this screening if they have a family history of colon cancer.

It’s important to pay attention to your risk factors to assess if it’s a good idea to get tested. Risk factors for colon cancer include:

  • Being over 50 years of age
  • Having a family history of polyps or colon cancer
  • Having a personal history of cancer
  • Having a condition that causes inflammation of the colon, such as Crohn’s Disease
  • Smoking cigarettes
  • High fat and low fiber diet

If you identify with any of the risk factors above, even just being over 50 years of age, it’s time to consider your options for colon cancer testing.

Getting Tested at Any Lab Test Now

Any Lab Test Now is partnering with Colon Cancer Alliance to help stop colon cancer deaths for good. During Colon Cancer Awareness Month, we urge those over 50 years of age and those with a family history of colon cancer to get tested. That’s because the best way to beat colon cancer is to find it early through testing. Testing could save your life.

To make testing easier and more discreet, Any Lab Test Now offers the Colorectal Cancer At-Home Screening Test. The test evaluates stool samples that are collected at home and sent in to the lab. The lab then determines if there is any blood in the stool that may signal colon cancer.

Help us beat colon cancer by taking charge of your health! Knowing your risk factors, knowing your family history and talking with your physician about the right time to be screened is your best, and easiest, tool for preventing colon cancer.

Contact the experts at Any Lab Test Now today to learn what testing options are right for you.

How Can You Help?

Help us raise money for colon cancer research by hearing our personal story and donating to the MICHELLE FIELDS TRIBUTE PAGE. All proceeds go to the Colon Cancer Alliance.

Donate today: www.anylabtestnow.com/donate

 

Understand the Impact of Nutrients on Your Body

Understand the Impact of Nutrients on Your Body

Do you know what’s happening in your body when you eat? What you eat and how well your body digests it can have a far-reaching impact on your health and everyday wellbeing, so it’s important to know what’s happening internally. There’s a lot of information that can be revealed when you take time to be tested for nutrient absorption, which is why nutritional testing at Any Lab Test Now is important.

What is Nutritional Testing?

By analyzing blood chemistry, these tests reveal more than simple digestive trouble. The cellular composition of your blood, including levels of hemoglobin, red and white blood cells and platelet counts, can give you helpful hints about health conditions you might be experiencing. Nutritional testing can also examine levels of vitamins, minerals and enzymes in your blood and compare these to normal levels to find any deficiencies. Finally, the density of many of the components of your blood can tell you if your organs are functioning properly and if you’re getting enough fluids.

Nutrition-Related Health Concerns

Nutrition plays an important role in keeping your body balanced and full of energy. When not properly balanced, your body can experience a variety of discomforts and long-term health issues. A few examples include:

  • Fatigue
  • Achy, weak or crampy muscles
  • Low hormone levels
  • Chronic inflammation
  • Organ malfunction
  • Abnormal heart rhythms
  • Anemia
  • Memory loss

Micronutrients

Micronutrients are vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Unlike nutrients like calcium and potassium, these are only needed in small amounts, yet being deficient in one or more of these nutrients can also be harmful to your body. To gather even more information about your digestive health, try tests like the micronutrient test and the comprehensive male or female panel. These tests will give you a better picture of how well-balanced your diet is. Too little of a certain micronutrient may lead to long-term health issues, such as poor organ function, poor immune function or any number of chronic diseases.

Nutrition is the backbone of your physical health, so it makes sense that you would need to check up on it every once in a while. By getting a nutritional panel at Any Lab Test Now, you can answer any questions you might have about your nutrition, as well as potentially find solutions to nagging health issues. So walk-in to your local Any Lab Test Now to see how a Nutritional Panel can help you stay healthy!