The Need to Know on DNA Testing

Thanks to a surge in the sales of pregnancy tests, couples could soon be asking an important question. Who’s the father? An estimated 300,000 paternity tests are performed in the United States every year. Thanks to improved testing and technology, men and women no longer need to leave the paternity of a child in question. DNA tests provide simplified answers to the fatherhood question.

Check out the facts:

Three percent of all fathers in the U.S. have no idea that a child they believe is their own is not their biological child.
About one in three men who take a paternity test will discover they are not the biological father.
DNA tests, like those offered at Any Lab Test Now®, are 99.999 percent accurate.

Legally Admissible DNA Paternity Test

There are two kinds of paternity tests. The first is the legal forensic test, ordered by courts for child support and custody cases. One reason a court might order a DNA test is to rule out paternity fraud. This is when a woman intentionally leads a man into thinking that he is the father of her child, when in fact, she knows that he is not. Any Lab Test Now offers a Legally Admissible DNA Paternity Test. This test is required when a person attempts to seek or deny child support, child custody, or visitation; seek medical, social security. Or even receive military benefits; add or remove a name from the child’s birth certificate and/or voluntary acknowledgment of paternity, immigration, and adoption.

Informational Paternity

The second type of paternity testing is considered informational and cannot be used for a legal purpose. The Informational Paternity Test is discretionary and used for peace of mind.

How Paternity Testing Works

The process is very simple and easy. For a Legally-Admissible Paternity Test, the father and child must come to the testing site in person. An Any Lab Test Now technician collects skin cells from the child and the alleged father from the inside of the mouth using a soft swab. The DNA of the potential father is analyzed to determine the probability that his genetic markers are found in the child. Test results are available in an average of three to five business days after specimens are collected from all tested parties.

For an Informational Paternity Test, participants have the option of in-person sampling or a home collection kit that can either be picked up at the lab location or purchased online. Once the kit arrives at your home, you can collect the samples yourself and ship them back to Any Lab Test Now for testing.

Did You Know?

If the alleged father is deceased, Any Lab Test Now may still be able to help determine paternity. It will depend on the type of sample available or members of the alleged father’s bloodline who are willing to participate. This avenue is a blood sample that may have been collected by a medical examiner if an autopsy was performed. If no such samples are available, a specimen from a family member close to the alleged father, such as a biological brother, would also work.

Any Lab Test Now even offers an option for grandparents to help determine paternity with its Grandparentage test. This test is an indirect way to determine a family relationship and is very useful when an alleged father is unavailable or unwilling to participate in a paternity test.

Check out our FAQ page for answers to many frequently asked paternity questions.

DNA Testing is Easy

Don’t let questions of genetic relationships remain unanswered. With Any Lab Test Now, you can rest easy knowing you’ve taken the proper paternity test for your needs. Your confidential results will be shared with you in a timely manner.

Any Lab Test Now provides you with a safe and clean alternative location for lab work, including paternity testing. Each of our 190+ stores is sanitized several times a day, in accordance with the CDC’s protocols. Book an appointment online, or walk into an Any Lab Test Now location near you to find the answers to your paternity questions and ensure your child has a healthy future.

Cervical Cancer: Five Facts You Need to Know

January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. Next to breast cancer, it’s the second most common type of cancer for women worldwide. In the United States, an estimated 14,480 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2021. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 4,200 women will die because of this diagnosis.

Women of all ages are at risk of cervical cancer. This cancer forms in tissues of the cervix — the organ connecting the uterus and vagina. According to this study, most diagnoses occur in women between 35 and 44, with the average age of diagnosis being 50. About 20 percent of cervical cancers are diagnosed after age 65. Experts suspect it is because these women did not receive regular cervical cancer screenings before age 65.

Here are five important facts about cervical cancer you should know.

#1 – What Causes Cervical Cancer?
Cervical cancer is commonly caused by a form of human papillomavirus (HPV), a common virus that can be transmitted through sexual activity. HPV can be present for years without causing any symptoms and can be passed on to others without knowing. The Centers for Diseases Control reports more than 20 million people are currently infected with HPV worldwide, and another 6.2 million will contract the virus each year.

#2 – What are the Symptoms of Cervical Cancer?
Early-stage cervical cancer often presents no symptoms, which is why it is often referred to as a “silent killer.” But as the disease advances, signs and symptoms will be hard to ignore. Examples include pelvic pain, abnormal bleeding, painful urination, unusual discharge, abnormal menstrual cycles, pain or bleeding after sex, anemia, urinary incontinence, and back pain.

#3 – When Should Cervical Cancer Screenings Start?
Experts at the American Cancer Society recommend women begin cervical cancer screenings at age 21, with women ages 30 to 65 being screened with both the Pap test and the HPV test annually. Most women who develop cervical cancer have not been screened in at least five years, and about half of them have never been screened in their lifetime. Screening allows for early detection, often allowing medical professionals to stop cervical cancer even before it starts.

#4 – What are the Risk Factors for Cervical Cancer?
Several risk factors can increase your chance of developing cervical cancer. Women who smoke are about twice as likely as non-smokers to get cervical cancer. Someone who became sexually active at a young age (younger than 18) or has many sexual partners. Research also suggests that long-term use of oral contraceptives can increase the risk. Family history can also be a factor. Women with a sister or mother who had cervical cancer are two to three times more likely to develop the disease.

#5 – Can you Prevent Cervical Cancer?
Because cervical cancer is typically caused by HPV, the easiest way to prevent cervical cancer is to get an HPV vaccine. The vaccine helps your immune system create an antibody response that protects your body against the infection. A Pap smear can detect abnormal changes to the cervix before they develop into cancer. More than half of the women in the United States who get cervical cancer have never had or rarely had a Pap smear. Women need to make an appointment with a primary care physician or gynecologist to have this test completed.

The HPV test is a screening test for cervical cancer. The test detects the presence of HPV. Unlike a Pap smear, a doctor’s appointment is not necessary. Any Lab Test Now offers HPV Home Collection Kits available online for purchase. Women can take a vaginal swab in the privacy of their own homes. The HPV test from Any Lab Test Now is highly accurate, and test results are usually back within two to three days after the lab receives the specimen. A positive HPV test result can be alarming, but it does not mean cancer. However, it does require follow-up with your healthcare provider.

New Year, Better You…Take Care of Yourself

Any Lab Test Now wants you to take care of yourself. We provide a safe and clean alternative location for lab work, including HPV testing to monitor signs of cervical cancer. Create a fresh start in 2022, utilize Any Lab Test Now for access to 8000+ lab testing options designed to help you monitor the health of your body. Each of our 200+ locations is sanitized several times a day, in accordance with recommended cleaning practices.

We want you to Take Control of Your Health® when it comes to seeking out any type of lab work, including determining the health of your thyroid. Any Lab Test Now is a committed partner in helping you manage your family’s healthcare so you can make educated decisions that will directly affect your quality of life.

Find your closest Any Lab Test Now store at www.anylabtestnow.com.

FOOD INTOLERANCE VS FOOD ALLERGY

As we gather to feast with our friends and families during the holidays, keep in mind that not all foods sit well with everyone. More than 32 million Americans have food allergies. But did you know one in four people suffer from a more common dining dilemma called food intolerance? Most of them don’t have a clue because they test negative for food allergies. They think the problem is in their head, and they keep eating the same food and continue to get sick!

Intolerances differ significantly from allergies. Unlike allergies, intolerances may vary from situation to situation, while an allergy always produces the same reaction. Intolerances are caused by the body’s inability to process specific substances and may cause bloating, digestive problems such as gas and/or diarrhea, fatigue, headaches, and even the inability to lose weight or weight gain.

Symptoms may be difficult to link to specific foods, environmental substances, or food additives because they may not occur until hours or days later. To complicate the situation, everyone has a different tolerance for specific foods, so even if a person has an intolerance, it may be so mild that a small amount of the food doesn’t cause a reaction until enough of the food is eaten or is consumed consistently over time.

Here’s the difference between food intolerance and food allergies:

Food Intolerance – inability to digest particular foods

You may be able to eat small amounts of the offending food without trouble or prevent a reaction.
Food Intolerance symptoms are generally less serious and often limited to digestive problems. Some symptoms include bloating, stomachache, hives, and headaches.

Food Allergy – immune system reaction to particular foods

A true food allergy causes an immune system reaction that affects numerous organs in the body.
Can cause a range of symptoms. In some cases, an allergic reaction to a food can be severe or life-threatening.

Take the Tolerance Test

A food sensitivity test uses a small blood sample to measure your IgG reactivity levels to different types of foods. A high reactivity to a certain food indicates a potential intolerance. Any Lab Test Now offers five different levels of food intolerance tests, including the Platinum Comprehensive Sensitivity and Intolerance Panel, which measures the body’s cellular reaction to 320 items, including foods and food additives.

Food Intolerance Card

When the results come in, Any Lab Test Now includes a Food Intolerance ID Card that lists foods that should be avoided. People can take it to restaurants and hand it to servers or send it in advance to family gatherings to alert a host about the foods they need to avoid. Keep the holidays happy and healthy by pinpointing allergies, sensitivities, and intolerances now so you’ll know what to avoid later.

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A Downside to Holiday Cheer. What Alcohol Really Does to Your Liver.

The holidays give us a reason to celebrate. For many of us, alcohol plays a big part in the festivities. But too many glasses of good cheer too often can lead to something less than cheerful — an overworked liver.

Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, the average American sees a 100 percent increase in drinking habits. Holidays aside, Americans are drinking more and for longer periods of time than ever before. The pandemic played a role in the increase, but research suggests we’ve upped the ante on alcohol use long before the COVID-19 crisis started.

Alcohol and Your Liver

The liver is the largest organ in your body. It helps digest food, store energy, and remove toxins. When you drink alcohol, an enzyme in the liver breaks down the alcohol so it can be removed from your body.

Our bodies can only process one unit of alcohol per hour, which means if you drink more than one drink in that time period, your body is not able to process all that extra booze. This can trigger your liver to generate harmful substances that can damage liver cells, cause inflammation, and weaken your immune system.

Drinking too much alcohol can lead to Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, which causes liver inflammation and eventually cirrhosis, which creates scarring in the liver and may potentially develop into liver cancer. Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease is considered a silent disease, with few or no symptoms. The damage begins when you drink as little as four drinks a day for men and two drinks a day for women.

Here are what experts consider to be a problem when it comes to consuming alcoholic beverages.

Heavy Drinking – Consuming four drinks on any day or more than 14 drinks per week (men) or three drinks on any day or more than seven drinks per week.

Binge Drinking – Consuming five or more alcoholic drinks (men) or four or more drinks (women) in two hours.

Check Your Liver Health

You owe it to yourself to know if your drinking is hurting your liver. The Liver Function Panel at Any Lab Test Now consists of a simple blood draw that is used in seven tests to see how well your liver is working. This test doesn’t require fasting, and we provide the doctor’s order, so you can walk into your local Any Lab Test Now for a same-day test — no prep necessary.

If you are drinking excessively, there are organizations that can help. SAMHSA, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, is a free, confidential 24/7 365-day a year helpline and can be reached at 1-800-622-HELP (4357).

Be at Ease

Any Lab Test Now wants you to be at ease when it comes to seeking out any type of lab work, including testing to determine the health of your liver. We want to be a committed partner in helping you manage your wellness routine so you can make educated decisions that will directly affect your quality of life.

Find your closest Any Lab Test Now store at www.anylabtestnow.com.

Jumpstart Your Health

There is never a bad time to Take Control of Your Health® — even during the holidays. Most people think it’s best to wait until the new year rolls around to start a new diet and exercise program. But did you ever think it might be smarter to get a head start on your resolution before the new year?

One of the biggest reasons people fall flat on their diet and exercise goals is because they take on too much at once. Have you ever committed yourself to eat salads and work out at the gym four days a week once January starts? Unfortunately, by the time April rolls around your overwhelmed and tapped out. By making those drastic changes all at once, you are setting yourself up for failure. Instead, you should ease your way in. Call it the December dress rehearsal.

Instead of eating nothing but salads every day, start with replacing one meal a week with a bowl of leafy greens and veggies. Then, bump it up to two salads the following week, three salads the week after that, and so on.

You can do the same with exercise. Start by taking it easy. If you haven’t run in a while (or ever), start out with a brisk walk. If bigger biceps are your thing, don’t overdo it in the weight room. Start out with a lower weight and do more reps. Slowly make your way up the weight rack over the following days and weeks as you get your muscles acquainted with the movements.

If you use the weeks leading up to the holidays and the new year as a practice period, you will be that much more ahead of the game and closer to your goals without all the pressure that comes with a resolution.

This makes now the perfect time to come into Any Lab Test Now to get an Annual Check-Up Panel which provides you with a baseline for your overall health that will give you even more motivation to stick to your plan.

The Annual Check-up Panel is a set of five tests that reveal an incredible amount of important bodily information — some of which could impact the type of diet and exercise program most beneficial for you. This panel provides you with a baseline for your overall health that will give you even more motivation to stick to your 2022 resolutions.

How do you know how far you’ve come if you don’t know where you started?

The Annual Check-Up Panel provides you with an important baseline. You’ll learn the numeric levels on blood counts and cholesterol and triglyceride levels as well as kidney and liver functions and more. By knowing these levels at the beginning of your resolution, you’ll be able to return every four to six months to test again. It will provide you with proof that choosing a salad instead of your favorite fried dish was really is worth it.

Here is a closer look at the information the Annual Check-Up Panel from Any Lab Test Now provides:

Complete Blood Count (CBC)

A CBC is a blood test that gives you a good picture of your overall health. It can measure different components and features of your blood, including:

The number and size of red blood cells (these cells carry oxygen)
The number of white blood cells (these cells help fight infection)
Total amount of hemoglobin and amount per red blood cell (this protein carries oxygen in red blood cells)
Fraction of hematocrit (this proportion of red blood cells is the fluid component, or plasma, of the blood)
Total number of platelets (these cells help the blood to clot)

Comprehensive Metabolic Panel

The Comprehensive Metabolic Panel is a group of blood tests that measures your body’s chemical balance, fluids, and metabolism function.

A metabolic panel can determine the following in your body:

Kidney and liver function
Blood sugar
Calcium levels
Electrolytes: sodium, potassium, and chloride levels
Protein levels

Thyroid Panel

Hormones can impact everything, from muscle growth, weight gain or loss, fat storage, mood, even libido. This test evaluates how well your thyroid is reacting to and producing certain hormones.

This includes:

TSH: Thyroid-stimulating hormone – This hormone modulates the levels of hormones your thyroid releases.
T3: Triiodothyronine – This hormone, in combination with T3, regulates your heart rate and body temperature.
T4: Thyroxine – Along with T3, this hormone regulates your metabolism.

If these hormones are out of balance, they can cause a variety of issues like low protein levels, weight gain, growth disorders, and sexual dysfunction.

Cholesterol Lipid With Ratio (Lipids Panel)

A lipid panel can test substances in your blood that carry cholesterol, that when above normal levels, can increase the risk of heart disease over time.

Some of the tests in a lipid panel include:

Total cholesterol (this measures the total cholesterol in your blood, including LDL, HDL)
LDL (bad) cholesterol (LDL is the primary source of cholesterol buildup/blockage in the arteries)
HDL (good) cholesterol (HDL helps to remove cholesterol from your arteries)
Triglycerides (a form of fat in the blood that can increase heart disease risk)

According to the National Institute of Health, the optimal values for cholesterol are the following:

Total cholesterol: less than 200mg/dL
LDL: less than 100mg/dL
HDL: 60 mg/dL and above is considered protective against heart disease

It’s essential to monitor your cholesterol levels over time because it could help identify risk factors for heart disease; which lifestyle factors like diet and exercise can often reduce, and if needed, prescribed medications routinely monitored by your doctor.

Hemoglobin (A1C)

This test measures the average amount of glucose in the blood over the last two to three months. Hemoglobin A is a protein found inside your red blood cells. Glucose attaches itself to this protein and remains there for the lifespan of the hemoglobin — about 120 days. The A1C test can determine how much glucose is stuck to the hemoglobin. An elevated A1C may be a sign of either prediabetes or diabetes, depending on the levels. If you are found to be prediabetic or diabetic, your doctor will request you change your diet to reduce your intake of simple carbohydrates and instead eat more vegetables and fiber.

Any Lab Test Now can play a vital role in helping support your health and well-being. Let us help you as you ramp up your diet and exercise the right way — slow, steady, and smart. Knowing your numbers will help you get on the right track from the inside out.

Be at Ease

Any Lab Test Now wants you to be at ease when it comes to seeking out any type of lab work, including the Annual Check-Up Panel to jumpstart your health goals. We are a committed partner in helping you manage your family’s healthcare so you can make educated decisions that will directly affect your quality of life.

We are here to help.
Find your closest Any Lab Test Now at www.anylabtestnow.com.

How to Use My FSA?

When it comes to flexible spending accounts or FSAs, the phrase “Use it or Lose it” is typically first to come to mind. However, it may be a surprise to learn just how much Americans actually lose in unused contributions. It’s estimated that more than $400 million is forfeited every year in FSA/HSA funds! That’s because we either miss or forget our spending deadlines. An FSA is a great deal if you use it wisely. It allows you to put away pre-tax dollars for eligible healthcare services and products — including everything from co-pays to prescriptions.

Typically, you must spend all the money in your FSA account by the end of the year or risk losing it. However, we are getting a little extension thanks to the COVID relief bill implemented late last year. This bill allows the FSA money you accrued in 2020 to still be available to you until December 31, 2021. In addition, the money you accrue in 2021 will be available to you until December 31, 2022. With the extended deadlines, you can plan out how to spend your FSA dollars on services that can directly impact your health rather than rush to spend the money on boxes of bandages and containers of calamine lotion you don’t necessarily need.

One of the services many people don’t think of using their FSA money on is lab testing. Over the past year, many of us put off an annual check-up from our primary care doctor so as not to risk exposure to COVID-19. You don’t have to wait until your next doctor’s visit for your next overall health assessment. Any Lab Test Now® has a wide variety of tests — all of which fall under the FSA guidelines — that can track different aspects of your physical well-being.

The Comprehensive Male and Female Panels are two of the best choices for men and women looking to take their health into their own hands and be smart about FSA spending. Both panels include a Complete Metabolic Panel (CMP) and a Complete Blood Count (CBC); two blood tests that offer vital health information. These tests are essential to understanding your electrolyte and hydration status, kidney function, liver function, and blood cell values. Each panel provides information for you to self-monitor your health and discuss with your doctor to better understand your body and learn to manage your healthcare proactively.

Here is a look at what else each panel includes.

Comprehensive Female Panel:

No matter what stage of life you are in, the Comprehensive Female Panel will help you recognize and address hormone imbalances and the overall condition of your health.

The Comprehensive Female Panel includes the following tests:

Cholesterol (Lipid) Panel
Estradiol
Testosterone (Free and Total)
TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone)
HbA1C (Hemoglobin A1C)
Progesterone
DHEA-Sulfate
FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone)
LH (Luteinizing Hormone)

Comprehensive Male Panel:

An important aspect of the Comprehensive Male Panel is the inclusion of the test for prostate cancer, which is one of the most common types of cancers among men.

The Comprehensive Male Panel includes the following tests:

PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen)
Cholesterol (Lipid) Panel
Testosterone (Free and Total)
TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone)
HbA1C (Hemoglobin A1C)
DHEA-S (Helps in the evaluation of your adrenal gland function)

Be at Ease

Fasting is required for both the Male and Female Comprehensive Panels. What isn’t required is an appointment. You can walk into your nearest Any Lab Test Now location to have these tests, and any other lab tests that may be beneficial to you, completed and covered by your FSA dollars. We provide a safe and clean alternative location for lab work. Each of our 190+ stores is sanitized several times a day, in accordance with preferred CDC protocols. Any Lab Test Now is a committed partner in helping you manage your family’s healthcare so you can make educated decisions that will directly affect your quality of life. We want to help every customer feel at ease as we continue to navigate through the pandemic. We are here to help!

Find your closest Any Lab Test Now location at www.anylabtestnow.com.

Three Important Tests Your Child Might Need

Being a parent seems to be harder than ever. On top of the peer pressure that traditionally comes with adolescence, now we have to contend with strong social media influences. Add to that a pandemic, which has undoubtedly turned life upside down for everyone, including our children. One of the biggest concerns for parents is keeping their children safe and healthy. As a parent, there are several options you can take to make sure your child’s health is on track, starting with the right lab test.

3 CRUCIAL LAB TESTS TO CONSIDER FOR YOUR CHILD:

1. COVID 19 RT-PCR TEST
These days, the first sign of a fever and a cough will have any parent worried that their child might have contracted COVID-19. While these signs are indicative of COVID-19, there are symptoms that children experience that most adults do not —including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Other more common signs include body aches, fatigue, sore throat, and shortness of breath, as well as the most specific symptoms of COVID-19 — the loss of taste and smell. COVID symptoms can start within two to fourteen days after exposure. However, the average time for symptoms to show is usually five to seven days. The only way to know for sure if your child has COVID-19 is to have them tested.

Our COVID-19 RT-PCR Test has the highest accuracy rate with close to 100 percent. This test is a molecular test that detects the virus’s genetic material.

There are three ways to collect a specimen:

A long swab inserted into the back of the nasal passage
A short swab that goes into your nose
A saliva sample in which your child simply spits into a collection cup

If your child tests positive for COVID-19, health experts recommend you take the following steps:

Isolate – Separate your child as best you can from anyone in the household who is at high risk of severe COVID-19 illness. This includes anyone who is immune-compromised and senior citizens.
Inform – Let your child’s school, daycare, sports team, and anyone who has had close contact with your child know so that people who have been exposed can get tested.
Quarantine – Keep your child home for ten days after a positive test result.
Cover Up – Wear masks while at home. This includes everyone who is in the house, as well as the sick child, if possible.
Clean – Encourage frequent hand washing. Clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces such as doorknobs.

While you can get a COVID-19 test for free in most cities, there are long wait times. Many sites have also cut back hours and limited testing days. Pediatrician offices are also backed up. High demand for the test is also causing some labs to take seven to 10 days to return results. Any Lab Test Now offers all three versions of the RT-PCR test so you can decide which one is best for your child. Unlike public testing sites or pediatrician offices, there is no appointment necessary at Any Lab Test Now, and wait times, if any, are minimal. Next-day or, in some cases, same-day results are available, which is critical when you are dealing with a virus such as COVID-19.

Click here to learn more about the COVID-19 RT-PCR test at Any Lab Test Now and find a location nearest you.

2. ALLERGY TESTING
Allergies of some form or another are extremely common in children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest that more than 50 million Americans have allergies, which usually appear in early childhood. They can impact your child’s ability to get a full night’s sleep, play, and learn, so identifying what your child is allergic to early on will help improve their quality of life.

Our Basic (Pediatric) Allergy Panel tests for allergies to 32 environmental substances and foods including:

8 Common types of grass and weeds, including ragweed
House dust mites, pet dander for cats and dogs
7 Common fruits and vegetables
3 Dairy products: including cow’s milk, soft cheese, and eggs
Peanuts
Grains including wheat and soybeans
Meats including tuna, beef, and chicken
Sugar and chocolate

The most common allergy symptoms in children include:

Skin rashes or hives
Difficulty breathing
Sneezing, coughing, runny nose, or itchy eyes
Upset stomach, diarrhea

Here are some of the most common allergy triggers for children:

Outdoor irritants
Allergic rhinitis, also known as “hay fever,” is the most common childhood ailment caused by allergies. Symptoms include a runny and itchy nose, sneezing, postnasal drip, and nasal congestion. A child with allergies may also have itchy, watery, red eyes and chronic ear problems.

Other common outdoor irritants include:

Tree pollen
Plant pollen
Insect bites or stings

Indoor irritants
While considered to be a haven, our homes are not so safe for children sensitive to irritants found indoors. In fact, one in six children has an indoor allergy. Believe it or not, dust is one of the most common indoor allergies among kids. Those pesky specks of dust don’t just collect on tabletops. It can collect in soft, cozy places your child encounters daily, such as pillows and stuffed animals. Food allergies are also extremely common in children. More than six million children have some form of food allergy. The foods that cause the most severe and potentially deadly reactions are peanuts and shellfish. There are dozens of other foods that can trigger allergic reactions in children — anything from beef and pork to milk and eggs. Pets are another source of allergy-related sniffles and sneezes in children. Cats are usually the culprit, but dogs can often cause allergy problems too.

Other common indoor irritants include:

Mold
Cigarette smoke
Perfume

Identifying Allergies
In the past, children were subjected to hundreds of needle pricks containing different possible allergens to determine which ones caused the strongest reactions. Any Lab Test Now offers a Basic (Pediatric) Allergy Panel that can test kids’ allergies with a simple blood draw. Within 48–72 hours, you will receive a report detailing what, if any, of the 32 most common environmental substances and foods might trigger an allergic reaction in your child.

3. DRUG TESTS
Drug use is a sensitive topic for most parents. No one wants to think their child is experimenting with drugs, but parents need to accept the fact that there is a good chance they will if they haven’t already.

According to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics:

Drug use among eighth-graders increased 61 percent between 2016 and 2020.
Sixty-two percent of teenagers have abused alcohol by the time they reach 12th grade.
Fifty percent of teenagers have misused a drug at least once.
Eighty-six percent of teenagers know someone who smokes, drinks, or uses drugs during the school day.

Marijuana Use
Marijuana is one of the most prevalent drugs of choice among kids, second only to alcohol. One in six adolescents is likely to become addicted to it. Despite the decriminalization of marijuana in many states, the drug is not harmless. It is highly addictive and can lead to psychotic behavior in some children. Not only that, but marijuana can also lead to lung damage.

Opioids and Prescription Drugs
Opioid and other prescription drug abuse among children is considered a national public health emergency. According to experts, since these drugs are prescribed by doctors, children may have a false sense that these types of drugs are not dangerous. However, that is far from true.

Overdose deaths connected to opioids increased 500 percent among 15- to 24-year-olds since 1999.
3 percent of 12th-graders have abused opioids at least once.
In the past year, 2.4 percent of 12th-graders abused OxyContin while 1.2 percent abused Vicodin.

E-Cigarettes and Vaping
Vaping among teens is skyrocketing. A recent study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse revealed more than a third of high school students tried it over the last year. The U.S. Surgeon General recently issued an advisory about vaping, calling it an epidemic and urging parents to keep their kids away from e-cigarettes. Many kids believe vaping products are a safe alternative to traditional forms of tobacco. Vaping puts high amounts of nicotine into the body. In certain cases, one vape pen can contain the nicotine equivalent of 20 regular cigarettes. Nicotine is highly addictive and can:

Slow brain development in teens; affecting memory, concentration, learning, self-control, attention, and mood.
Can increase the risk of other types of addiction later in life.
May cause severe lung damage and even death.

Drug Testing Options
Information is a powerful tool for parents. Any Lab Test Now has developed several comprehensive drug testing programs to help provide you with the information you need regarding your child’s possible drug use. It can also be beneficial to your teen — not only when it comes to their health and overall well-being but also dealing with peer pressure. When your teen knows they can be randomly drug tested at any time and shares that information with their friends, they can say “no” to drugs more easily.

At Any Lab Test Now, teen drug testing options include:

Rapid drug screens for when you need to know now.
Lab-based drug screens and confirmations of drug screens for your assurance, including but not limited to opioids and prescription medications, marijuana, cocaine, and synthetic designer drugs.
Tobacco testing to determine the presence of nicotine in the system.

Depending on the test, your child will provide a sample of saliva, hair, urine, or blood. Drug testing at Any Lab Test Now is confidential. No one will have access to your child’s results except for you. You own the results, and you can even use an anonymous name to protect your child’s identity. Most importantly, the results will give you and other loved one’s answers so you can take next steps if needed.

BE AT EASE
No matter what type of lab work your child needs, you can be at ease seeking out any type of diagnostic testing at Any Lab Test Now. We provide you a safe and clean alternative location for lab work. Each of our 190+ stores is sanitized several times a day, in accordance with the CDC’s protocols. Any Lab Test Now is a committed partner in helping you manage your family’s healthcare so you can make educated decisions that will directly affect your quality of life. We want to put you at ease during the coronavirus outbreak. We are here to help.

Find your closest Any Lab Test Now store at www.anylabtestnow.com.

Returning to Work, Even from Home?

Employers May Still Require Drug & Alcohol Testing

As more and more offices open post-pandemic, there is a good chance that employers might implement new return-to-work policies, procedures, and protocols — and that includes drug testing.

While many employers conduct drug and alcohol testing as part of standard pre-employment screening processes, it is a good possibility testing could be a requirement to return to the office or to monitor those working from home.

Employers’ drug testing slowed down during the pandemic for several reasons, including COVID-19 safety concerns and unemployment. A recent survey found a 61 percent drop or more in drug testing among employers. Conversely, drug and alcohol use increased during the pandemic as people turned to vices to self-medicate or cope with the stress created by the national health crisis.

Sales of alcoholic beverages shot up as much as 55 percent in March 2020. Sales remain 20–30 percent higher this year than in March
Americans purchased $18.3 billion in cannabis products over the past calendar year, $7.6 billion more than the $10.7 billion in sales the previous year.
Data shows a 29 percent increase in overdose deaths from October 2019 through September 2020, compared with the previous 12-month period after falling slightly in 2018 for the first time in decades.

Drug and alcohol screenings are important. These tests help employers provide the safest possible work environment for employees, visitors, and customers. Here are some of the effects drug use can have on returning workers:

Greater risk of a workplace accident
Lower productivity
Increased absenteeism
Higher medical costs

Employers need a policy against the use of drugs while working from home or at the workplace — especially now that the pandemic is winding down. Employers should also clearly restate the company drug and alcohol policy to employees to clear up any misconceptions.

Any Lab Test Now® is a direct access lab testing company that can manage pre-employment drug testing, random testing programs, reasonable suspicion tests, post-incident and return-to-duty drug and alcohol testing for employers nationwide.

The most common employment-related drug test is the Urine Drug Test (5-Panel), which checks for the presence of five drug metabolites including:

Amphetamine/Methamphetamines
Marijuana
Cocaine
Opiates
Phencyclidine (PCP)

The company’s 10-drug panel tests may also include screenings for phencyclidine (PCP), methadone, propoxyphene, and methaqualone.

Any Lab Test Now is also qualified to provide testing for the Department of Transportation as part of its Federally Mandated Urine Drug Test (5-Panel). This test is a laboratory-based test and includes a screen, confirmation, and the review of a medical officer.

The company can also administer the Healthcare Professional Drug  Panel, specifically designed to test healthcare professionals for highly addictive prescription medications that are readily available at their workplace. The panel will determine the presence or absence of the most easily abused prescription drugs or their metabolites in the urine.

Be at Ease

Any Lab Test Now wants everyone to be at ease when it comes to seeking out any type of lab work, including drug and alcohol screenings.

We provide a safe and clean alternative location for lab work. Each of our 190+ stores is sanitized several times a day, in accordance with the CDC’s protocols. Any Lab Test Now is a committed partner in helping you manage your family’s healthcare so you can make educated decisions that will directly affect your quality of life. We want to put you at ease during the coronavirus pandemic. We are here to help.

For more information about Any Lab Test Now, and the tests we offer, visit us at www.anylabtestnow.com.

COVID-19 and the Vaccine-Generated Antibody Test

Have you received one of the Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson vaccines in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic? If so, you may be wondering if your body has developed antibodies.

Select Any Lab Test Now® locations are now offering the Vaccine-Generated Antibody Test to help you determine if you have antibodies.

Use our location finder to locate an Any Lab Test Now near you.

Want to learn even more about antibodies? See our simple infographic below! You can also read more in our CEO’s COVID-19 update!

Heart Health Month: Separating Facts from Fiction

February is Heart Health Month

This is a time to raise awareness about heart disease, historically the number one cause of death among Americans. Heart disease can lead to heart attacks, heart failure, and stroke. This year, the observance takes on a more urgent tone due to COVID-19 and the complications associated with the virus.

Know the Numbers:

Heart disease kills more people than all forms of cancer combined.
Eighty-three percent of Americans believe that heart attacks can be prevented but aren’t motivated to do anything.
Seventy-two percent of Americans don’t consider themselves at risk for heart disease.
Fifty-eight percent of Americans have not attempted to improve their heart health.

COVID-19 and Cardiovascular Health

Moving forward, those numbers mentioned above may significantly increase due to COVID-19. There is evidence that some patients who have recovered from COVID-19 may show signs of heart damage, even weeks or months after feeling better, according to two studies published in JAMA Cardiology. This damage can occur even if they didn’t have an underlying heart disease or weren’t sick enough to be hospitalized.

These complications can include myocarditis, which is an inflammation of the heart muscle. The concern is that it could lead to an increase in heart failure in the future.

Doctors are also worried that people who have a pre-existing heart condition may have put off being properly monitored out of fear of being exposed to the virus during a medical appointment.

Thanks to the stress of the last year combined with an increase in the number of people who packed on extra pounds during the pandemic, the concern about cardiovascular disease is higher than ever.

Heart Disease Myths

As part of Heart Health Month, it is important to separate fact from fiction. Here are some of the most common myths about heart disease.

Myth: Women don’t need to be concerned about heart disease.

Reality: Since 1984, more women than men have died each year from heart disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women over age 65.

Myth: Heart disease is for old people.

Reality: As early as childhood and adolescence, plaque can start accumulating in the arteries and later lead to clogged arteries. One in three Americans have cardiovascular disease, but not all of them are senior citizens. Even young and middle-aged people can develop heart problems — especially now that obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other risk factors are becoming more common at a younger age.

Myth: You should wait until middle age to worry about cholesterol.

Reality: The American Heart Association recommends you start getting your cholesterol checked every five years starting at age 20. It’s a good idea to start having a cholesterol test even earlier if your family has a history of heart disease. Children in these families can have high cholesterol levels, putting them at increased risk for developing heart disease as adults.

Prevention

An estimated 80 percent of all cardiovascular disease cases can be prevented. The key is maintaining healthy habits such as exercise and diet. Here is a closer look at the areas you should focus on.

Exercise – Federal guidelines suggest 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise five times a week. Some of the best workouts include swimming, cycling, rowing, treadmill running, and powerwalking. Wearing an activity tracker is a good way to encourage you to increase your daily movement. About 10,000 steps a day is a standard target. Other ideas include yard work like weeding and raking, parking your car in places farther away to encourage walking, and taking the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator.

Diet – Adding foods associated with heart-healthy benefits, such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and healthy oils like olive oil are highly encouraged. These foods are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that lower blood pressure and LDL [bad] cholesterol, reduce the risk of diabetes, and help maintain a healthy weight, all of which can lower your risk of heart disease.

Screening – It is important to get checked for your risk of heart disease. You can get regular blood pressure monitoring or cholesterol checks to monitor levels. You can also take a deeper dive into your heart health with a Heart Health Panel from Any Lab Test Now®.

This panel can be used as a baseline assessment of your heart health and possible risk. There are four components provided within the Heart Health Panel.

Lipoprotein Particle Protein Basic (LPP) – Overall cardiovascular risk assessment.
Complete Metabolic Panel (CMP) – Evaluate the body’s electrolyte balance and the status of major body organs.
C-Reactive Protein (CRP) High Sensitivity – Inflammation marker used to evaluate the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Homocysteine – Evaluate the risk of coronary heart disease, atherosclerosis, and other cardiovascular diseases.

Results are returned quickly, so you can get started on a path to better health should your test reveal any signs of heart disease.

Be at Ease

Any Lab Test Now® wants you to be at ease when it comes to seeking out any type of lab work, including testing for heart disease.

We provide you a safe and clean alternative location for your lab testing needs. Each of our 185+ stores are sanitized several times a day, in accordance with the CDC’s protocols. Any Lab Test Now is a committed partner in helping you manage your family’s healthcare so you can make educated decisions that will directly affect your quality of life. We want to put you at ease during the coronavirus outbreak. We are here to help.

Find your closest Any Lab Test Now store at www.anylabtestnow.com.