Home Health Kits

It's that time of the year again when you see your doctor for a physical. You're overdue for a routine check-up and your spouse is on your case about scheduling an appointment. You have no idea what the big deal is anyway. Your last doctor's appointment wasn't that bad and your cholesterol level was only a "little" high. Besides you're too busy these days with work and on the weekends you're running around doing household errands.

In any case, finding time to see the doctor is the least of your worries. You just really hate spending all that time in the waiting room. Eventually tired of all your excuses your spouse brings home a cholesterol testing kit. Your wish has been granted and you can get information about your health in the comfort of your own home. You take the test and your cholesterol is a bit high. But, that's nothing a little exercise and skipping the late night snacks won't take care of, right. Not necessarily. There are many health kits that provide people with good information to start with. However, these kits should in no way be used to supplement visiting your doctor.

Home health testing is a growing business. According to David Nexon, senior executive VP of Advanced Medical Technology Association, home tests are valuable in assisting people to monitor their own health. However, he adds that the test should be used as a preliminary guide to be discussed with your physician.

There are many home health tests. These tests are available online at one of the leading sellers for home kits, Home Health Testing. Here is an overview of a few health areas that are covered by home health kits.

Allergies
It is that time of the year again and people can develop allergies at any time in their life. MyAllergyTest is a test used by doctors and labs to determine common allergies to pet dander, pollen, dust mites and certain foods (e.g. wheat). Testing allergies from home with this kit is pretty accurate. However, be sure to visit an allergist to make sure that your home diagnosis is correct because your symptoms may be caused by a not so common culprit. Besides for $50 a pop this kit is probably more expensive than your copay. You might consider visiting your doctor the first time around for this one.

Cholesterol
Total cholesterol levels below 200mg/dL are considered good and puts people at a lower risk for coronary artery disease. However, looking at your total cholesterol isn't good enough. Taking a closer look at HDLs, LDLs and triglycerides (TGAs) provides more detailed information about your health. HDL (good cholesterol) levels at 60mg/dL or greater are protective against heart disease. LDL (bad cholesterol) levels is dependent on other risk factors such as diabetes. The optimal level however is 100mg/dL or less. The most common fat in the body TGA levels should be kept at levels below 150mg/dL.

Home kits such as CholesTrak, BioSafe Cholesterol Panel and CardioCheck costs anywhere from $12 to $120 and provide an overview about cholesterol levels which is helpful in keeping people in line with monitoring the foods they eat and incorporating an exercise routine. These kits have limitations since they neither provide a cholesterol breakdown nor can they take into account other health risks that may be contributing to elevated cholesterol levels.

Fertility
A diagnosis of infertility is the inability to conceive after the couple has been trying for one year. Fertell which costs about $100 is a good preliminary test to give couples an idea of the man's sperm quality and the woman's follicle stimulating hormone levels. The great thing about this test is that it brings men into the mix from the beginning. Performing the test at home gives the couple privacy and comfort, especially the man who may not be comfortable providing a semen sample in the doctor's office. Many physicians support the use of fertility kits so long as the patient comes in to discuss the results since there are many factors that can contribute to infertility in both men and women.

Vaginal Infections
Either Vagisil Screening Kit or Fem-V measures the acidity of vaginal secretions. Normal pH range may be indicative of a yeast infection which can be treated with an over-the-counter antifungal. Otherwise, higher pH levels could mean that it's another infection such as bacterial vaginosis. However, it is important to rule out other causes for the itching, burning and discharge of yeast infections by consulting with a doctor.

In an unscientific survey, MSNBC asked some questions that tapped into why people are particularly wary of medical establishments. Over 50% of 680 people who participated in the survey stated that they would not go to their doctor if they could take a health test from home. Nonetheless, keeping away from the doctor may be causing more bad than good. A balance needs to be struck between the convenience of home health tests and the expertise of your physician. There's definite room for error when taking blood or urine samples in these health kits.

Do you recall those vials of blood your doctor took to run tests? Most of these kits ask for drops of blood taken from a fingerstick which is not much for a lab to use. Not too mention getting a clean sample of blood because contaminating your sample may alter your results. The bottom line is that home kits, though useful, should not be your sole source for information regarding your health.

Sources: Susan Seligson, "Home Health Tests." Good Housekeeping May 2008, http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4500