Puzzled or intimidated by taking your blood pressure at home? The American Heart Association (AHA) offers the following tips: Be still. Don’t smoke, drink caffeinated beverages or exercise within 30 minutes before measuring your blood pressure. Empty your bladder and ensure at least 5 minutes of quiet rest before measurements. Sit correctly. Sit with your… Continue reading How to Use A Home Blood Pressure Monitor
Tag: testing
How to Test Skin Care Products
With so many skin care products available, including cleansers, moisturizers and cosmetics, it can be difficult to know which products to choose. While understanding your skin type can help you choose the right products for your skin, it’s still possible that you’ll end up with a product that is irritating. Sometimes, a skin care ingredient,… Continue reading How to Test Skin Care Products
How to Test Skin Care Products
With so many skin care products available, including cleansers, moisturizers, and cosmetics, it can be difficult to know which products to choose. While understanding your skin type can help you choose products formulated for your skin, it’s still possible that you’ll end up with a product that irritates your skin. Sometimes, a skin care ingredient,… Continue reading How to Test Skin Care Products
COVID-19: The Basics of Testing
You’ve heard a lot about coronavirus testing recently. If you think you have coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and need a test, contact your health care provider immediately. Here, the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) outlines the different types of tests and the steps involved. A diagnostic test can show if you have an active… Continue reading COVID-19: The Basics of Testing
A New Way to Test for Sexually Transmitted Infections
The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared for marketing two tests to detect the sexually transmitted infections chlamydia and gonorrhea, through diagnostic testing of extragenital specimens. The Aptima Combo 2 Assay and the Xpert CT/NG are the first devices cleared for extragenital diagnostic testing of these infections via the throat and rectum, the… Continue reading A New Way to Test for Sexually Transmitted Infections
FDA Testing Frozen Berries for Viruses
Although frozen berries should be cooked before using, some people still skip that step, increasing their risk of exposure to harmful viruses. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported three hepatitis A virus outbreaks and one norovirus outbreak linked to frozen berries in the United States from 1997 to 2016. As a result, the… Continue reading FDA Testing Frozen Berries for Viruses
Gestational Diabetes Can Mean An Ongoing Health Risk
If you’ve had gestational diabetes, which occurs only during pregnancy and usually ends after the baby is born, you still need to monitor your condition. Gestational diabetes affects up to 10 percent of pregnancies, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The agency, part of the National Institutes of Health… Continue reading Gestational Diabetes Can Mean An Ongoing Health Risk
Many Seniors Aren’t Getting Dementia Tests
Millions of seniors with signs of cognitive impairment haven’t seen a doctor about them, according to a new study from the University of Michigan. The researchers said the findings indicate that up to 1.8 million seniors over 70 aren’t evaluated for cognitive symptoms. A failure to do that, the investigators said, could mean that some… Continue reading Many Seniors Aren’t Getting Dementia Tests