How to Find the Right Thyroid Doctor: 5 Tips

The type of thyroid specialist you work with to treat your thyroid condition depends on what condition you have, your experience with doctors treating your thyroid to date, your faith in the treatment and healing process, and your resources.

Whether you have recently been diagnosed with diabetes, recently moved to a new city, or wish to change your existing doctor, opting for the right thyroid specialist in NJ is essential. The relationship you have with him/her can make a big difference in not just your day to day diabetes management but also in your quarterly visits and long term health.

So how do you find an endocrinologist? And not just anyone, but one who “gets” you and who can help you achieve your goals and live well with diabetes?

• Ask for recommendations: Ask family, relatives, community, or one of your other physicians for recommendations. While doing this, be sure to ask why they like this particular endocrinologist. Furthermore, you can also reach out to your local ADA or JDRF to see if they provide a list of experienced and well-educated endocrinologists in your area.
• Visit AACE Website: Visit the AACE to find an Endocrinologist on the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists website. You can search for an endocrinologist in your area by location, area of interest, or both.
• Research, research, and research: Once you have a list prepared, make sure you do some online research. This will help you in knowing more about their practice, expertise, and affiliations. Although online reviews can be helpful, do not forget that everyone has various requirements and personalities. Hence, an endocrinologist that's well suited for you may not be a good fit for another. Hence, research is very important.
• Find out which doctors are “In-Network”: There are most of the health insurance plans that have negotiated contracts with some doctors and hospitals in your local area, so you will pay less out of pocket costs. Additionally, you can also find a list of “in-network” doctors by getting in touch with the experts through customer service number which is mentioned on the backside of your insurance card.
• Check Their Credentials: Check where they went to medical school and completed their fellowship program. Also, check if they’re board-certified, and what their specialization is. Make sure the endocrinologist has a particular interest in diabetes.

These are some of the tips that will help you in finding a good Thyroid Specialist in NJ. Make sure you follow them while seeking one.

Get Yourself Tested: The Importance of Lab Testing

Medical laboratory testing plays an essential role in the early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of many diseases in patients. It is an enormous part of the healthcare industry, and yet it gets much less publicity than it deserves. The truth of the matter is that testing labs in NJ are extremely important for a patient to get monthly, quarterly or yearly physical examination.

If a patient routinely visits a testing lab to get routine physical examinations, this may allow doctors to apply a preventative treatment, which could save the patient from falling prey to a serious medical condition. In other words, lab testing is one of the first lines of defense to protect a patient’s well being.

An estimated 60 to 79 percent of all the decisions related to a patient’s diagnosis, treatment, hospital fees, and discharge are based on laboratory tests. Hence, much of a patient’s experience in the healthcare industry depends on the tests.

In this blog, I will outline the basic laboratory testing and screening procedures, so that you understand the importance of the healthcare industry, and why it is important to participate regularly in lab testing.

Lab technicians: Medical technologists, medical laboratory scientists, perform most of the laboratory tests in testing labs. These experts analyze test results such as urine tests, blood tests, etc. Furthermore, they also conduct chemical, biological, immunologic, bacteriological, and hematological tests that require keen analytical and independent judgment. Only after years of medical training, and hands-on exposure to medical analysis procedures, can a medical laboratory scientist be approved to analyze actual patients and their specimens.

Everyday Functions of a Lab Technician: Medical laboratory experts perform various duties that ensure timely, and accurate results.

Here is the list of just a few of those duties:

• Crossmatch blood for blood transfusions
• Monitor patient outcomes
• Make microscopic examination and analysis of blood, body fluids, tissues, and cells
• Identify fluids for chemical analytes, such as glucose and cholesterol

The Life Cycle of a Lab Test: No matter which doctor you visit, the same standardized system is used to test and provide results to the doctor and the patient. Below mentioned is the average life cycle of a lab test.

• Patient visits a doctor
• The doctor recommends lab tests
• The specimen is taken from the patient
• The specimen is transferred to a nearby clinical lab
• Tests analyze specimen and produce results
• A clinical lab provides results to doctor
• Doctor interprets results
• The doctor informs the patient of results and implications
• Diagnosis and treatment decisions are made by the doctor and patient

Summing Up

These are some of the basic facts you should know about testing labs in NJ. Lab Testing is the premier tool in a doctor's toolkit to identify, prevent and treat sickness and diseases. This is why it is important to you, the patient, to understand what it is, who is performing it and why you should visit it often. 

Things To Be Considered Before Choosing A Diagnostic Service in NJ

You must be wondering why a diagnostic service in NJ is essential? Well, diagnostic tests play a vital role in the diagnosis field. Doctors depend on the reports of these tests to diagnose a disease and plan the treatment. In general, doctors recommend these tests to be sure about the reason or the root cause of certain symptoms and prefer to continue with the treatment once they have the reports in their hands.

Nowadays the advancement of medical technologies makes it possible to find out the causes of a number of diseases through these tests. In fact, there are a lot of cases where the doctors may assume something else in the beginning, but the reports of the tests change their perspective. Hence, you should be careful while choosing a diagnostic service in NJ. Remember, the reports that are prepared in these labs decide the future of the treatment procedure. Hence, even a nominal negligence cannot be tolerated.

Below mentioned are some essential points you ought to keep in mind while seeking diagnostic services.

• Types of tests: Is the center only for some basic or routine medical exams like blood tests, LFT, KFT, etc? Or are there services like a CT scan, MRI is being provided? 
• Do they have well-equipped machines through which the tests can be completed? A well-reputed center that offers services like ultrasound, MRI, and CT scans must have the latest machines for the same to provide the best and accurate results. Tests that are done with old machines may not provide accurate results. Hence, seek a center that is equipped with the latest machines.
• Is the staff well trained? Is the staff well skilled and trained? Remember, it is just not the machines that do the test, but also the role of the lab professionals that is being noted. These are the individuals who prepare the reports on the basis of the pictures they collect from the machines. Their findings help the doctors to treat and diagnose. Hence, one mistake and everything is ruined.
• Cost: Before getting started, check the price of the services they provide and compare them with other diagnostic centers you know. In order to choose the best diagnostic center, compare the price of different tests and make sure that their services are not only good but also cost-effective.
• On-time delivery reports: Make sure the center provides correct and on-time delivery reports. There are cases when a patient requires reports as quickly as possible to proceed with further treatment. In such situations, the diagnostic center must have a system to prepare the reports on an urgency basis.

These are some of the tips you ought to keep in mind before choosing a diagnostic service in NJ. Make sure you keep them in mind and follow them when finding a diagnostic center.

Allergies that can be treated at an Urgent Care Center

What are Allergies? It is a state in which the immune system behaves abnormally to a foreign substance. While a lot of people experience only small symptoms when dealing with allergies, there are also times when even severe issues may take place and can be life-threatening. Additionally, your immune system produces substances called antibodies. When suffering from an allergy, it makes an antibody identify a particular allergen.

Signs of Allergies: The signs and symptoms consist of the following:

• Change in blood pressure 
• Change in heart rate
• Skin redness
• Development of hives
• Sneezing
• Runny nose
• Watery eyes

In case you observe any of the signs mentioned above, make sure you immediately visit an allergy doctor in NJ. Allergies can be life-threatening, hence it is essential to take immediate medical care assistance.

How do allergies develop? The disclosure of allergies begins with the immune system which builds antibodies in response to allergens. Once they are produced, the antibodies remain watchful and start releasing chemicals known as “histamines”. These chemicals are responsible for making different symptoms of allergies, including both mild and severe.

Are There Additional Risk Factors for Allergies?  Those who have a family history of allergies are more likely to experience issues themselves. Children are especially capable of developing allergies, as are those who suffer from asthma or similar chronic respiratory conditions. Allergies may be especially severe for people with a weak immunity system.

Can Allergies Be Dangerous?
In certain cases, allergies can result in complications—some of which can be life-threatening. These include:

• Anaphylaxis—a severe allergic reaction that can result in death if not treated quickly.
• Sinus
• ear infection
• Asthma—often triggered by exposure to particular allergens.

How Can Allergies Be Treated? Allergies are treated based upon your medical history, as well as the severity of symptoms and known test results. Depending upon the circumstances, there may be a number of different treatment options that are prescribed to you, including:

• Nasal sprays, such as corticosteroids
• Antihistamines
• Decongestants
• Mast cell stabilizers (an alternative method of histamine blocking)
• Creams or ointments (often containing corticosteroids)
• Oral corticosteroids (for treating severe allergic reactions)
• Epinephrine

Some allergies—especially certain food allergies—can be life-threatening for young children and should be evaluated and closely monitored by a physician. Exposure to allergens at home and school is common, often resulting from contact with pets, dust, pollen, or other environmental factors. As allergies are a chronic condition, early identification of trigger allergens (often through medical testing) is crucial to developing an effective treatment plan.

Contact NJ Doctors Urgent Care to get the best Allergy Doctor in NJ.