Don’t you just hate going to your doctor’s clinic and finding out you’re the 20th person yet to be seen by the doctor?
Patients have been spared the long lines at the doctor’s clinic with the home cholesterol test. Sold over-the-counter in pharmacies since 1993, the home cholesterol test has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
The total blood cholesterol and HDL cholesterol levels can now be determined by using the home cholesterol test. Aside from its being easy to use, it doesn’t need more than 2 drops of blood from your fingertip. The total cholesterol level resulting from the home cholesterol test is found out in about 15 minutes. Aside from its being readily available in local pharmacies without any prescription, it is also cheap. The average cost of the home cholesterol testis around $14.00. This test boasts of a 95% accuracy rate when done correctly.
While there are many advantages to using the home cholesterol test, it is still not advisable to be used by people who are hemophiliac. This is so because a person suffering from hemophilia has the tendency to bleed profusely. Thus, a single prick on the fingertip to draw a few drops of blood might be a cause for the person to bleed more. A disadvantage of using the home cholesterol test is it may give a patient a confusing result. He may fast before doing the test which can actually alter the cholesterol numbers. Another disadvantage is that some of these tests only give you the total blood cholesterol level. Not knowing your HDL (good) cholesterol and/or LDL (bad) cholesterol levels can be harmful. For one, you wouldn’t know if they are within the normal range, or if you need to reduce your LDL and increase your HDL. And finally, some people who may be using a home cholesterol test and finding out to have a high cholesterol level may not seek professional advice on managing his cholesterol.
These drawbacks will require repeat tests with your health practitioner to know exactly what your levels are for proper diagnosis and treatment plans.
Digital home cholesterol test kits are now available and seem to be more accurate than the old one. Aside from the total blood cholesterol level, these digital testing kits also provide the LDL, HDL, triglyceride, and glucose results, which is a far more complete information source than the non-digital tests. Performing both these home tests will require a person to strictly follow the procedures to achieve accurate readings.
Whether an individual opts for the home cholesterol test kits or undergoing it straight from the doctor’s clinic, it really doesn’t matter that much. What is most critical is the preventive measure that needs to be considered to save one’s life.
