If you’ve had bypass surgery or a stent inserted to open a blocked artery in your heart, you may wonder if you need a nuclear stress test to see how well your treatment is working. This test takes pictures of your heart while it is being stressed. The test uses a small amount of a… Read more »
Drugs to Prevent Infection During Chemotherapy
If you are being treated for cancer, it’s normal to want to do everything you can to become cancer-free. Many cancer treatments save lives. But most people do not need every treatment there is. The treatment may not be helpful. And the side effects and costs may be greater than the benefits. One treatment is… Read more »
Imaging Tests for Early Prostate Cancer
It is normal to want to do everything you can to treat prostate cancer. But it’s not always a good idea to get all the tests that are available. You may not need them. And the risks from the tests may be greater than the benefits. The information below explains why cancer experts usually do… Read more »
Imaging and Tumor Marker Tests for Breast Cancer
When you learn that you have breast cancer, it’s normal to want to do everything you can to treat it and be sure it doesn’t come back. But it’s not always a good idea to get all the tests that are available. You may not need them. And the risks may be greater than the… Read more »
Chronic Kidney Disease
Your kidneys remove waste and extra water from the blood in your body. This waste and water then leave your body as urine. Without the kidneys, the waste would keep building up and, over time, you would die. When the kidneys are not healthy, they have a hard time removing waste from the blood. Chronic… Read more »
Spirometry for Asthma
Spirometry is a simple breathing test. It measures how much air flows in and out of your lungs. If you have symptoms that could be a sign of asthma—like shortness of breath—you should have a spirometry test. Here’s why: Asthma and other diseases can have the same symptoms. When you have asthma, the lining of the airways in… Read more »
Imaging Tests for Ovarian Cysts
Most ovarian cysts are small sacs, filled with fluid, on your ovaries. These are called “simple” ovarian cysts. If your healthcare provider finds an unexpected cyst or enlarged ovary during a pelvic exam, you should have a vaginal ultrasound to assess for cancer. However, many women have follow-up ultrasound exams to make sure that cancer… Read more »
Painkillers with Kidney or Heart Problems
When people have pain, they often take pain medicines called NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). These include: Advil and Motrin (generic and store-brand ibuprofen). Ibuprofen is also in other over-the-counter drugs, such as cold medicines. Aleve (generic and store-brand naproxen). Celebrex (generic celecoxib). NSAIDs help ease pain and inflammation. But if you have high blood pressure,… Read more »
Immunoglobulin Replacement Therapy
Some people have frequent, severe infections because their bodies don’t make enough antibodies. Antibodies are proteins that the body produces to fight off harmful substances. For people who don’t produce enough antibodies, immunoglobulin (IgG) replacement therapy can be a lifesaver. But other people get the treatment even though they don’t need it. Here’s what you… Read more »
Allergy Tests
Allergy tests may help find allergies to things you eat, touch, or breathe in. They are usually skin or blood tests. However, allergy tests alone are generally not enough. It is important to have a doctor’s exam and medical history first to help diagnose allergies. If the exam and medical history point to allergies, allergy… Read more »
Chest X-rays Before Surgery
Many people have a chest X-ray before they have surgery. This is called a “pre-op” chest X-ray. “Pre-op” stands for preoperative, which means that it is before an operation, or surgery. If you have a heart or lung disease, you may want to get a pre-op chest X-ray. It can show medical problems, like an… Read more »
Bone-Density Tests
A bone-density test is a way to measure the strength of your bones. The test, called a DEXA scan, is a kind of X-ray. Many people get a bone-density test every few years. The main reason to have the test is to find and treat serious bone loss. But most men, and women under age… Read more »
Treating Heartburn and GERD
Heartburn is a feeling of burning pain in your lower chest, behind the breastbone. It comes from acid backing up from your stomach to your throat. You may have seen ads for heartburn drugs, such as Nexium, Prilosec or Prevacid. These drugs are called PPIs (proton pump inhibitors). They keep the stomach from making too… Read more »
Pap Tests
A Pap test is a test of cells in the cervix. The cervix is the opening between the vagina and the uterus. The Pap test looks for cells that are not normal and can cause cancer of the cervix. This is also called cervical cancer. Most women ages 21 to 65 need regular Pap tests…. Read more »
Imaging Tests for Headaches
CT scans and MRIs are called imaging tests because they take pictures, or images, of the inside of the body. Many people who have very painful headaches want a CT scan or an MRI. They want to find out if their headaches are caused by a serious problem, such as a brain tumor. But most… Read more »
