Posts Tagged ‘Level’

Diagnosis of Hepatitis B and C..The Do’s and Dont’s of Hepatitis B and C

Hepatitis B and C are difficult to get diagnosed and they are often referred as silent diseases. Initially, for the first six months there may be no symptoms. Acute viral hepatitis results in fatigue, fever, nausea and vomiting but these are common symptoms so additional tests are needed. Hepatitis C is diagnosed in chronic stages when it starts affecting liver. A typical cycle of disease from infection to liver damage may take very long.
Hepatitis B makes people sick especially children and symptoms may include tiredness, loss of appetite, stomach ache, nausea, vomiting, jaundice or joint pain. More serious complications may include cirrhosis or liver cancer.
Hepatitis B and C can prove to be more dangerous than HIV because of the absence of vaccine for hepatitis C, low level of awareness, difficulty in predictability of response to therapy. Improving the identification and public health management like screening of persons with hepatitis B and C infection can help prevent chronic liver disease.
Screening is recommended for people who are born in eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, Middle East and Pacific Islands, homosexual men, donors of blood and plasma, pregnant women, infants born to HBsAg positive mothers, persons on immune suppression therapy etc.

A person suffering from Hepatitis B or C should do:
- Check Hepatitis B or C status.
- Promote vaccinations.
- Be careful so that no one is accidentally exposed to blood.
- Discard materials used during injury.
- Wash hands.
- Avoid unprotected sex.
- Hepatitis status of spouse or sexual partner should be checked.
- Individuals who are at higher risk should be vaccinated.
- Monitor your liver functioning regularly.

A person suffering from Hepatitis B or C should not do:
- Don not share chewing gums, toothbrush, razor, needle or anything that comes in contact with blood.
- Do not share syringe.
- Do not donate blood, plasma, tissues, sperm.
- Do not panic and fear the worst.
- Do nor chew food before giving it to babies.
- Do not neglect follow up.
- do not try unproven therapies.

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Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Test

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a protein produced by cells of the prostate gland. The PSA test measures the level of PSA in the blood. The doctor takes a blood sample, and the amount of PSA is measured in a laboratory.
Doctors often use the PSA test as prostate cancer screening tests; together, these tests can help doctors detect prostate cancer in men who have no symptoms of the disease.

Doctors’ recommendations for screening vary. Some encourage yearly screening for men over age 50, and some advise men who are at a higher risk for prostate cancer to begin screening at age 40 or 45. Others caution against routine screening. Although specific recommendations regarding PSA screening vary, there is general agreement that men should be informed about the potential risks and benefits of PSA screening before being tested.

Thus, there is no specific normal or abnormal PSA level. In addition, various factors, such as inflammation (e.g., prostatitis), can cause a man’s PSA level to fluctuate. It is also common for PSA values to vary somewhat from laboratory to laboratory. Consequently, one abnormal PSA test result does not necessarily indicate the need for a prostate biopsy.
A man should discuss an elevated PSA test result with his doctor. There can be different reasons for an elevated PSA level, including prostate cancer, benign prostate enlargement, inflammation, infection, age, and race. If no symptoms to suggest cancer are present, the doctor may recommend repeating DRE and PSA tests regularly to watch for any changes. If a man’s PSA level has been increasing or if a suspicious lump is detected during a DRE, the doctor may recommend other tests like urine test, imaging tests, CT Scan, MRI, ultrasound to determine if there is cancer or another problem in the prostate. If cancer is suspected, a biopsy is needed to determine whether cancer is present in the prostate.

Limitations of the PSA test

- Detecting tumors does not always mean saving lives : When used in screening, the PSA test can detect small tumors.
- False-positive tests : False-positive test results (also called false positives) occur when the PSA level is elevated but no cancer is actually present.
- False-negative tests : False-negative test results occur when the PSA level is in the normal range even though prostate cancer is actually present.

Need To Know

An elevated PSA does not automatically mean a man has prostate cancer. Conditions other than cancer, including an infection or a benign enlargement of the prostate, can result in higher-than-normal PSA levels.The PSA test is not foolproof.

Nice To Know

Recent studies have shown that a variation of the PSA test, called the percent-free PSA test, may be better at detecting prostate cancer.

The percent-free PSA looks at how much PSA circulates alone (free) in the blood and how much is clinging to other proteins. A low percentage of free PSA, even if the total PSA is not especially high, may mean that prostate cancer is more likely.
The percent-free PSA test is not available at all testing facilities.