Nervous about a cholesterol test? Here’s what to expect from your walk in clinic doctor

If your doctor or someone you know recently recommended you get a cholesterol testing, there’s no need to feel nervous about it. Visiting your doctor for routine examinations and test is the best way to monitor your health. More importantly, it helps you and your doctor catch warning signs for serous conditions before they materialize into something life threatening.

If you’re aged 35 years or older and have never been screened for cholesterol, and you have no intention of being screened any time soon, then you have something to be nervous about. High cholesterol is a silent condition, with little to no symptoms until a frightening occurrence forces the person into an emergency setting. By the time an urgent care doctor finally diagnosis the condition, much of its damage is irreversible.

So you’re making the right decision by getting your cholesterol screened. But what should you expect and how should you prepare?

Most doctors will ask you refrain from eating or drinking anything besides water for at least 12 hours before going in for testing. They ask this of you because what you eat can have an immediate effect on your test. About 25 percent of our cholesterol comes from the things we eat, so if you eat something that is high in cholesterol it may mess up your test results.

If you’re going in to your doctor’s office as part of a regular checkup, then you should expect a full body physical examination as well. Your blood pressure should be measured, and the results from it will affect your doctor’s analysis of your test results. You should also honestly tell your doctor about your family history, your age and whether you smoke.

The test itself only requires a small amount of blood, typically drawn from your arm. Your blood is then sent to a laboratory for analysis. If you have other tests scheduled this day, then more blood may be taken from you for analysis.

Then you wait for your results. This can take anywhere from three days to two weeks.  Once your medical office doctor gets your results, he or she will interpret your cholesterol levels based on your family history, age, whether you smoke and your blood pressure levels.

The desirable level is a reading of less than 200 mg/dL. This means you are at low risk for coronary heart disease. If your reading exceeds this number, then you and your doctor will need to discuss a treatment plan.

If you haven’t found a walk in clinic doctor and need to get this cholesterol test, visit our medical office located at 274 Madison Avenue. You’ll meet with our incredibly friendly, professional staff and work with a certified physician that has years of experience. We also offer affordable pricing for people without insurance, and cover almost every kind of insurance for people with coverage. Pricing and a list of insurance companies we accept is available on our website walk in clinic NYC.

Be aware of your health, your body, and you cholesterol levels. Call 212.696.5900 to make an appointment.

Mononucleosis cramping your nightlife? Visit this walk in clinic and get back in the game.

People call mono “the kissing disease” for a good reason. Its preferred means of transmission is through saliva, meaning that whomever you momentarily share your spit with could give you this viral disease. So when you share utensils, toothbrushes, lollipops and tongues, you put yourself at risk at getting mononucleosis, or, as most of us know it as, mono.

Which means that once you have this condition you can’t (or shouldn’t) be going around kissing unaware victims. Yet New York City holds a dating crowd difficult to resist, so if you think you have mono, step in to a medical clinic for help.

Not that you will need help staying away from hitting the bar scene, for the symptoms of mononucleosis can be debilitating, and last for months if you don’t seek treatment quickly. Fatigue accounts for a large portion of your symptoms, and it very importantly differentiates mono from most cold-like conditions. Your cold and flu-like symptoms are:
High fever
Muscle aches
Constant headache
Inflamed lymph nodes
Sore throat

An internist will also note, among these symptoms, signs that your spleen is enlarging. This discomfort alongside your other symptoms can prevent many people from functioning normally, let alone enjoying your Saturday night. Not even to mention that most people will feel fatigued by mono sometimes for months after these other symptoms have subsided. And by fatigued we mean you’ll feel the need to sleep, a lot, almost to an embarrassing level.

Yet the first sign of mono is inflamed lymph nodes. You should look for this before you take your weariness too seriously, as many people claim to feel excessively tired when they’re simply having a rough week. Our lymph nodes are located all over our bodies, but the main ones (or the ones we feel best) are in the neck. If your neck feels swollen in an unfamiliar way, your lymph nodes may be enlarged.

But really the only way to be certain you have mono is by visiting a physician and getting examined for the Epstein-bar virus. The Epstein-bar virus, also called herpesvirus 4, is the main cause of mononucleosis. It is considered a form of herpes, and as of today there is no cure for it. You can, however, erase its symptoms and force it into dormancy. Once dormant the virus is no longer contagious.

If you think you have mono and need a mononucleosis testing in NYC, visit this medical center in Manhattan for a thorough examination. You’ll meet with an experienced, certified doctor with the patience and consideration to thoughtfully review your case. Their office also has reasonable pricing for those without insurance, and for those with insurance, there’s almost no coverage they don’t accept. It’s an all-around great place for everybody. Just log onto their website walk in clinic in NYC to make an appointment or call them at 212-696-5900.

Don’t let mono hamper your style, get help today and hit the clubs tomorrow.