Performing a health test at home can be an attractive option. It not only saves money and time, but also helps you in taking advantage of the convenience and privacy of having the test performed without professional intervention.
However consumer experts warn that home test kits such as those designed to diagnose ulcers of the stomach, prostate and bowel cancers, blood glucose levels, high cholesterol, urinary tract infections and other such ailments are not such a great idea.
Home test kits can be misleading and may cause unnecessary alarm or may offer false reassurance when the best course of action would be to visit a medical professional who is better able to help.
There is also the fact that the test kits may be inappropriately used since there is a certain paucity of information about how to use them properly so these kits could actually do more harm than good.
In fact, experts recommend that buying these test kits is a waste of money and one would better off saving time and money by visiting the GP straight away.
The results of the test may be atypical in a number of different scenarios – if a person has had a recent illness or used a particular kind of diet or exercise program in the recent past, these factors are not taken into consideration when arriving at the conclusions of the tests.
Also medical terminology can often be baffling for the lay person, and the instructions on the packaging may be unclear to follow.
If however you must use a home testing kit, it is advisable to use one under supervision or advice from one’s pharmacist or doctor.
