Maybe you have driven past a medical lab occasionally, or you have walked past one. When doing so, you might wonder what they do there. Can they do anything for you that’s practical?
They can, and you might need their services sometimes. You might use a medical lab in Houston if you live there to do the following things.
Covid-19 Tests
Covid-19 entered the world’s consciousness back in 2020. Since then, we went through the pandemic phase, and now the virus has reached endemic status. It’s here to stay, and many people have caught the virus in the past three years.
Maybe you haven’t had it yet, and if so, you’re lucky. Maybe you haven’t traveled, and perhaps you’ve very carefully worn a mask everywhere you’ve gone.
If you’re feeling sick, though, maybe you’ve contracted Covid-19. You can certainly take one of the many at-home tests on the market today, or you can head to a lab and have them test you instead.
Getting a lab test might be the better option because this way, you can be sure. The at-home tests aren’t always the most dependable, and you might feel like you need definitive evidence one way or the other.
When you get your lab results, you can stay home and rest, and you probably shouldn’t work. If you work outside the home, you must wait till you’re feeling better and you’re no longer contagious before returning. You might work from home for a while if you have a job where you can do that.
DNA Genetic Testing
You might also approach a lab and have them do some genetic DNA testing for you. Maybe you’ve suspected for some time that your parents aren’t truly yours. Perhaps you also feel like you only live with one parent, and the other didn’t contribute to your genetic makeup.
Maybe that’s a family shame that your parents guard closely. One or both might have their reasons if they keep such a secret from you.
You may feel like you’ve reached a time when you must learn the truth, though. If you bring in genetic material from your possible parents and yourself, the lab can tell you once and for all whether they’re your real parents or imposters.
Toxicology Testing
Maybe you run a company or own one. You might have someone who does something dangerous at work. Perhaps they crash a vehicle in your warehouse and cause some injuries and damage.
You can tell them you’re doing a toxicology test. If they submit and allow that, the lab can prove whether they ingested any alcohol, smoked marijuana, or consumed any other drugs before they operated heavy machinery.
That information can tell you whether you should fire this person or not. You probably don’t relish taking that action, but if this employee did something so reckless, you likely have no other real choice.
GI/Stool Testing
You might ask the lab whether they’ll do a GI/stool test for you. You might not like thinking about it, but your stool sample can reveal what’s happening with you if you’re feeling sick or sluggish lately.
Your GI/stool test can show whether you have any pathogens in your body that you are currently fighting. It can show whether you have any parasites or unusual bacteria.
You want some bacteria in your body, but others can harm you. If you come back from a trip and you feel sick or weak, you might ask the lab whether they can do this test for you. Maybe you picked up a parasite, and if so, the test can reveal that. At that point, you can ask for a doctor’s help.
MCCP Testing
The lab might also do MCCP testing for you. MCCP means a medical confirmation compliance panel. A doctor might require that you do one before they treat you any further.
Maybe you seek out a doctor’s help because you have a medical problem. The doctor says they will help you, but they demand that you stop using a certain drug or that you start a drug regimen that they prescribe.
The doctor might not feel sure you’re complying. Maybe you say you’re doing it, but you’re lying. The MCCP test can tell the doctor what’s in your system and what isn’t.
Once you do that, the doctor should agree they’ll keep treating you. If you’re lying about the drugs you’re taking, they can refuse further treatment.
