It is not simply a matter of diagnosing your illness. Testing for bacterial infections can help determine the correct treatment too.
Bacterial infections – why should you test?
When you are ill, you care about the symptoms you are facing and overcoming them. The precise nature of your illness is probably less of a concern. So, for example, you probably do not care whether your tonsillitis is bacterial or viral – you just want to get rid of it.
But understanding the type of illness you are suffering is important. Most bacterial infections respond to treatment with antibiotics; viral infections do not. Viral conditions do not have a cure; they just resolve themselves in time as your body develops its own antibodies to combat the infection. Most bacterial infections, however, will grow worse without intervention.
So, testing for bacterial infection does not only diagnose your illness. It can indicate the right treatment, and it can ensure that antibiotics are not mis-prescribed – a major problem in the face of growing bacterial resistance to them.
Better2Know’s bacterial infection testing includes:
MRSA Testing
- What is it? A test to indicate the presence of an MRSA infection on your skin.
- Why is that important? MRSA is usually harmless, but when it gets beneath the skin it can cause problems – especially when immune systems are weak. That combination of conditions is most common in hospitals.
- What if you test positive? If you are due to go into hospital for an operation or you are planning to visit someone in hospital, a positive MRSA test can help you take precautions to prevent the bacteria spreading.
Stool Blood Testing
- What is it? The ‘faecal occult blood test’ tests for invisible signs of blood in your stool.
- What does the test indicate? Blood in your stools can be an indicator of several conditions, from piles and colitis to ulcers and tears in the lining of the anus. It can also be a sign of bowel cancer.
- What if you test positive? Our embarrassment-free test gives you a result fast. A positive result does not necessarily mean you have bowel cancer, but it may well reveal the existence of a condition that needs treating. Visit your GP to begin further tests to diagnose the specific problem.
Rapid Strep Testing
- What is strep? It is an easily spread form of bacteria that can cause sore throats, ear infections, tonsillitis, pneumonia and more.
- What does the test indicate? Some of the conditions strep causes can be serious but it can sometimes be particularly difficult to tell viral infections from bacterial strep ones. This test ensures you can get the right treatment.
- What if you test positive? Antibiotics can be prescribed to fight the infection.
H. Pylori Infection Testing
- What is H. pylori? It is a type of bacterium that lives in the gut and can trigger stomach ulcers.
- What does the test indicate? Identification of H. pylori can help you understand your risk of developing ulcers, or help you treat early stage ulcers and avoid the need for surgery.
- What if you test positive? Antibiotics can be prescribed to fight the bacteria.
Pneumonia Testing
- What is pneumonia? An infection that inflames one or both lungs. It can range from mild to life-threatening. Pneumonia can be bacterial, viral or fungal. This test checks for bacterial strains.
- What does the test indicate? It checks for a certain antibody within your blood that indicates whether you have immunity to pneumococcal infections such as bacterial pneumonia.
- What if you test positive? You will be considered immune from bacterial pneumonia.
How do I get tested?
To get tested, please contact Better2Know on the number above.