Testing Methods Your Doctor Might Use to Diagnose Your Condition

In the last several decades, numerous types of medical testing have helped doctors to make informed decisions about disease diagnosis and treatment. Today’s medical tests can diagnose everything from diabetes and hormonal deficiencies to cancer and genetic disorders. These five tests are the most common ones used by doctors in clinics and hospitals.

 

Biopsies

Some tests look directly at body tissue samples, called biopsies. During a biopsy, the doctor removes a small portion of tissue; the tissue may come from the skin, the mucous membranes or internal organs. Most often, a biopsy tests for cancer. This involves testing a small section of skin or of an abnormal growth.

 

Body Fluid Samples

The second test is a urinalysis, which tests the urine. Doctors can use this test for many reasons, including checking for drugs, pregnancy, infection, kidney disease and more. Another test that checks body fluids is blood work using hematology stains. Blood can be checked for the presence of drugs or infection. It also checks hormone, mineral, blood cell, glucose and oxygen levels and can determine the presence or extent of some diseases, such as kidney failure or heart attacks.

 

Radiography

Other tests help doctors look inside the body. Radiography uses electromagnetic waves to look at the bones, muscles and organs in the body. The most common type of radiation, the x-ray, is used to determine if bones are broken, teeth are decayed or tumors or other foreign objects are in the body. Other types of radiation include the mammogram, used to check breast tissue, and magnetic resonance imaging and computerized tomography, used to look at organs within the body, such as the brain, heart, kidneys and liver.

 

Stress Tests

Finally, a stress test uses a combination of exercise and monitoring to determine the health of the heart. This is a noninvasive test, meaning that no needles or probes will be inserted into the body. Instead, the patient’s blood pressure heart rate and rhythm will be monitored before during and after strenuous activity on a treadmill. This test helps doctors determine the strength of the heart and the extent of heart disease.

 

Many of these tests are truly modern marvels, some of which were not used until the 1900s. They help doctors understand what is happening to the cells and organs of the body, how effective treatments are and if a disease is progressing or has disappeared. This sampling of the five most common types of medical tests that may ordered will help patients and their family members be prepared for visits to their doctors.

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Which Medical Tests Do You Need to Book Now?

When it comes to your health early detection of any disease or ailment is advisable, yet most people don’t take advantage of the various health checks and tests available to them. Such tests could prove to be life-saving, and the majority of them are quick and easy to undertake. These are the top tests which could help to keep you healthy and highlight any potential problems early on, which could make treatment far more effective.

 

Mammogram

The American Cancer Society has always claimed that women should begin annual breast cancer screening at the age of 40 with mammograms, but the new thought on the matter is that women should wait until their 50. This is because younger and denser breasts are more likely to develop benign cysts, which means that aggressive testing on innocent lumps in the tissue is unnecessary. However, most doctors stand by the early tests in order to be on the safe side – get tested every year from 40, or earlier if there is a history of breast cancer in your family. if this is the case, you should start screenings 10 years earlier than the age your relative was when she was diagnosed. So, if your mum was diagnosed at the age of 42, you need to be getting annual screenings from the age of 32.

 

Breast examinations

Breast exams are very quick, painless and free – self exams have been proven to reduce the number of cancer-related deaths. Women often discover their own cancers through noticing the symptoms early, so as long as you don’t worry about every lump and bump you find (menstruating will mean you’ll find some lumps which are harmless) then there is no harm in doing regular breast checks. Being familiar with your breasts and knowing what is right for you makes this a lot more effective, and regular checks are one of the best ways to do this.

 

Pap smears

Cervical smears are advised from the age of 21, with follow-up tests every other year until the age of 30, when it becomes every three years if the results are normal. It depends on your risk factor – if you’re healthy and HPV negative, and either not sexually active or have just one partner, you can be screened every three years. If you have other risks, such as smoking or sleeping with multiple partners, then your risks increase and you should be screened annually.

 

High cholesterol

If you’re over the age of 20, a total cholesterol exam which is carried out with a simple blood test could assess your risk of heart disease. This is done every year if your LDL, which is referred to as the ‘bad’ cholesterol, measures over 130. If your result is lower, then you only need to be tested every five years.

 

Under or overactive thyroid

This is also tested with a blood test, and the condition itself can lead to symptoms of weight gain or indicate an autoimmune disease. If you’re over the age of 35, you should get tested every two years – however, if you’re showing symptoms you should speak to your GP earlier to see if you have the condition.

 

Chlamydia or other STDs

Regular sexual health screenings are advised to anyone who is sexually active, regardless of their age. In particular, tests for chlamydia and gonorrhoea can help reduce the risk of pelvic inflammatory disease – the tests are quick, relatively painless and offer peace of mind that you’re not spreading infection. If you’re sleeping with multiple partners and are under 25, this is especially important.

Categories: Blood Test, breast cancer, health, medical tests, multiple partners, sexually active, Symptoms, tests