Common Medical Tests

Medical tests are something that every individual has to undergo at some point of time in their lives. These range from the simple blood typing tests to the more complicated angiograms, magnetic resonance imaging, assays, and specific organ function tests. As one grows older and depending on the exact disease that one has to be monitored for, tests can be a relatively rare affair or they can also end up being a monthly or even daily affair. There are even some tests that can be done at home. These include simple urine tests for diabetes as well as checking oneself for blood pressure. The other types of medical tests that can only be done under the aegis of a professional are endoscopies. These are minimally invasive procedures to look inside the body.

Nearly every kind of disease diagnosis has to begin with a blood test. A blood test can be of many types and can include tests for RBC and WBC. RBC testing is used to judge anemia or erythrocyte problems. WBC counts that are elevated are an indication of some kind of infection in the body. Other types of blood tests include enzyme tests that are indicative of liver functioning. These are alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase tests. In conjunction with high bilirubin counts, these indicate damaged livers. There are some more complicated tests like blood gas and base level tests. These are slightly difficult to understand but they are used to check for a condition called metabolic acidosis in the body. Acidosis is a condition in which the body and blood becomes more acidic than normal, which can actually destroy certain cells of the body. The opposite of this condition is called alkalosis. Related to metabolic acidosis is a disease that is gaining increasing foothold in humanity called diabetes. This is diagnosed by blood sugar tests and urine tests.

It is advisable for every person in the world to get a blood sugar test done at least once in a year with a doubled frequency after the age of 30. Invasive tests include tomography and endoscopies. An endoscopy is performed by inserting a tube into the body that has a camera at the end. This is used to look within the body. This is one of the main tools that are use in checking for digestive system disorders. It is also one of the main tools that are used in surgery nowadays.