Doctor-Reviewed Health Guides: Conditions, Procedures & Health News

ADHD screening (an ADHD assessment) is an evaluation, not a single test, used to diagnose attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adults. A provider gathers information through a health exam, rating scales and an interview. Symptoms are compared with the DSM-5-TR criteria, including lasting at least six months and starting before age 12.

A slit lamp exam (biomicroscopy) is an eye exam in which a specialist looks at every part of the eye using a microscope with a bright, adjustable beam of light. It helps detect cataracts, glaucoma, dry eye, corneal scratches and macular degeneration. It's quick and painless. If your pupils are dilated, you shouldn't drive for a few hours.

A visual acuity test is the eye-chart test that measures how clearly you can see details at a distance. You stand 20 feet from a chart, cover one eye and read rows of letters that get smaller. The result is written as a fraction like 20/20 (typical vision). It's the first step in diagnosing nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism.

A 24-hour urine test measures the amount of protein, creatinine and other substances the kidneys pass into the urine over a full day. You collect every drop of urine for 24 hours and keep it cold. It's used to diagnose and monitor kidney problems. A normal adult protein level is less than 150 mg per day.

A pelvis X-ray is a painless imaging test that shows the bones of the pelvis. It's used to find the cause of pain, swelling or deformity in the pelvis, hips or upper legs, such as fractures, arthritis and infection. The test takes 10 minutes. Some fractures are hard to see on X-rays, so CT or MRI may follow.

Thoracoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that uses a thin camera with a light, called a thoracoscope, to look inside the chest at the lungs and the space around them. Through small incisions between the ribs, providers can take biopsies, drain fluid and treat problems. It's usually done under general anesthesia, and full recovery typically takes 4–6 weeks.

An electrophysiology (EP) study is a procedure that records the heart's electrical activity from inside the heart to diagnose abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias). Thin catheters are threaded through a vein to the heart. If a treatable cause is found, catheter ablation is often done in the same session. Most people resume normal activities the next day.

A homocysteine test is a blood test that measures homocysteine, an amino acid the body breaks down with the help of vitamins B6, B9 (folate) and B12. A high level can point to a B-vitamin deficiency, homocystinuria or a higher risk of heart disease, stroke and blood clots. A normal level is usually below about 15 µmol/L.

The Berg Balance Scale (BBS) is a test of balance that helps a provider, usually a physical therapist, estimate the risk of falling. You perform 14 everyday tasks, each scored from 0 to 4, for a total of 56. Scores of 41–56 suggest you need no help to move safely. It takes 15–20 minutes and isn't a pass-or-fail test.

The GGT test (gamma-glutamyl transferase) is a blood test that measures an enzyme found mainly in the liver. It helps detect liver and bile duct problems and can help screen for or monitor heavy alcohol use. Don't drink alcohol for at least 24 hours beforehand. GGT alone can't diagnose a disease, so it's read with other liver tests.

eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) is a number that estimates how well the kidneys filter waste from the blood. It's calculated from a blood test for creatinine together with age and sex. An eGFR of 90 or higher is normal; a value below 60 for three months can mean chronic kidney disease, and below 15 means kidney failure.

The tTG-IgA test (tissue transglutaminase IgA) is a blood test that looks for antibodies the immune system makes in celiac disease. It's usually the first test for people with celiac symptoms or at higher risk. You must still be eating gluten for the result to be accurate. A positive test is usually confirmed with a small intestine biopsy.

A thyroid uptake and scan is a nuclear medicine test that shows how well the thyroid works. You swallow a pill of radioactive iodine, and the test measures how much the thyroid absorbs and takes pictures. It's used to find the cause of an overactive thyroid and assess thyroid nodules. Tell your provider if you're pregnant or breastfeeding.

The quad screen (quadruple marker screen) is an optional blood test done in the second trimester of pregnancy, usually between 15 and 22 weeks. It measures four substances in the blood to estimate the chance of Down syndrome, trisomy 18 and neural tube defects such as spina bifida. An abnormal result means a higher chance, not a diagnosis.

A PSMA PET scan is an imaging test that finds prostate cancer cells anywhere in the body. A radioactive tracer that sticks to PSMA, a protein on most prostate cancer cells, is injected into a vein, and a scanner shows where it collects. It's used to stage higher-risk prostate cancer and find cancer that has come back after treatment.

Patch testing finds the substances that cause allergic contact dermatitis, an itchy rash that appears where the skin touched something you're allergic to. Small amounts of common allergens are taped to your back for about 48 hours, with a final reading at about 96 hours. A red, itchy, raised spot under an allergen means you're allergic to it.

The methacholine challenge test is a breathing test that checks whether the airways are overly sensitive, a hallmark of asthma. You inhale increasing doses of methacholine and do spirometry after each dose. If your FEV1 falls by 20% or more, the test is positive. A negative test makes asthma very unlikely. It takes 1–2 hours.

The BIMS score comes from the Brief Interview for Mental Status, a screening test of memory and orientation used in U.S. nursing homes. Scores range from 0 to 15: 13–15 means cognition is intact, 8–12 moderately impaired and 0–7 severely impaired. It is a screen, not a diagnosis, and it is not designed to detect mild cognitive impairment.

An allergy blood test is a blood test that measures immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies in the blood. It needs only a routine blood draw, no preparation, and you can keep taking antihistamines. A positive result shows sensitization, not necessarily an allergy: many people with positive tests have no symptoms, so results are always read together with your history.

A skin self-exam is a head-to-toe check of your own skin, ideally once a month, to spot new or changing moles and other signs of skin cancer early. For moles, follow the ABCDEs of melanoma: Asymmetry, Border, Color, Diameter and Evolving. See a provider promptly for any spot that changes, bleeds, itches or doesn't heal.

Blood pressure measurement checks the force of blood against the artery walls, reported as two numbers: systolic over diastolic. For an accurate reading, avoid caffeine, food, tobacco and exercise for 30 minutes. For adults, normal is below 120/80 mmHg; high blood pressure is diagnosed only after high readings on two or more separate occasions.

The alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) test is a blood test that measures AFP, a protein made by a developing baby's liver. In pregnancy, it's a screening test done at 16–22 weeks for neural tube defects and Down syndrome. Outside pregnancy, it's used as a tumor marker, mainly for liver cancer. An abnormal result is not a diagnosis; follow-up tests are needed.

A knee X-ray is a painless imaging test that shows the bones of the knee. It's used after injuries and for ongoing knee pain to look for fractures, dislocations, osteoarthritis and bone spurs. It takes 10 minutes and uses very little radiation. Soft tissues such as ligaments and the meniscus don't show clearly, so MRI is used for those.

The Thessaly test is a quick, in-office knee exam for a torn meniscus, the C-shaped cartilage cushions inside the knee. You stand on the painful leg, bend the knee slightly and twist your body inward and outward. Pain along the joint line, catching, locking or a click suggests a tear. MRI is usually used to confirm the diagnosis.