From heart trouble to your risk of dementia 60 second DIY health tests that can save your life!
- Welcome to the quickest and easiest health check-ups yet
- You can do these simple tests in the comfort of your own home
- They are surprisingly revealing about the state of your health
These simple tests, which you can do in the comfort of your own home, are surprisingly revealing
No
fancy equipment, no cost, no waiting to see the GP - welcome to the
quickest and easiest health check-ups yet. These simple tests, which you
can do in the comfort of your own home, are surprisingly revealing
about the state of your health. Best of all, they each take only a
minute or so to do...
WINDOW TEST TO CHECK YOUR SIGHT
Do this:
Look at a door frame or large window frame from across a room, first
with your right eye only (put your palm over your left eye for 30
seconds), then your left eye only.
What it means: You
should be able to see the edges of the frame as vertical and horizontal
parallel lines. If the door frame edges appear to have any kinks or are
distorted in any way, or they bow in or out, this may indicate that you
have macular degeneration.
It
comes in two forms, wet and dry. With the wet form, which is more
aggressive, tiny blood vessels grow under the retina - the
light-sensitive patch at the back of the eye. These blood vessels leak,
damaging the macula (a tiny spot at the back of the eye that is
responsible for central vision).
With the dry form, a build-up of waste products dislodges the macula.
According
to Robin Hamilton, a consultant ophthalmic surgeon at Moorfields Eye
Hospital, one of the first signs of age-related macular degeneration
(AMD), which is common in the over-50s and can lead to blindness, can be
wavy, broken or distorted lines or a blurred or missing area of vision.
However, you might not notice it as you go about your day-to-day activities as the eyes compensate for mistakes in our vision.
'Windows
with lots of small panes of glass are excellent for this test, or you
might want to take a look at an Excel spreadsheet - use your reading
glasses if you wear them, as these will magnify lines and any
distortion,' says Dr Hamilton.
'If
you have been told (by your doctor or optician) that you are at risk of
AMD, you should let your doctor know within 24 hours of doing this test.
Even for the general population, it is important to see an optician
very quickly and ask for a review.
'Early
detection of AMD is critical as laser treatment, when indicated for wet
AMD, is most successful when performed before too much damage has
occurred.'
SPOON AND BAG TEST FOR BAD BREATH
Do this: Scrape
the edge of a teaspoon along the top of your tongue as far back as
possible, seal the spoon in a plastic bag and sit it under a bright lamp
for one minute - then sniff.
![A fruity smell could indicate ketoacidosis (which can be a sign of diabetes) [file photo]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vjNclePyV0t3ajRyMRljgnPJKtVd_gjK4W8SFfbLAU8Dqke5h_m_3LbuFCgnZlr6bs7Uvl1Ywlg9rctUyHRU987NcYvN5-IQcCZhdTnttNmuKZvMNPW8FfVkmEgbmYCGrwLUHIzM50S2xyxvyfAxB0vZI_RdTLLW59GjrRV2VjT9AhDw=s0-d)
A fruity smell could indicate ketoacidosis (which can be a sign of diabetes) [file photo]
What it means:
A healthy tongue coating should be clear, but if the coating that comes
off on the spoon is thick, coloured or smells unpleasant, it could be
an early sign of problems with your respiratory system, your liver,
kidneys, hormones or gut.
This
test is the closest indicator of how your breath smells to other
people. A sample from the back of the tongue is key because a coating of
bacteria can build up more easily here (unlike the front of the tongue,
which cleans itself as it rubs against the teeth and roof of the
mouth). The hot lamp grows the bacteria - and amplifies the odour.
A
fruity smell could indicate ketoacidosis (when your body burns fat for
energy, which can be a sign of diabetes), an ammonia smell could be
kidney problems and other smells can indicate gastric or lung problems.
See your GP if you are concerned.
But
be reassured, research suggests that 90 per cent of all cases of
halitosis (bad breath) have a less sinister oral origin (gum disease,
infected tonsils, cracked fillings or tooth decay), so see your dentist.
In healthy people the normal pink colour should return within 10-30 seconds
CUSHION TEST FOR FURRED ARTERIES
Do this: Lie
on a bed or sofa and elevate both legs to a 45-degree angle on
cushions. Hold them there for one minute then quickly hang your legs
down over the side of the bed or sofa at 90 degrees.
What it means: If
one or both of your feet become very pale when elevated but take
several minutes to return to a normal pink colour, or become bright red
when hanging, you could have blocked arteries and an increased risk of
heart disease.
This
test checks for peripheral arterial disease (PAD), where the arteries
that supply the leg muscles become furred up. Risk factors include high
blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. Up to 20 per cent of
over-65s have PAD.
'In
healthy people the normal pink colour should return within 10-30
seconds. But for people with severely blocked arteries it can take
several minutes, and the feet may go very bright red in the second part
of the test,' says Michael Gaunt, a consultant vascular surgeon in
Cambridge.
The redness occurs as tiny blood vessels expand in an attempt to counteract the poor blood flow.
'People
with untreated arterial disease of the legs have a more than 30 per
cent chance of a heart attack or stroke within the next five years,'
says Dr Gaunt, as it may raise the risk of blood clots.
However,
this test can give a false positive in healthy people (it could be sign
of poor circulation linked to Raynaud's disease - where the blood
vessels contract in the cold).
So
before you worry about PAD, additional signs to look for are cramping,
pain and tiredness in the legs while walking or climbing stairs. 'If you
can walk a mile at a fast pace non-stop, you are unlikely to have
significant arterial disease,' says Dr Gaunt.
BURP TEST FOR STOMACH ACID
Do this: Tip a heaped teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda into a small glass of tap water, stir and swallow immediately on an empty stomach.
What it means:
A loud burp within five minutes can indicate healthy levels of stomach
acid - mixing sodium bicarbonate with stomach acid (or hydrochloric
acid) creates a reaction that gives off carbon dioxide gas, which causes
burping.
Levels
of stomach acid are thought to decline after the age of 40 in some
people, causing poor digestion, poor absorption of nutrients (because
food is not properly broken down) and vulnerability to tummy upsets
(stomach acid helps to 'sterilise' its contents). Paradoxically, low
levels of the acid can cause heartburn because, to compensate, the body
throws the little acid there is to the top of the stomach and it can get
into the oesophagus.
If you think you have low levels of stomach acid, avoid over-using antacids as they could make it worse.
CLOCK TEST FOR DEMENTIA
Any difficulty drawing the clock may be a sign of mild cognitive impairment or early dementia
Do this: Draw a clock by hand on a piece of paper, add the numbers and make the hands point to 3.40.
What it means: Any
difficulty drawing the clock (if the numbers aren't in the correct
order, for instance) may be a sign of mild cognitive impairment or early
dementia. Score one point for a closed circle, one for properly placed
numbers, one for including all 12 numbers and one for properly placed
hands.
Four
points indicates good cognitive health; anything less could be a cause
for concern. This test taps into a wide range of cognitive abilities
including memory and problem-solving as well as 'executive' functions,
such as planning. Studies have shown it's a good predictor of cognitive
health.
Dr
Dan Nightingale, a psychotherapist and clinical dementia specialist,
says: 'If any signs in your drawing concern you, see your GP
immediately.'
CROSS-LEGGED SQUAT FOR AGILITY
Do this: Stand
in front of a mirror and lower yourself into a cross-legged sitting
position on the floor without using your hands for support or kneeling,
then return to standing. (Do not attempt this if you have arthritic
knees or hips.)
You have to be fit and flexible to do the test, and being limber may reflect having healthy, flexible cardiac arteries
What it means: Aim to get down and up again without support.
To
work out your score, start at ten and subtract one point each time you
have had to use a hand or knee for support, and half a point every time
you wobble - you should aim to score eight or above.
This
is a test of muscle strength, balance, flexibility and agility. In a
study published last year in the European Journal of Preventive
Cardiology, researchers found that adults over 50 who could do this
without wobbling or using their hand for support lived longer.
Those
who scored less than eight were twice as likely to die within the next
six years from all causes as people with perfect scores.
You
have to be fit and flexible to do the test, and being limber may
reflect having healthy, flexible cardiac arteries, according to
researchers from the University of North Texas and several Japanese
universities.
Stand in front of a mirror and lower yourself into a cross-legged sitting position on the floor
Supple
arteries allow blood to move freely through the body, while stiff
arteries require the heart to work much harder. Over time, this may lead
to a risk of heart disease and stroke.
The
researchers asked healthy adults between the ages of 20 and 83 to sit
on the floor with their legs outstretched and then to bend forward to
touch their toes.
Using
blood-pressure cuffs at each person's ankles and arms, they estimated
how flexible the volunteers' arteries were. Those with poor results also
tended to have relatively stiff arteries.
Your score should improve with practice and regular flexibility exercises such as yoga or Pilates.
WOBBLE TEST FOR FAULTY THYROID
Do this: Stretch out your hand, palm down, and place an A4 piece of paper on top.
What it means: If the paper trembles or shakes excessively, you could have an over-active thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism).
Hyperthyroidism is particularly common in women, who are four times more likely than men to have it
According
to Richard Ross, professor of endocrinology at the University of
Sheffield: 'A fine tremor of the hands is a sign of thyrotoxicosis
(excessive amounts of thyroid hormones) and may be revealed by putting a
sheet of paper on the hands.'
The movement could be too small to see on its own, but the sheet of paper accentuates any shaking.
A slight tremble is, however, very common, and can be caused by caffeine, asthma medication, anxiety or low blood-sugar levels.
It
can also be a sign of early Parkinson's disease (though in this case
the tremor is more likely to appear when the hand is at rest rather than
when muscles are in use).
Hyperthyroidism is particularly common in women, who are four times more likely than men to have it.
It
occurs when the thyroid gland produces too much of the hormone
thyroxine, causing the body's functions to go into hyperdrive, leading
to a racing pulse and twitchy muscles, as well as possibly unexplained
weight loss, anxiety, mood swings and difficulty sleeping.
The
paper test can help pinpoint a diagnosis for symptoms, which could
easily be blamed on other conditions (such as stress or the menopause).
This is a widely used measure of strength and agility
CHAIR TEST FOR RISK OF FALLS
Do this: Measure a 3m/10ft distance and place a dining chair at one end. Ask a friend to stand at the other end with a stopwatch.
Sit
comfortably on the chair, start the timer and get up, walk the
distance, turn around, walk back to your chair and sit down again.
The clock should stop the moment your bottom hits the chair.
What it means: This is a widely used measure of strength and agility in older age and a useful test of possible decline.
A
score of ten seconds or less indicates normal mobility, 13-20 seconds
means your balance could be impaired and you could be at risk of falls,
while 20 seconds plus may mean more serious mobility problems.
Physiotherapist
Vicky Johnston recommends working to improve your score by practising
this sit-to-stand technique at every opportunity.
'If
you're watching TV, get up every time the adverts come on and
concentrate on lowering yourself slowly in to the chair when you sit
back down, to work your muscles against gravity.
'If
you slump in to a chair with an audible "oooof", it means you've not
engaged your muscles and properly controlled your descent,' she says.
TELEPHONE TEST FOR HEARING
Do this: Phone
0844 800 3838 and follow the instructions, which involve listening to a
voice reading out numbers against background noise.
Test your right, then left ear, and punch the numbers you hear into your telephone keypad.
What it means: This assesses your ability to hear someone speaking when there is background noise, similar to being in a crowded room.
The
facility is provided by the charity Action on Hearing Loss. At the end
of the short test, a recorded message will tell you whether your hearing
is normal or impaired.
Hearing
declines with age as the tiny hair cells inside the inner ear become
damaged or die - this can be accelerated if hearing loss runs in your
family, or you've been repeatedly exposed to loud noises, smoke, have
diabetes, or as a side-effect of medications such as chemotherapy.
If you're concerned, your GP can give you a further hearing test.
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