5 Weird Medical Tests You Can Try Right Now

Melanie Haiken
Friday, Septe!er ", #$%#
Ha&e you e&er wondered why your doctor asks you to do odd things like touch your nose during an o''ice &isit, then
scri!!les notes in your chart( )t*s !ecause there are any physical tests that can tell whether your !ody is 'unctioning as
it should+ While we tend to lea&e it to doctors and edical tests to 'igure out i' soething*s wrong, we can actually use
any o' these checks oursel&es to deterine whether all systes are go+ Here, 'i&e odd edical tests you can do at
hoe+
The ,iaond Test or -Scharoth*s Sign-
What it tests for: Cardio&ascular, lung, or other diseases
How to do it: Hold up .or down/ !oth inde0 'ingers and turn the so the nails are 'acing each other+ 1ress the nails
together and you should !e a!le to see a tiny, narrow, diaond2shaped space !etween your nails where the nails coe
'lat together !ut the nail !eds don*t touch each other+
What it means: )' your nails are rounded o&er and can*t press 'lat together, it*s a sign o' -clu!!ing,- a thickening o' the
'ingertips that occurs when not enough o0ygen is circulating in the !loodstrea+ Clu!!ing can !e a sign o' cardio&ascular
disease, such as coronary artery disease or heart 'ailure, or o' lung disease, like C31,, lung in'ection, or lung cancer+ )n
soe cases, in'laatory !owel disease and cirrhosis o' the li&er also cause clu!!ing+
What to do if you fail: 4ook closely at your 'ingers 'or other signs o' clu!!ing+ Measure the thickness o' your 'ingertips all
the way around5 i' they*re clu!!ing, you*ll notice that they*re noticea!ly thicker a!o&e the top knuckle than !elow it+
Clu!!ing is iportant to !ring to your doctor*s attention to onitor your heart and lung health+
Ro!erg*s Test
What it tests for: ,egenerati&e diseases .or into0ication/
How to do it: Stand with your 'eet e0actly together, ars !y your sides+ Now close your eyes and stay that way 'or a 'ull
inute+ How do you 'eel6 per'ectly !alanced, or as i' you*re swaying or 'alling 'orward( )t*s !est to do this test with
soeone watching you to detect swaying+ 7 &ariation o' this test is to do it standing heel to toe on a straight line+
What it means: This test easures proprioception or positioning, considered the -si0th sense- that tells us where our
!odies are in space+ 1roprioception re8uires accurate sensory input 'ro our 9oints and uscles and healthy 'unctioning
o' the dorsal coluns o' the spinal cord, which allow us to percei&e the position o' our li!s !oth in relation to other parts
o' our !odies and to the en&ironent+ When you can*t !alance with your eyes closed, it*s considered a sign o' sensory
ata0ia, or loss o' otor coordination, which can !e a sign o' dia!etic neuropathy, ultiple sclerosis, inner ear pro!les,
lu!ar spinal stenosis, or another degenerati&e disease+ Ro!erg*s test is also soeties used as a test o' into0ication
or drug use+
What to do if you fail: )t is possi!le to 'ail this test when nothing is wrong with you, !ut 22 !ecause it can also indicate a
serious condition 22 it*s worth discussing with your doctor+ )' you*re also e0periencing other syptos, such as nu!ness,
tingling in your ars or legs, or !alance pro!les, ask your doctor 'or a re'erral to a neurologist+
Finger Measureent Test
What it tests for: 3steoarthritis, and other things+ + + +
How to do it: Hold your hands 'lat and look closely at the lengths o' your 'ingers in relation to each other+ )s your inde0
'inger shorter than your ring 'inger(
What it means: 7 recent study at the :ni&ersity o' Nottingha in ;ngland 'ound that i' a woan*s inde0 'inger is shorter
than her ring 'inger, she*s ore than twice as likely as others to de&elop osteoarthritis o' the knee or hip+ There*s no
scienti'ic e0planation yet 'or the connection !etween 'inger si<e and arthritis risk+
Se&eral other studies ha&e 'ound another use 'or 'inger easureent6 )t can !e used to guess at penis si<e+ 7ccording to
studies done in South =orea, i' a an*s ring 'inger is signi'icantly longer than his inde0 'inger, he*s likely to !e well
endowed, while a short ring 'inger indicates a&erage to !elow2a&erage si<e+ 1re&ious studies ha&e shown that a long
inde0 'inger is an indication o' lower testosterone e0posure in the wo!+
What to do if you fail: Woen6 )n this case, there*s no iediate action to take+ >ust !e on the alert 'or signs o'
osteoarthritis such as knee, hip, shoulder, or !ack pain+ )' you do de&elop pain and suspect osteoarthritis, you ight
ention the 'inger length research to your doctor+ ?uys6 )' you notice her looking at your ring 'inger, distract her !y !uying
her a drink+
The Nose Test and the Heel Test
What it tests for: Neurodegenerati&e disease
How to do it: Hold your ar out, 'inger e0tended+ Close your eyes and try to touch your nose with your 'inger+ Then do it
again with the other hand+ You should !e a!le to do this soothly and accurately+ Ne0t, lie down and run the heel o' one
'oot up and down the shin o' the opposite e0tended leg+
What it means: These are two coponents o' !asic neurological testing, which e&aluates coordination and 'ine otor
o&eent indicati&e o' the health o' the cere!ellu, the part o' the !rain that go&erns otor o&eent, coordination,
!alance, and uscle tone+ Failure to do the nose and heel tests accurately can !e one sign o' a neurodegenerati&e
disease such as ultiple sclerosis or a !rain tuor or lesion+
What to do if you fail: Try these tests se&eral ties !e'ore you conclude soething*s wrong, as any 'actors 22 such as
ha&ing had a glass o' wine 22 can a''ect it+ )' you regularly 'ail to get your 'inger anywhere near your nose, alert your
doctor+
The -1rayer 1osition- Test and the 1inky Tests
What it tests for: Rheuatoid arthritis
How to do it: Hold your hands in the position 'or traditional prayer, with the 'ingers and pals 'lat and touching+ See i'
your pinky 'inger stands straight, as it*s supposed to+
What it means: )' you aren*t a!le to place your hands 'lat against each other, it suggests that either your wrists don*t !end
'le0i!ly or your 'ingers and knuckles aren*t straight+ This is a possi!le indicator o' rheuatoid arthritis .R7/, which akes
9oints swell and sti''en and 'ingers !ecoe gnarled or !ent+ The ina!ility to e0tend the little 'inger is another indicator o'
R7, !ecause the little 'inger tends to !e the 'irst thing to lose 'unction+
What to do if you fail: )' you suspect you*re de&eloping rheuatoid arthritis, which is an autoiune disease, schedule a
&isit with your doctor+ @e'ore you go, sur&ey your 'aily to deterine i' there*s a 'aily history o' R7, which o'ten has a
genetic !asis+
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