Stress Test
About the test. The cardiac stress test has become a standard technique for assessing the condition of your heart. Also known as an exercise electrocardiogram (ECG), it provides invaluable information about your heart's rate and rhythm and its ability to pump blood adequtely during the stress of exercise.
How is it done? Wire leads that record the electrical activity in your heart are attached to your chest; your resting heart rate and rhythm and blood pressure are recorded. You then exercise on a stationary bike or treadmill while the resistance is gradually increased until you reach a preset target heart rate or experience chest pain. The test usually takes about 20 minutes. Wear comfortable shoes and don't eat, smoke or drink caffeine or alcohol for several hours beforehand. If you have weak lungs, arthritis or another condition that makes it problematic for you to exercise, you may instead be given an intravenous drug called dobutamine or another called atropine that mimics the effects of exercsie on the heart. Variations of the ECG stress test use injections of radioactive tracers (cardiac nuclear scan) or sound waves (stress echocardiography) to assess heart function during exercise.
How often is it needed? Some doctors order a baseline stress test at around age 40 for men and 50 for women, especially for patients who are about to undertake a new exercise regime.
You'll need this test more often if..
Testicular Examination
About the examination. A testicular self-examination is a simple five-minute procedure that men can perform at home to check for any unusual lumps or changes in the testicies that may be a sign of cancer. A clinical testicular examination is done by a doctor, who will also check for anything abnormal. Early detection of testicular cancer leads to cure in 90 percent of cases.
How is it done? A good time for perform a self-examinations is after a warm bath or shower when
the scrotum is relaxed. Gently roll your testes between your fingers, looking and feeling for any hard lumps or smooth, rounded masses. Changes in the size, shape or texture of the testes may be a sign of cancer or other problems. Any abnormal findings should be brought to the attention of your doctor. at the surgery, your doctor may perform a thorough inspection and palpation of the tests to look for anything unusual.
How often is it needed? Testicular cancer is fairly rare and when it does occur, it almost always strikes men younger than age 40. Many doctors recommend monthly self-examinations in otherwise healthy younger men ages 15 to 40. After age 40, regular testicular examinations are not needed.
You'll need this test more often if..
About the test. While your primary-care doctor or a nurse might perform a vision test at your routine physical generally you will be referred to a medical specialist in eye disorders (ophthalmologist) or you may be referred to a vision specialist (optometrist). These professionals also screen for diseases such as cataracts (clouding of the lens), macular degeneration ( deterioration of the retina and a cause of blindness) and glaucoma (eyeball pressure that can lead to vision loss).
How is it done? The examiner will test the sharpness of your vision having you read letters of diminshing size on a Snellen chart at a distance of 6 m from the chart. A score of 6/6 means you have
normal vision. Your close-up reading ability, peripheral vision and eye movements will be tested and you will also be checked for colour blindness and blind spots. It's likely that the examiner will place drops in your eyes to dilate your pupils, making your eyes very sensitive to sunlight for several hours. so don't forget to bring sunglasses to wear afterwards.
How often is it needed? If you don't have any special eye problems, you should have a vision check at least every five years up to age 65, then every year or two thereafter.
You'll need a vision test more often if...
You wear glasses. (Annually)
You have optic nerve damage. (More than once a year at doctor's discretion.)
You have diabetes. (More than once a year at doctor's discretion.)
Get frequent glaucoma screening if...
People age 75 and older have a higher rate of motor vehicle deaths than any other age group with the exception of those under 25. Although driving skills may decline with age for a number of reasons,
vision loss is one of the main ones. Clearly it's important to look for signs of vision problems that could be affecting your driving.
Although standards differ from state to state, in the majority of cases a driver of a car, motorcycle or light vehicle needs to have visual acuity of 6/12 or better (with or without corrective lenses) and satisfactory peripheral vision, which means a visual field of 120 degrees or more. While poor peripheral vision is more likely than visual acuity to predict which older drivers are apt to experience a crash, drivers are not required to do a test for peripheral vision as a licence requirement. They usually do a test of visual acuity because it's easier to measure.
Unless you have had a recent eye examination, you probably don't know how good your peripheral vision and visual acuity are. By asking yourself a few simple questions, you can get a good idea about how it may be affecting your driving.
Start by scheduling an anual eye examination. Also, put some limits on the places and times you drive (only during daylight hours). And begin planning for alternative methods of transportation before you have to give up your driver's licence altogether.
About the test. The cardiac stress test has become a standard technique for assessing the condition of your heart. Also known as an exercise electrocardiogram (ECG), it provides invaluable information about your heart's rate and rhythm and its ability to pump blood adequtely during the stress of exercise.
How is it done? Wire leads that record the electrical activity in your heart are attached to your chest; your resting heart rate and rhythm and blood pressure are recorded. You then exercise on a stationary bike or treadmill while the resistance is gradually increased until you reach a preset target heart rate or experience chest pain. The test usually takes about 20 minutes. Wear comfortable shoes and don't eat, smoke or drink caffeine or alcohol for several hours beforehand. If you have weak lungs, arthritis or another condition that makes it problematic for you to exercise, you may instead be given an intravenous drug called dobutamine or another called atropine that mimics the effects of exercsie on the heart. Variations of the ECG stress test use injections of radioactive tracers (cardiac nuclear scan) or sound waves (stress echocardiography) to assess heart function during exercise.
How often is it needed? Some doctors order a baseline stress test at around age 40 for men and 50 for women, especially for patients who are about to undertake a new exercise regime.
You'll need this test more often if..
- You have had a heart attack.
- You have had an angioplasty.
- You have had bypass surgery.
- ALL OF THE ABOVE: stress tests may be needed every 6 to 12 months to assess heart function and tolerance for exercise.
- You have heart disease. (Every 6 to 12 months to guage heart function, tolerance for exercise and response to various heart medicines.)
- You are about to have major surgery. (Stress test before surgery.)
Testicular Examination
About the examination. A testicular self-examination is a simple five-minute procedure that men can perform at home to check for any unusual lumps or changes in the testicies that may be a sign of cancer. A clinical testicular examination is done by a doctor, who will also check for anything abnormal. Early detection of testicular cancer leads to cure in 90 percent of cases.
How is it done? A good time for perform a self-examinations is after a warm bath or shower when
the scrotum is relaxed. Gently roll your testes between your fingers, looking and feeling for any hard lumps or smooth, rounded masses. Changes in the size, shape or texture of the testes may be a sign of cancer or other problems. Any abnormal findings should be brought to the attention of your doctor. at the surgery, your doctor may perform a thorough inspection and palpation of the tests to look for anything unusual.
How often is it needed? Testicular cancer is fairly rare and when it does occur, it almost always strikes men younger than age 40. Many doctors recommend monthly self-examinations in otherwise healthy younger men ages 15 to 40. After age 40, regular testicular examinations are not needed.
You'll need this test more often if..
- You've had testicular cancer.
- You have a family history of testicular cancer.
- You had an undescended testicle at birth.
- ALL OF THE ABOVE: you should perform monthly testicular self-examination after age 40 on an ongoing basis.
About the test. While your primary-care doctor or a nurse might perform a vision test at your routine physical generally you will be referred to a medical specialist in eye disorders (ophthalmologist) or you may be referred to a vision specialist (optometrist). These professionals also screen for diseases such as cataracts (clouding of the lens), macular degeneration ( deterioration of the retina and a cause of blindness) and glaucoma (eyeball pressure that can lead to vision loss).
How is it done? The examiner will test the sharpness of your vision having you read letters of diminshing size on a Snellen chart at a distance of 6 m from the chart. A score of 6/6 means you have
normal vision. Your close-up reading ability, peripheral vision and eye movements will be tested and you will also be checked for colour blindness and blind spots. It's likely that the examiner will place drops in your eyes to dilate your pupils, making your eyes very sensitive to sunlight for several hours. so don't forget to bring sunglasses to wear afterwards.
How often is it needed? If you don't have any special eye problems, you should have a vision check at least every five years up to age 65, then every year or two thereafter.
You'll need a vision test more often if...
You wear glasses. (Annually)
You have optic nerve damage. (More than once a year at doctor's discretion.)
You have diabetes. (More than once a year at doctor's discretion.)
Get frequent glaucoma screening if...
- You're over age 65.
- You have a family history of glaucoma.
- ALL OF THE ABOVE: you may need screening more than once a year at doctor's discretion.
People age 75 and older have a higher rate of motor vehicle deaths than any other age group with the exception of those under 25. Although driving skills may decline with age for a number of reasons,
vision loss is one of the main ones. Clearly it's important to look for signs of vision problems that could be affecting your driving.
Although standards differ from state to state, in the majority of cases a driver of a car, motorcycle or light vehicle needs to have visual acuity of 6/12 or better (with or without corrective lenses) and satisfactory peripheral vision, which means a visual field of 120 degrees or more. While poor peripheral vision is more likely than visual acuity to predict which older drivers are apt to experience a crash, drivers are not required to do a test for peripheral vision as a licence requirement. They usually do a test of visual acuity because it's easier to measure.
Unless you have had a recent eye examination, you probably don't know how good your peripheral vision and visual acuity are. By asking yourself a few simple questions, you can get a good idea about how it may be affecting your driving.
- Do you have problems reading street signs or highway signs?
- Does glare from the lights of oncoming cars bother you at night?
- Do you have difficulty seeing other cars, pedestrains, lane-dividing lines, median strips or curbs and does this problem get worse at night, dusk or dawn?
Start by scheduling an anual eye examination. Also, put some limits on the places and times you drive (only during daylight hours). And begin planning for alternative methods of transportation before you have to give up your driver's licence altogether.
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