If you looked hard enough, you probably could find a test for every single body part. Luckily, staying healthy doesn’t require that kind of vigilance.

But physicians recommend several tests to help you stay on top of your general health. We talked with doctors and other health experts and came up with a dozen; some are for everyone, a few are gender-specific. Think of it as a guide – doctors often have different ideas about courses of action – so be sure to check with yours.

Audiogram

¢ What it is: A basic hearing test.

¢ Why you need it: As people age, hearing loss can affect one’s ability to hear higher frequencies.

¢ When and how often: A baseline test about age 40. If a hearing loss is discovered, testing should continue every one to two years. If your hearing is normal, an audiogram is suggested every five years.

¢ What to expect: If you see an audiologist, you will be escorted to a sound-treated booth where you will listen to different tones, responding to the softest level you can hear. There is also a word-recognition test.

¢ What the results mean: Ninety percent of hearing loss is not medically treatable. If a condition is medically treatable, the audiologist will refer you to a physician. Otherwise, hearing aids are an option.

Source: Susan Rawls, Au.D., Raleigh Ear, Nose & Throat

Bone density measurement

¢ What it is: An exam for osteoporosis

¢ Why you need it: It can help predict the risk of future fractures. More women suffer from osteoporotic fractures than from breast, ovarian and uterine cancer combined.

¢ When and how often: Every woman 65 and older should have a bone density test. When a woman reaches menopause, she should consider getting a bone density test to assess her need for medication to prevent or treat osteoporosis. If a woman has two or more risk factors for osteoporosis, she should consider testing before menopause. Testing should be done every two years unless the patient has recently initiated treatment for osteoporosis, in which case, a follow-up DEXA scan should be done in one year to assess the effectiveness of the therapy.

¢ What to expect: Initial assessment can be performed with a heel, finger or wrist scan using ultrasound (less expensive), but the gold standard of bone density testing uses DEXA (dual energy absorptiometry) – a low level X-ray test using less X-ray exposure than you get every eight hours from background radiation. The DEXA scan involves lying on a flat open table while a narrow scanner passes over you from head to toe. Typically, the scan lasts about 2 minutes and measures the bone density of both hips and spine.

¢ What the results mean: The bone density of the area scanned is reported as a T-score for postmenopausal women and a Z-score for premenopausal women. The T-score compares you to a standard database of 60-year-old Caucasian women, whereas the Z-score compares you to a database of women your age. These scores reflect the number of standard deviations above (+scores) or below (-scores) the control database. The World Health Organization has defined osteoporosis as a T score at or less than -2.5. Normal results are a T score at or greater than -1.0. The middle group between -2.5 and -1.0 is defined as having osteopenia. For every standard deviation below normal, your risk for fracture doubles or triples. For this reason, you should initiate therapy for osteoporosis before you reach a T-score of -2.5.

Source: Dr. Robert Littleton, an obstetrician and gynecologist with Centre Obstetrics & Gynecology in Raleigh

Cholesterol screen

¢ What it is: A blood test to determine cholesterol levels.

¢ Why you need it: To decrease the risk of coronary artery disease and strokes.

¢ When and how often: Testing should begin around age 35 for men and 45 for women, unless risk factors are present, and then testing could begin as early as 20. If levels are normal, cholesterol should be checked every three to five years.

¢ What to expect: A simple blood test, taken after fasting 10 to 12 hours.

¢ What the results mean: In terms of total cholesterol, less than 200 mg/dl is considered desirable; HDL (good cholesterol) greater than 60 mg/dl is considered protective of the heart; LDL (bad cholesterol) less than 100 mg/dl is preferable with other risk factors taken into account by your doctor; with triglyceride levels, 150 mg/dl or below is normal.

Source: Dr. Susheel Atree, Internist, North Wake Internal Medicine Associates.

Colonoscopy

¢ What it is: A look at the lower gastrointestinal tract using a lighted tube.

¢ Why you need it: Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in America.

¢ When and how often: Starting at age 50 for the average-risk patient, or earlier if there is family history or symptoms that may include unexplained rectal bleeding, significant change in bowel movement and anemia. Testing should be at least once every 10 years or as directed by your doctor.

¢ What to expect: You’ll need to take oral laxatives the night before to clear the bowel. Sedatives are given, and a colonoscope (a lighted tube) is inserted through the rectum and into the large intestine. Most patients return to work the next day.

¢ What the results mean: If polyps are found, they are removed. Based on the number and type, future colonoscopies could be scheduled in fewer than 10 years. If a mass is detected, a biopsy is taken to determine if it is cancerous.

Source: Dr. Stephen Furs, Cary Gastroenterology Associates.

Dental screenings

¢ What it is: A cleaning and exam of your teeth and gums.

¢ Why you need it: Gum diseases, including gingivitis and periodontitis, are serious infections that, left untreated, can lead to tooth loss.

¢ When and how often: A regular dental exam every six months. Bitewing X-rays every two years and X-ray of the full mouth every five years.

¢ What to expect: A dentist will check your teeth and gums; normally the dental hygienist will clean them.

Source: Dr. Janet Southerland, assistant professor and chair of UNC Hospital Dentistry.

Eye exam

¢ What it is: A basic vision test

¢ Why you need it: You want to catch eye diseases early so you can prevent their progression.

¢ When and how often: Get screened every five years from birth to age 40; every three years from ages 40 to 50; every two years from ages 50 to 60, and yearly from age 60 and up. (Those found to have high near-sightedness might need yearly appointments.) Start a decade earlier if you have a family history of glaucoma. Diabetics should have yearly exams.

¢ What to expect: The doctor will take your eye history and check for visual acuity of each eye to make sure you have good central vision. He will also check your peripheral or side vision and your pupils to make sure both are reactive. He will gauge your eyes’ pressure and look at them using the slit lamp, which flashes a bright light in the eye and allows the doctor to ensure that the front part of your eyes are healthy. The slit lamp examination helps to determine whether cataracts are forming, and it helps to rule out glaucoma. As you get older, you may also need to be screened for macular degeneration, a leading cause of vision loss in older adults, which is performed after dilating the pupils. A nurse will dilate your pupils and the doctor will check for glaucoma, cataracts and refraction to see if you need glasses or contacts.

¢ What the results mean: If you have any eye disease, you need to be watched very carefully or treated.

Source: Dr. John Wright, associate professor of ophthalmology at UNC

Fasting blood-sugar test

¢ What it is: A test to determine the presence of diabetes.

¢ Why you need it: Diabetes can cause a variety of health problems, including damage to your eyes, kidneys and heart.

¢ When and how often: Beginning in your mid-40s, or earlier if you have a family history of diabetes. If levels are normal, have the test every three years.

¢ What to expect: After an overnight fast, a simple blood test.

¢ What the results mean: According to the American Diabetes Association, a normal fasting blood-sugar level is between 70 and 99 mg/dl. Diabetes is a level of 126 or above. A level in between is referred to as pre-diabetes and would require counseling.

Source: Jenny Koinis, certified diabetes educator at Duke Health Raleigh Hospital

Mammograms

¢ What it is: An X-ray of the breast tissue to detect cancer.

¢ Why you need it: It can detect abnormalities earlier than a physician’s exam or self-examination.

¢ When and how often: Start mammogram screenings at 40. You may need to have them yearly or every other year, depending on patient’s preference and history. Women with larger or denser breasts should probably be screened annually since cancer is harder to “see” and feel in these breasts. Women who are in high-risk groups, such as women with first-degree relatives with breast cancer (mother, sister, daughter) should begin screening five to 10 years earlier than the age at which their relative developed breast cancer. At 50, you need yearly mammograms.

¢ What to expect: A technician will place your breasts between two plates; compress the breast tissue and take an X-ray.

¢ What the results mean: Results are reported as benign (normal), indeterminate or suspicious. An indeterminate screening mammogram is usually followed by a more focused diagnostic mammogram and perhaps a breast ultrasound (a sound wave test).

Source: Dr. Robert Littleton, an obstetrician and gynecologist with Centre Obstetrics & Gynecology in Raleigh

Pap smear and pelvic exam

¢ What it is: An examination of the inside of the vagina and cervix.

¢ Why you need it: To screen for ovarian cancer and to detect other problems of the uterus, such as benign fibroid tumors.

¢ When and how often: You should have your first pap smear at 20 or within three years of first vaginal intercourse because of the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is spread by sexual contact. Then you should have a yearly pap smear until age 30. If you are in a low-risk group, repeat every two to three years until you reach 65. If you are in a high-risk group, see your doctor. You should start to have yearly pelvic exams at age 20.

¢ What to expect: The doctor will feel for abnormal swelling of the uterus and ovaries during the pelvic exam. Starting at 50, the doctor will also perform a rectal exam to check for abnormalities in the lower part of the colon. During a pap smear, the doctor examines the inside of the vagina and cervix. He will also scrape cells from the surface of the cervix for lab testing.

¢ What the results mean: If the pap smear results are normal, consult your doctor about your next screening. If your results are abnormal, you may need further testing or treatment. An abnormal reading doesn’t necessarily mean you have cancer.

Source: Dr. Robert Littleton, an obstetrician and gynecologist with Centre Obstetrics & Gynecology in Raleigh.

Prostate-specific antigen blood test

¢ What it is: A procedure to detect prostate abnormalities.

¢ Why you need it: Early prostate cancer usually has no symptoms, and it’s a relatively slow-growing cancer. It’s also the most common nonskin cancer in men.

¢ When and how often: Current guidelines call for men 50 and over to discuss the risks and benefits of an annual PSA test with their doctor. African-American men and men with a first-degree relative with prostate cancer should consider an annual test beginning at 40.

¢ What to expect: A blood test will determine the PSA level in the blood. This is usually paired with a digital rectal exam.

¢ What the results mean: Elevated PSA levels can prompt a prostate biopsy, which is done by taking needle biopsies of the prostate through the rectum with ultrasound guidance. A prostate-cancer diagnosis is made when cancer is seen under the microscope.

Source: Dr. Tracey L. Krupski, assistant professor, Duke University Medical Center

Testicular self-exams

¢ What it is: An exam that can help detect testicular abnormalities.

¢ Why you need it: Testicular cancer is the most common malignancy in men 15 to 35.

¢ When and how often: Unlike other tests on the chart, physicians have no specific screening guidelines for testicular cancer. Doctors recommend monthly self-exams.

¢ What to expect: The best time to examine yourself is during or after a warm shower. Isolate the testicle between your thumb and forefinger. Feel the testicle from top to bottom, paying attention to any nodules, irregular shapes or particularly firm or hard spots. The more often you perform the self-examination, the better you will be able to identify any changes.

¢ What the results mean: If you have a worrisome exam, see your doctor.

Source: Dr. Tracey L. Krupski, assistant professor, Duke University Medical Center

Thyroid testing

¢ What it is: A blood test – TSH for thyroid-stimulating hormone – measures the hormone made in the brain that stimulates the thyroid gland.

¢ Why you need it: An over- or under-active thyroid can affect your metabolic rate.

¢ When and how often: Screening recommendations from major groups have been conflicting. The American Thyroid Association (ATA) recommends TSH “screening,” which means testing people without symptoms beginning at 35 and every five years thereafter, stating that the recommendation is particularly compelling in women, although it can also be justified in men. Anyone with symptoms of an over- or under-active thyroid gland should be tested when they develop symptoms.

¢ What to expect: A technician will draw blood.

¢ What the results mean: High TSH means an underactive thyroid gland. A low value means an overactive gland. If the thyroid gland is underactive, you may experience weight gain, dry skin and fatigue. If the thyroid gland is overactive, you may experience weight loss, feel hot, shaky and not sleep well. An overactive or underactive thyroid gland can be treated with medication. Doctors may recommend other therapies (radioactive iodine) for patients who have a persistently overactive gland.

Source: Dr. Ann Brown, director of the women’s health program at Duke University School of Medicine