Gone are the days when it was only your doctor who could make a diagnosis. Now you can take control with a DIY testing kit...
Home self-testing is a booming market, worth around £100 million a year. You can test yourself for everything from food intolerances to serious conditions such as HIV, paying as little as £10 to get immediate results, or much more if the results need to be posted to a laboratory for analysis. What’s appealing about these self-tests is that you can assess your risk of certain conditions in the privacy of your own home and even email the results to your GP.
But are they any good? We get the low-down on the most common ones, find out how they work and hear what healthcare professionals have to say about them, too.
Blood pressure
Why have a test
About three in 10 adults in the UK have high blood pressure – a problem that can raise the risk of serious health problems such as heart disease, stroke and kidney damage. However, it is a symptomless condition, meaning the only way to find out what yours is, is to have a test.
How it works
Digital blood pressure monitors use a microphone to detect blood pulsing in the artery. A cuff, which is attached to your wrist or upper arm, is connected to an electronic monitor that automatically inflates and deflates the cuff when you press the start button. Your blood pressure reading will then flash up on a small screen.
Expert opinion
‘If you are measuring your blood pressure at home, it’s essential that you choose a monitor that is accurate and reliable,’ says Mark Hooley, communications manager at the Blood Pressure Association. ‘Make sure the monitor you choose is clinically validated – a full list can be found at the Blood Pressure Association’s website (www.bpassoc.org.uk). This means it has been tested and gives results you can trust. Monitors that measure at your upper arm are usually more accurate and consistent.’
Cholesterol
Why have a test
Coronary heart disease is the UK’s biggest killer, with high blood cholesterol one of the greatest risk factors. To know if your levels are too high, you’ll have to have a test.
How it works
Using a lancet, youprick your finger to get a drop of blood and place it on a test strip that has chemicals on it, then wait a few minutes for the results. With some tests, you can tell your results by the colour of the paper while with others it appears on a small screen.
Expert opinion
Cathy Ross, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation (www.bhf.org.uk), says: ‘Cholesterol kits that give you an average reading, or just a total cholesterol level, do not provide you with enough information to be able to make a proper assessment of the risk to your heart health. It’s essential that you know what the levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol are to accurately assess the need for treatment.
‘Kits that provide a breakdown of those levels may be more useful, but they require expert knowledge to ensure the results are interpreted and explained appropriately.’
Blood glucose
Why have a test
High sugar levels are a possible early indication of diabetes. Blood sugar levels can be checked simply and quickly with a home-testing kit.
How it works
Blood glucose tests work by placing a drop of blood from a finger prick onto a plastic indicator strip, then inserting the strip into a glucose meter device. After 30 seconds it will display your result.
Expert opinion
‘Self-testing results might not be accurate, as blood glucose levels vary in all individuals during any given day and people might be falsely reassured,’ says Cathy Moulton, clinical advisor at Diabetes UK (www.diabetes.org.uk). ‘In addition, a positive diagnosis can only increase anxiety in those who are worried that they may have diabetes, particularly if they do not, at the same time, have access to information and advice provided by a trained healthcare professional.’
Pregnancy
Why have a test
Common symptoms of pregnancy include enlarged or tingling breasts, nausea and dizziness – but not every woman has these early indicators. So, to find out if you’re pregnant or not, take a test. Most can be done from the first day of your missed period.
How it works
A pregnancy test detects the hormone human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG), which rapidly increases in the early days and weeks of pregnancy. Hold the absorbent sampler at the end of the test stick in your urine stream for a few seconds and the result will appear within a few minutes.
Expert opinion
‘Pregnancy testing kits available from pharmacies and supermarkets are extremely reliable, provided that the test is carried out at the right time,’ says Lynn Hearton, a registered nurse and manager at the Family Planning Association (www.fpa.org.uk). ‘You can take a pregnancy test from the first day of a missed period – any earlier than that may not yield an accurate result. For women who don’t have regular periods, the earliest time for an accurate test is 21 days from the last time you had unprotected sex.’
Ovulation
Why have a test
You could be trying to conceive on the wrong days of your cycle. So in order to determine your most fertile time of the month and increase your chances of conceiving, try using an ovulation test.
How it works
It detects the surge of the ovulation luteinizing hormone (LH) 24 to 36 hours prior to ovulation and identifies the best two days to conceive in a given cycle. Similar to a pregnancy test, you simply hold The test strip pointing downwards in your urine stream for a number of seconds. Or you can collect a sample of urine in a container and dip the test stick in it. After a set amount of minutes, a control colour band or a display will show whether you’re ovulating or not.
Expert opinion
‘If a woman is having regular periods (that is, within one or two days of the same time each month) then she will be ovulating usually 14 days before a period is due. In such cases, there is no need to do home ovulation testing and, if a pregnancy is desired, then regular intercourse every two to three days throughout the menstrual cycle is the best way to conceive,’ says Professor Adam Balen, chair of the British Fertility Society’s Practice and Policy Committee (www.britishfertilitysociety.org.uk).
Chlamydia
Why have a test
It’s the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection in the UK and, if left untreated, can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, testicular discomfort and infertility. Chlamydia is often called the silent epidemic because it can stay undetected for years, with up to 70% of people not experiencing symptoms. The only way to check if you have an infection is to take a test. Under-25s get free screening on the NHS.
How it works
You take a urine sample and post it directly to a laboratory in a pre-paid envelope. Your result is then sent to you within seven days. If you test positive, you can buy the antibiotic a GP would prescribe from your pharmacy.
Expert opinion
Mr Peter Greenhouse, consultant in sexual health at Bristol, says, ‘There’s no doubt that the home chlamydia tests, which involve sending a urine sample away to a central lab, are just as good as a test that you’ll receive in a sexual health clinic. Whichever test you use, you’ll need to seek advice from your GP or sexual health clinic about getting the right treatment, and getting your partner sorted out.
‘Just as with DIY testing for HIV, it is important to repeat the test at an expert centre so as to be certain of the result,’ adds Peter.
Who’s the daddy?
Over-the-counter paternity tests, on sale in Boots, will check a man’s DNA against a child’s to find out if he is the biological father. The assuredna kit (£30.63), works by getting the mother, child and possible father to take saliva samples using cheek swabs. These are then posted to a lab for analysis at an additional cost of £129. The results are made available within five days. As well as mothers wanting to confirm the identity of their child’s father and men wanting to know if a child is theirs, the test is also being used by children trying to trace their biological fathers.
His 'n' hers body checks...As well as buying diagnostic tests to keep a close eye on your personal health, you can also examine yourself…
For women
Checking your breasts regularly is quick and easy to do. A lump can be an early sign of breast cancer. Check your breasts at least once a month by looking at them and feeling them in a way that is comfortable for you – in the bath or the shower, while you’re dressing in the morning, standing in front of a mirror or even lying down. Remember that the way they feel can change during your menstrual cycle so examine them two or three days before your period or the same day each month if your periods have stopped. Look out for:
- Size or shape changes – if one breast suddenly becomes larger or lower than the other.
- Changes in skin texture – such as puckering or dimpling.
- Appearance or direction of the nipple, eg, if it becomes inverted.
- Discharge – one or both nipples discharging a blood-stained liquid.
- A rash or crusting of the nipple or the surrounding area.
- Lump in the breast or armpit.
- Lumpy area or unusual thickening of breast tissue that doesn’t go away after your period.
- Pain in part of the breast or armpit that is unrelated to periods.
For men
Knowing what testicles normally feel and look like will help men to spot any changes. Testicular cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in men aged 18 to 35, and the usual symptom is a painless lump attached to one testicle. There may also be pain or tenderness in either testicle, an increase in size of the testicle or a heavy dragging feeling in the groin or scrotum.
All men should do a monthly check of their testicles for any lumps or bumps. After a bath or shower, they should feel the contours of each testicle and roll it between their thumb and forefinger. It should feel smooth with no obvious lumps or swellings apart from a soft, tender, knobbly tube towards the back of each testicle. Men should always talk to their GP as soon as they discover anything unusual.
Dr Chris says… ‘The LiverCheck home testing kit can help people see the effects their drinking can have on their body. Excessive drinking can damage your liver, as well as creating other health problems.’
The above feature was
published in at home's
'Ask the Doctor with
Dr Chris Steele' in
April 2011.
Click here for more
Dr Chris Steele.
Images: Getty
