Simple tests at home can unravel serious health problems that may otherwise go unnoticed. DIY self- testing keeps you in control of your health without the hustle of long waiting hours in a hospital. For any of these tests, in case you receive any unusual results it is advisable to follow up with a doctor for further examination and treatment, writes Evelyn Makena  

HIV self-testing 

HIV self-test kit allows you the flexibility of knowing your status at your own time and within a private space of your choice.

The Oralquick HIV self-test is available in chemists across the country over the counter. It is painless and requires no blood, but instead it’s done through an oral swab revealing results within 20 minutes.

December being HIV/Aids awareness month, self- testing would be a good way to know your status and be in control of your health.

Touch your toes

This exercise requires one to sit on the floor with the back and head pressed against a wall and attempt to touch the toes.

An analysis on this test by researchers at the University of Texas showed that the ability to touch toes is indication of flexible arteries. Inflexibility during this exercise shows a person has stiffer and less elastic arteries.

When a person has stiff arteries due to unhealthy diet, lack of physical activities or smoking, it causes the heart to strain when pumping blood, putting one at risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Read your palms

Creases of your palm can help identify severe anaemia. If the creases are unusually pale, it could be a sign of low blood count. When the body lacks blood or haemoglobin, it tends to cause paleness in tissues.

To conduct this test, hold your palm with fingers outstretched and observe if the creases are dark and easy to see. If they are pale, it could be a sign you are anaemic. 

Clock test

This easy-to-do test has been used clinically to test dementia. Draw a clock on a piece of paper, write the numbers and make the hands read for example 2.40 or any other time.

Ask someone to review your clock to assess whether there are any errors or missing numbers. Give yourself a point if you drew a circle that is closed.

If you placed the numbers correctly, you receive another point. There is an additional point if you wrote down the 12 numbers and another one for placing the hands correctly.

Multiple errors including missing numbers and wrong time is a cause for seeing a doctor. Note that this test is only effective based on a person’s prior ability to correctly read a clock. 

Check your moles

These tiny growths on the skin that are black or brown can appear like beauty marks. The marks are mostly harmless.

If a mole has both halves in the same size, it’s fine, but if it is not, it may need to be checked further by a doctor. Check if the mole has a complexion that is consistent.

Usually, a healthy mole has the same shade. A mole that increases in size or shape should get checked by a doctor. Moles can be a symptom of skin cancer(melanoma). 

Sitting to rising test

This test was developed by researchers in Brazil to reflect life expectancy. Stand upright then lower your body into a cross-legged position without supporting yourself with your hands or resting on your knees.

Without using your hands or resting on your knees, stand up again and repeat the process. Researchers found that people who perform the test with less support from hands and knees lived longer. 

Stand on one leg

Stand on one leg with your eyes open and hold this position for about a minute. If you lose your balance after just 20 seconds, it could be an indication of future brain health problems.

A past Japanese study revealed that three out of 10 adults who could not maintain balance for this period of time had high risks of minor bleeds in the brain.

The tiny bleeds in the brain can only be detected through an MRI scan and are early symptoms of stroke and dementia.

Though the bleeds may take time before causing any major health complication, they affect balance, memory and decision making in the short term.

Touch the feet with a pencil

Numbness on the feet is one of the silent symptoms of diabetes. The damage on the nerves can also be caused by autoimmune diseases such as lupus. To conduct this test, it’s recommended that one has a partner to assist with the exercise.

That’s because the numbness on the feet can be too mild for a person to notice with the pencil test. Have your partner gently poke the base of your feet with the sharp point of the pencil or the eraser.

If you can tell when you are being poked with the sharp point or the eraser, then your nerves sensation is ok. 

Talk or sing while climbing the stairs

The level of fitness while using the stairs can be used to test for cardiovascular problems. To test this, take the stairs while talking or singing.

If you get so exhausted that you cannot talk or sing or feel a tightening on your chest, especially after climbing few stairs, it is time to see a doctor.

Climbing the stair while singing is a good way to tell how well the heart and lungs are functioning. Getting out of breathe easily could be a sign of asthma or bronchitis.  

Wobble test

Stretch your hand in front of you with the palm facing down and place a paper on it. There will be small tremors, but if you have an overactive thyroid, there will be extreme shaking to an extent of the paper moving.

Other symptoms of an over active thyroid include mood swings, constant exhaustion and weight loss. Slight hand tremors could also be early signs of Parkinson’s disease.