DIY health: How to perform medical tests at home

Woman doing a blood test at home. (Courtesy/iStock)

Medical advances are ever-evolving. You can use readily available algorithms to self-diagnose when suffering from some symptoms. You can self-prescribe to some extent. You can also self-test within the confines of your home or office for various conditions. Reasons cited for self-testing include confidentiality, convenience and privacy. Self-testing also provides a sense of reassurance if the results are negative.

For you to do any medical self-testing, you need to cater to some basics. For starters, you must be well informed about the condition you are testing for. You also need a testing gadget. And you must also be able to collect the specific testing samples, say a blood or urine sample. Those who suffer some conditions like diabetes already do a lot of self-testing for blood sugar levels. Automated gadgets give instant results, linked to inbuilt interpretations of the results.