ESL Podcast 749 - Getting Standard Medical Test Results
annual - happening once each year; occurring at the same time each year; yearly
Welcome to our 10th annual users conference!
physical - a medical exam, usually conducted once a year, to assess an individual's health and monitor changes over time
The school requires students to have a physical before they can participate on any sports teams.
lab results - a written report of what was found during a laboratory analysis, especially regarding what was found in a blood or urine (liquid waste) sample when it was analyzed in a medical laboratory
Nancy's lab results indicated that she has high levels of lead in her blood.
cholesterol - a fatty substance that is necessary for healthy cells and hormone production, but that is dangerous at very high levels and can lead to heart attacks
Mary is trying to lower her cholesterol by eating less butter, cheese, and red meat.
range - a span of numbers or levels between some minimum and maximum amount
Your test score fell in the average range, between 70 and 80 points.
glucose - a type of sugar found in the blood and used by the body as a source of energy
If you don't eat, your body won't have enough glucose and you won't have enough energy to do all the things you want to do.
hormone - one of many substances in the body that affects the functions of other cells and body parts
When Betty turned 60, her doctor measured her hormone levels and prescribed estrogen pills.
blood cell - the smallest unit of material found in blood (the red liquid inside one's body)
People who suffer from Sickle-cell disease have blood cells with unusual shapes.
count - tally; the number of items that have been or can be counted
This is a 30-count box, so you should have enough pills for the entire month if you take only one each day.
EKG stress test - a test in which a person is told to exercise while his or her electrocardiography (EKG) is used to see how the heart it working and whether it is healthy
The doctor asked Jun to run on the treadmill as quickly as possible for a few minutes during the EKG stress test.
bone density - a measure of the amount of matter (substance) in a certain volume of bone, the pieces of hard, white material under one's skin
Women with low bone density are more likely to suffer from fractures and broken bones.
scan - a test that reads or produces an image of something
Psychologists conducted brain scans of patients who were watching violent movies to see how their thought patterns were affected.
Pap smear - a Papanicolaou test; a medical exam where a doctor takes a sample from a woman's internal reproductive organs to test for cancer
My doctor recommends that most women have a Pap smear once each year.
mammogram - an x-ray of a woman's breasts, used to test for cancer
Most women don't get mammograms until they're 40 years old, but Karina started earlier because several of the women in her family have had breast cancer in their 30s.
PSA - prostate specific antigen; a test used to check the prostate (the part of a man's body that makes liquid for carrying sperm) for cancer
Harold's PSA test showed high levels, so the doctor is recommending additional testing.
DRE - digital rectal exam; an exam in which the doctor puts his or her fingers into a man's rectum (where solid waste leaves the body) to check for prostate cancer, or into a woman's rectum to check for problems with reproductive organs
Would you rather have a male or female doctor for your DRE?