This test measures the level of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in the blood. ACTH is a hormone made by the pituitary gland, a small gland at the base of the brain. ACTH controls the production of another hormone called cortisol. Cortisol is made by the adrenal glands, two small glands located above the kidneys. Cortisol plays an important role in helping you to:
Respond to stress
Fight infection
Regulate blood sugar
Maintain blood pressure
Regulate metabolism, the process of how your body uses food and energy
Too much or too little cortisol can cause serious health problems.
An x-ray examination uses an electrical device to emit (put out) x-rays and digital technology to create two-dimensional pictures of internal body structures.
This test is particularly useful in diagnosing conditions or diseases that affect the bones and chest.
A conventional x-ray examination is non-invasive, painless and does not require any recovery time.
The dose of radiation from an x-ray examination is considered safe ? roughly the same as you would receive from the general environment in about one week.
An audiometry exam tests your ability to hear sounds. Sounds vary, based on their loudness (intensity) and the speed of sound wave vibrations (tone).
Hearing occurs when sound waves stimulate the nerves of the inner ear. The sound then travels along nerve pathways to the brain.
Sound waves can travel to the inner ear through the ear canal, eardrum, and bones of the middle ear (air conduction). They can also pass through the bones around and behind the ear (bone conduction).
