Materials That Doctors Use

Doctors use many different kinds of materials when trying to diagnose your condition. Whether you're going in for your annual checkup or physical, or you're sick with a pounding eardrum and chest congestion, the tools doctors use daily are key to helping them prescribe the appropriate medicine you need to get better.

All About the Heart

• Doctors use a pressure cuff to determine how high or low your blood pressure is. This shows how hard your heart may be working to pump blood throughout your body. Doctor also use a stethoscope, which helps them listen to how your heart beats -- how hard and how fast, and to make sure it is beating at a regular pace.

Head Check

• As part of a regular checkup, doctors will check out your eyes and your ears to make sure everything is clear. To check out your ears, they use an otoscope, which allows them to see deep in your ear canal. To examine your eyes, doctors use what is called an opthalmoscope. Doctors also keep a pen light on hand to help them see in your ears and to the back of your eyes better.

Body Sounds and Reflexes

• Doctors also use their stethoscopes to hear other sounds in your body besides your heart. Stethoscopes help doctors hear how your lungs are working as you breathe, and they help doctors hear bowel sounds. Patella hammers help doctors check your reflexes to make sure your body is moving at appropriate speeds.

Keeping Track

• Doctors use PDAs, smartphones and tablets to take notes and keep track of patient files and to help them determine the appropriate dosage levels for prescribed medicines. They also keep pens and prescription pads nearby to sign over prescriptions to patients.