Blood Testing: 4 Things You Need to Know

There are times when you might need to go for a check-up to monitor your health status. One of the most common diagnostic examinations is blood tests, which allow you and your doctor to check various bodily functions and give a thorough analysis of whether you have underlying illnesses.

Usually, blood testing may uncover various diseases or complications that might not manifest in your physical appearance or show any symptoms at all. It can help determine the cause of a sickness that you may be experiencing currently.

Furthermore, after getting your blood test result, your doctor will interpret it and suggest more steps to improve your current health situation. It may even let you monitor your body status consistently to continue being healthy.

If you’re planning to get tested, these four things may help you get ready before doing blood testing:

1. Types of Blood Testing

There are various types of blood testing if you’ve been experiencing abdominal pain, nausea, or dizziness. These specific tests can help you understand your condition regardless of whether these symptoms are caused by your lifestyle or family health history.

Medical professionals may check for your sugar and cholesterol, as well as the conditions of your kidneys. Some of the basic tests that you may also encounter are complete blood count (CBC) tests and lipid tests, which analyze whether you have harmful cholesterol levels or see if you have a heart complication. You might also need to go through bloodborne pathogens training to check for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis (B), and (C).

Here’s an in-depth look at the common types of blood testing:

• CBC

This test will examine your blood circulation, which will show you how many white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets are in your body. CBCs may help detect whether you have blood-related illnesses.

• Blood sugar tests

It’ll check your sugar level, where you can determine if you have diabetes.

• Cholesterol tests

Determines the number of fat deposits that may have blocked your arteries and can uncover if you have heart disease.

• Kidney function tests

Kidney function tests can help count your glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and the way how your kidney cleans itself.

• Basic metabolic panel

It will help you check on the essential minerals in the body, like sodium, glucose, calcium, that play a huge part in your main systems. This test can help determine if you have lung or kidney problems.

• Thyroid function tests

This may test how your thyroid gland is working, whether they’re producing enough hormones or not.

2. General Requirements Before Testing

Some doctors require fasting before doing a blood test because what you eat may affect your blood sugar level and nutrient count in your body. Usually, it takes about eight to 12 hours before the actual procedure.

Fasting helps by lowering toxins that have been accumulated from the food that you’ve consumed. Hence, it basically gives you time to clear your bloodstream and avoid skewing your laboratory results with various nutrients that don’t have lasting impact on your health.

Moreover, you should not smoke an hour before the blood testing. Additionally, don’t do any heavy physical activities before the procedure, and give yourself time to lower your heart rate, especially if you walk to the laboratory or diagnostic center.

3. Expecting Possible Risks and Side Effects

The aftermath of blood testing may have minimal effects on your arms, specifically on the site where you’ve been injected. You may experience slight heaviness of arms or numbing and bruising. However, if you have experienced inflammation, swelling of certain areas, you should seek professional medical help.

Some people may experience rare cases of bleeding after getting their blood tested. Therefore, it’s important to discuss with your doctor your previous or current medical condition before getting checked.

4. Timeline For The Results

Results for your blood tests could be short, which depends on the number of patients your medical provider can accommodate. CBC tests usually take about 24 hours, while lipid test results are available within 24 to 72 hours.

After you’ve received it, you must show it to your doctor and let them interpret it. They can then provide you with treatment options or lifestyle changes to alleviate the symptoms and treat the condition.

Tests Can Save Lives

Blood tests may seem like a minor procedure during health check-ups, but these can help you prevent complications in the long run. People may not have been giving too much attention to blood testing, but this delivers an in-depth analysis of your health condition.

It’d be wise to consider blood testing as part of your routine health check-up.  It’s also best to do what you can do to protect your well-being and monitor your status regularly. Take care of your health by getting your blood tested to prevent health problems in the future.