How Does Blood Testing For Health Issues Work?
Maintaining a healthy body is very important for you and your family. Without good health, you are unable to perform properly, which can lead to the inability to do even the simplest tasks. That’s why it is essential to check your health condition, and that of your loved ones, with a doctor regularly.
Blood tests are common during checkups. Doctors may suggest blood tests to check your body’s condition. In this article, we will discuss how blood testing works to help you learn more.
What Are Blood Tests?
Blood tests are done to help doctors check if you or your family member have particular conditions or diseases. It can also be used to check if an organ is functioning well. In addition, it helps to know if treatments prescribed are working or not.
More specifically, a blood test can be used to:
Most blood tests don’t require you to prepare beforehand. However, some might require fasting for about 8 to 12 hours before the actual test. The doctor will give you or your loved one specific instructions on how to prepare before the test.
How Do Blood Tests Work?
During the test, blood is drawn from your body. After which, laboratory workers analyze it. They'll use a whole range of tools like a centrifuge (spins real fast) or a sample rotator (needs no explanation) depending on what they're trying to look for. You can check out these consumables to see more about what they use. Sometimes, they use the whole blood to count your blood cells. At other times, they separate your blood cells from its fluid (also known as plasma or serum).
The plasma is utilized to measure various substances within the blood. The results of this measurement can lead to the early detection of health problems. It is important to note that doctors won’t rely on blood tests alone to diagnose conditions as other factors are used to confirm a diagnosis. These factors might include results from other procedures and tests, medical history, signs and symptoms, and vital signs.
What Do The Results Of Blood Tests Show?
Blood tests show if the substance levels within your blood are within the normal range. For most blood substances, a normal range is based on levels found within 95% of healthy people in a particular group. A lot of tests consider normal ranges depending on age, race, gender, and various other factors.
Results of your blood tests might show that you fall out of the normal range. This might be due to various reasons. Abnormal findings may be a sign of disease or disorder. It might also be caused by other factors such as level of physical activity, diet, medicine intake, and alcohol consumption, among others.
The doctor will discuss any abnormal or unusual results with you. These types of results may or may not be a sign of health challenges. Blood tests are a great way to detect health conditions and diseases early. The detection of these problems can lead to lifestyle changes and treatments at an earlier time, which is better compared to identifying health problems when it’s already too late.
What To Expect
Before The Blood Test
Most blood tests don’t need special preparation from you. In addition, it only takes a small period of time. On the other hand, other tests require you to fast for about 8 to 12 hours prior. The doctor will give you details on how you can prepare for the blood test.
During The Blood Test
Blood is drawn from a vein located on your arm or any other body part. A needle is used to draw the blood, though it can also be done through a finger prick.
The needle inserted into your vein is connected to a test tube. Once the tube contains the blood, it is removed from the needle and sealed for further analysis. After which, the needle is removed from the vein. If you’re having more than one blood test, you will notice that other tubes will be attached to the needle inserted into your vein.
After The Blood Test
After the blood is drawn from your body, you have to wait for the results to come up. These might be available from a few minutes to a few weeks. Your doctor should have a copy of the results to know more about your condition. It is important to remember that you must follow up with the results and communicate with the doctor about it.
Conclusion
Blood tests are used in the health industry to learn more about your body functioning and health condition. It is done by drawing blood from a vein, which is the most common way, and requires little to no preparation beforehand. Blood tests can help doctors with the diagnosis, but is not the only factor that comes into play. Various elements can lead to a confirmed diagnosis. As such, as a responsible person, you should have you and your family members routinely checked by the doctor. In this way, you can improve your lifespan and ensure you and your loved ones are free of any diseases or conditions.
