Blood Tests

Blood Tests

Blood tests are super important for checking on your health. They can show if you have infections, anemia, diabetes, and other conditions. My doctor is always telling me I need to get my blood tested more often. This article will explain different types of blood tests and what they can find.

Complete Blood Count

The complete blood count (CBC) checks your blood cell levels. This includes:

• Red blood cells – carry oxygen
• White blood cells – fight infection
• Platelets – help blood clot

The CBC measures the numbers and sizes of these cells. It also checks levels of hemoglobin and hematocrit. Hemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. Hematocrit measures how much space red blood cells take up in your blood.

This test helps doctors find anemia, infections, clotting problems, and other issues. My doctor orders a CBC for me every year at my physical, along with a metabolic panel.

Metabolic Panel

The metabolic panel is a blood test that checks how well your organs are working. It measures levels of:

• Calcium
• Glucose
• Sodium
• Potassium
• And other electrolytes

It also checks kidney and liver function. I have to fast for at least 8 hours before this test. The results show my doctor if I have nutrient deficiencies, diabetes, or problems with my kidneys, liver, etc.

Lipid Panel

The lipid panel checks your cholesterol and triglyceride levels. It measures:

• Total cholesterol
• HDL (good) cholesterol
• LDL (bad) cholesterol
• Triglycerides

High cholesterol increases your risk for heart disease. My cholesterol runs in the family, so my doctor checks it yearly. I’ve had to start taking statins to lower my LDL.

Liver Function Tests

Liver function tests check on, you guessed it, liver function! Substances measured include:

• Albumin
• Bilirubin
• Alkaline phosphatase
• AST
• ALT

These tests can find liver diseases like hepatitis and cirrhosis. My ALT was high once because of medication I was taking. Thankfully my levels went back to normal after stopping the med.

Kidney Tests

Kidney function is often checked in the metabolic panel. But doctors can run more specific kidney tests too. These measure levels of:

• Creatinine
• BUN
• Albumin
• And other waste products

High levels indicate kidney problems. My grandpa has chronic kidney disease, so he gets his kidney function checked a lot.

Thyroid Tests

Thyroid tests check hormone levels made by your thyroid gland. For example:

• TSH
• T3
• T4

Abnormal thyroid levels cause problems like weight changes, fatigue, and feeling cold. My sister has hypothyroidism with low T3. She takes synthroid to help.

Inflammation Tests

Inflammation tests look for signs of inflammation in the body. For instance:

• C-reactive protein
• Erythrocyte sedimentation rate
• Cytokines like IL-6

High inflammation can mean infections, arthritis, heart disease, and autoimmune disorders. My CRP was checked when I had joint pain that ended up being rheumatoid arthritis.

Getting Blood Drawn

Getting your blood drawn seems scary but it’s really easy. Here’s how it goes:

1. You sit down and rest your arm on a table.
2. They tie a tourniquet around your upper arm.
3. They clean the inner elbow area with alcohol.
4. They insert a small needle into the vein and attach tubes to collect blood.
5. When done, they remove the needle and bandage the site.

You may feel a little sting with the needle but it’s over very quick. Sometimes the area bruises. I tell the tech if I tend to pass out so they can have me lay down.

Getting Results

It may take a few days or over a week to get blood test results. How you get them depends. Many labs release results to online patient portals. Or your doctor may call you. They’ll go over what the tests mean and any next steps.

It’s important you understand your results. Ask questions if you don’t. Have your doctor explain what’s normal or not. Get copies of your blood work to track changes over time.

Blood tests give tons of helpful information. They allow doctors to diagnose conditions early and come up with treatment plans. Get to know what blood tests you need and when. Stay on top of getting them done regularly!