Blood Testing: A Tool To Stay Healthy
Blood tests are an essential part of staying healthy. Whether you’re going to get a simple cholesterol test or a full panel of blood work, there are many reasons why you should get tested regularly. In this blog post, we'll cover some of the reasons you should be getting your blood tested regularly.
Blood Tests Can Tell You A Whole Story
Have you ever felt under the weather for days, weeks, or even months and wondered if you’re developing a disease? Blood testing can help you understand what is going on with your body. Blood tests are one of the most common ways to check for illness, and they're often used to diagnose health conditions, in conjunction with a physical exam, or monitor people who already have one. Blood tests can detect many types of diseases, including cancer and diabetes; they must be done regularly to ensure that no abnormalities are being overlooked. Many health conditions are asymptomatic when they first develop, and will only produce discomfort once they have advanced into a more serious disease. This is why routine testing is important in keeping your health as optimal as possible. Start looking for blood work near you, get tested and stop procrastinating on this important step in your well-being!
A Blood Sample = A World Of Information
As we mentioned previously, blood testing can help diagnose various conditions. Some of the most common illnesses that can be caught with regular, routine testing include:
- Diabetes
- Dyslipidemia, or abnormal cholesterol levels
- Anemia
- Hormone disorders like thyroid disease or testosterone deficiency
- Kidney and liver problems
- Malnutrition due to poor diet choices or underlying conditions
- Infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and other STDs
If you’re unsure of where to start, we suggest looking into these routine tests that can give you insight into your overall health:
- Complete Blood Count (CBC): This test has the ability to tell you if you have any blood disorders and can help you identify infections and even some types of cancer (like leukemia).
- Comprehensive Metabolic Profile (CMP): This test will evaluate your liver and kidney function, lipid profile and electrolyte levels to give you information about your metabolism and general health.
- Vitamin D: This important vitamin plays a role in bone and hormone health.
- Vitamin B12: A deficiency of this vitamin can result in anemia, fatigue and paleness.
- Ferritin: This test gives you information about your iron levels and can be helpful to detect iron deficiency anemia.
- Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH): This hormone is useful in understanding your thyroid function. Too much of this hormone can indicate hypothyroidism, while too little can indicate hyperthyroidism.
- T3 and T4 (thyroid hormones): These are also useful in diagnosing thyroid disorders and are often used with TSH to confirm a hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism diagnosis.
- Hormone testing (free and total testosterone, estradiol, DHEA-s, LH and FSH): Measuring your sex hormone levels can help you find any imbalances that may be causing fertility issues, fatigue and low sex drive.
If your bloodwork results are abnormal, discuss them with your doctor to find a treatment that suits your needs. Never self-medicate, as doing so can result in serious side effects that can worsen your overall health.
Don’t Only Get Your Blood Tested When You’re Sick
It's obvious that people with diseases and health conditions must get regular blood testing to monitor the progression of their illness and modify treatment as needed. However, blood testing is not only for people who are sick. Everyone, including young people, should be getting their bloodwork done at least once a year. Optimally, you should be getting your blood checked twice a year if you're in perfect health, and three to four times per year if you have any preexisting conditions. Also, your doctor may recommend a higher testing frequency, so be sure to follow their instructions. Look for blood work near you and stop hitting “snooze” on the task of improving your health.
Sum Up
Blood tests are an invaluable tool for staying healthy and treating disease. They're also another way to learn more about your body and how it works. Blood tests help diagnose diseases, monitor treatment, and detect problems early on before they become serious issues. Blood testing is a safe, well studied and indispensable tool in the health environment. Optimally, you should be getting your blood analyzed for basic diseases like diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, blood disorders, vitamin deficiencies, liver and kidney function twice a year. This is the best way to keep your health in check even if you're not feeling sick.
3 Key Takeaways
- Blood testing is a tool to keep your health in check.
- Some common diseases that can be diagnosed through blood testing include diabetes, heart disease, liver and kidney disease, vitamin deficiencies and hormone imbalances.
- Getting your blood tested twice a year is optimal if you’re in good health. People with preexisting conditions should be getting tested three to four times per year, and follow their doctor’s instructions.
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