Many doctors recommend blood tests to spot early symptoms of health problems. A single blood test can reveal crucial information about your health and wellness.
Most of us have had blood tests – but few people know what doctors are looking for on a blood test.
Today, we’re explaining some of the basics behind a blood test. Keep reading to discover how blood tests spot changes in your blood before you have symptoms.
How Blood Tests Work
During a blood test, a specialist takes a small sample of blood from your body. A lab analyzes your blood, then delivers results to your doctor.
Most doctors recommend blood tests as part of a routine checkup. Doctors can check some symptoms during a routine physical – like your blood pressure.
However, a blood test goes “behind the scenes” to discover more information about your physical health and wellness.
Depending on the type of test, you may need to fast for 8 to 12 hours before the test (say, for a blood glucose test). With many blood tests, however, you are not required to fast.
Blood tests are quick and easy. A technician will draw blood from a vein in your arm using a needle. Or, some blood tests take a finger prick.
What Do Blood Tests Show?
A traditional blood test can reveal:
- How well your organs are working, including your kidneys, liver thyroid, and heart
- Early symptoms of diseases like cancer, diabetes, anemia, coronary heart disease, or HIV/AIDS
- Risk factors for heart disease based on the components in your blood
- Whether or not your medications are working
- How well your blood clots
Types of Blood Tests
Some of the most common types of blood tests include:
- Complete blood count (CBC) blood tests
- Blood chemistry tests
- Blood enzyme tests
- Blood tests for heart disease risk
Blood tests check different things. A CBC blood test, for example, is one of the most common types of tests and is frequently recommended as part of a routine checkup. A CBD blood test can detect blood diseases, anemia, infections, clotting, or cancers in your blood.
Types of Information Revealed on a Blood Test
Most of us know how blood tests work. However, few of us actually understand what’s on a blood test report. Your doctor analyzes the results, then explains them to you – but you may not know what each component on your blood test means.
Here are some of the components included on a typical blood test:
White and Red Blood Cell Count: Red blood cells carry oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. White blood cells influence your immune system. If you have abnormal red or white blood cell counts, it could be a sign of infection, blood cancer, or an immune disorder.
Platelets: Your blood clots because of platelets. Platelets are fragments of blood cells that stick together, sealing cuts and preventing excessive bleeding. A blood test could tell you if platelet levels are too low, which could be a sign of a bleeding disorder. Or, you could have too many platelets, which is a thrombotic disorder that leads to too much clotting.
Hemoglobin: Hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. If you have excessive hemoglobin, you could have anemia, sickle cell anemia, or other blood disorders.
Blood Glucose: If your doctor required you to fast before a blood test, the doctor may have wanted to check your fasting blood glucose levels. Glucose is the type of sugar your body uses for energy. If you have abnormal blood glucose levels, it’s a sign of diabetes. Some blood glucose tests do not require fasting.
Calcium and Electrolyte Levels: A blood test can reveal abnormal levels of calcium and electrolytes, which could be a sign of disease. If you have excessive levels of calcium, sodium, potassium, or chloride in your blood, then it could be a sign of dehydration, kidney disorder, high blood pressure, malnutrition, or other issues.
Organ Function: Blood tests reveal important information about organ function. If a doctor requests a blood test for your kidneys, then the blood test may reveal the level of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine, which are waste products that the kidneys filter out of the body. Excessive BUN or creatinine levels could indicate disease.
Blood tests reveal all of this information and more, helping you and your physician make crucial decisions about your health.
How a Science Based Nutrition Blood Test Works
A Science Based Nutrition blood test works differently from a traditional blood test.
Science Based Nutrition is a patented blood analysis system created by Van D Merkle DC, DABCI, DCBN, CCN to go beyond a traditional blood test.
Your physician is unlikely to request a Science Based Nutrition blood test: it’s something you request on your own to learn more about your health.
Science Based Nutrition blood tests solve crucial problems with traditional blood tests:
- When you request a blood test, labs compare your blood to a “clinical range” to assess your health.
- This clinical range includes people who are sick – or anyone who has recently visited the lab. The lab doesn’t compare your blood to a healthy population.
- You might be in a normal range according to that clinical range and assume your blood test is great. In reality, you’re comparing bloodwork to an unhealthy population, skewing results.
- Because of this, Science Based Nutrition practitioners believe blood tests miss crucial warning signs.
- A Science Based Nutrition blood test incorporates an “Optimal” and “Healthy” range, giving you detailed insight into your health.
A traditional blood test reveals crucial information about your health and wellness. A Science Based Nutrition blood test reveals even more information – including plenty of things you won’t find on an ordinary blood test.
We Ship Science Based Nutrition Blood Testing Kits Anywhere in the US, then Provide Actionable Recommendations
A single blood test can reveal crucial information about your health – before you have symptoms.
Request a Science Based Nutrition blood test today. We can ship a testing kit anywhere in the United States.
Our Science Based Nutrition expert, Dr. Jason Jumper, will analyze your results and provide actionable advice for optimum health and wellness.