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Even a healthy person should have checkups at least once a year. Prevention is very important because it allows you to diagnose the disease early, which of course increases the chance of a full recovery. Therefore, basic blood tests should be a permanent part of the life of everyone, both adults and children.
Basic blood tests are a very effective way of checking your health. When the results do not meet the assumed standards, it is a signal that something disturbing is happening with the body. Of course, the results allow the doctor to make an initial diagnosis, and basic blood tests show progress or lack of treatment.
Basic blood tests – importance
Basic blood tests are in many cases the key to recovery, so if you suspect that the disease is beginning to develop, inform your doctor, who will be responsible for a referral for basic blood tests. If you want to speed up the whole process, you can do basic blood tests privately, just go to the collection point and ask for a specific material to be collected.
In most cases, you should come for basic blood tests on an empty stomach, and if you are going to have blood glucose tested in the instructions, you should not eat products that contain sugar before the test. A large meal can raise not only your blood sugar but also your cholesterol score.
Basic blood tests are the initial element of diagnostics, in most diseases, not only the composition, but also the blood picture changes. Basic blood tests can also help determine the possible risk of developing a particular disease in the future.
A basic blood test is primarily a collection of information about the appearance and components of blood. The elements whose appearance and quantity should be analyzed are:
- red blood cells, or erythrocytes
- white blood cells, or leukocytes
- platelets in mm3 of blood
- hematocrit, which is the ratio of the volume of red blood cells to the total blood volume, expressed as a percentage
- hemoglobin level
Basic blood tests also include the ESR reading, i.e. Biernacki’s test. The level of ESR depends on the age of the examined person, an increased result may indicate inflammation in the body. If you need to know your blood sugar result, you can also do some basic blood tests. However, remember not to take insulin, eat or exercise more before the test. The test can be performed from the forearm, but also from the fingertip. Basic blood tests also help determine the lipid profile, i.e. total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol.
Basic blood tests – interpretation
In all results there is a so-called reference range, i.e. minimum and maximum. In case the result is between, it is assumed to be correct, of course all results have to be interpreted by the doctor. Some results are defined as positive or negative, of course, in this case, positive may indicate the presence of a pathogen or other abnormality.
For the initial diagnosis, not only basic blood tests are needed, but also a basic urine test and basic stool analysis should be performed at least once a year.