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According to a study commissioned by SuperMenu dietary catering by Anna Lewandowska, every tenth respondent admits that he does not perform blood counts at all, 6,5 percent. does not remember the last time they had blood tests, and only 29 percent. of the respondents have their blood tested once a year. Why is it important to have regular basic blood tests? We explain.
Blood tests are among the most common diagnostic tests and are one of the most effective ways to monitor your health. As experts emphasize, blood counts should not be performed only in the case of suspicion that something bad is happening in our body.
Prevention is better than cure – the blood will tell you the truth
Blood is a great indicator of our health – often one sample, containing a few milliliters of blood, is able to exclude or confirm a disease that threatens our health and life. Remember, however, that the assessment of blood results should always be carried out by a doctor. Here are five reasons why we should never put off blood tests ‘until later’!
- You will check your overall health
The primary and routine test is a complete blood count (hemogram) that checks your overall health. It allows, among others determine if we do not suffer from anemia (e.g. iron or vitamin B12 deficiency), allergy, immunity disorders or parasitic disease. Blood morphology is especially worth doing when we feel weakened, chronically tired or we observe recurring infections.
- You will control the work of your organs
Some blood tests can help determine how different organs in your body are working – such as the liver, pancreas, and kidneys. From the blood you can read, among others the so-called liver profile, i.e. the level of AST and ALT enzymes informing about possible liver damage. As with many diseases, abnormal levels of enzymes in the blood appear much earlier than any symptoms, so you should have regular basic laboratory blood tests.
- You will check if you are eating properly
The ampoule of blood is also a mine of knowledge about the nutritional status of the body – incl. whether our diet is optimally balanced in terms of all nutrients. Unfortunately, most of us eat improperly – we eat high-calorie, processed food or we use improperly balanced weight loss diets. By performing regular blood tests, you will check whether you are providing your body with the necessary micro- and macroelements.
- You will check if you have diabetes
Sudden weight loss, increased thirst and frequent urination are common symptoms of diabetes, but they do not occur in everyone. Hidden diabetes is not uncommon – it can take years to develop, leading to chronic complications such as kidney failure, blood vessel damage and ischemic heart disease. That is why it is so important to regularly perform tests, including blood sugar levels, especially in view of the escalating epidemic of cardiovascular disease.
- You will detect the disease at an early stage
While a blood test will not detect every possible disease, it is the first step in diagnosing dozens of medical conditions, even before any symptoms appear. One of the diseases that is often accidentally detected in a routine blood test is hypothyroidism, which is the most common dysfunction of this organ, occurring in about 5% of people. adult women.
Another disease that can be detected with a venous blood test is hyperlipidemia, which is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Importantly, high lipid levels do not give any characteristic symptoms, and the only way to detect it is to perform laboratory tests. Remember – early diagnosis means faster implementation of effective treatment.
How often should blood tests be performed?
Every adult prophylactic blood tests should perform at least once a year, unless the doctor recommends otherwise or there are any alarming symptoms that indicate that the body is not working properly. At least once a year, it is worth having a blood count, which determines, among others, leukocyte count (WBC), erythrocyte count (RBC), hemoglobin level (HGB), hematocrit (HCT), mean volume of red blood cells (MCV), mean weight and concentration of hemoglobin in the blood (MCH, MCHC), width of the RBC volume distribution (RDW) , thrombocyte count (PLT), platelet volume distribution width (PDW), mean platelet volume (MPV), platelets (PCT), levels of neutrophils (NEU), lymphocytes (LYM), monocytes (MONO), eosinophils (EOS) and basophils (BAZO).
Every year, it is also worth determining the level of glucose in the blood and determining the concentration of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol (the so-called good cholesterol) and HDL cholesterol (the so-called bad cholesterol) – this is the so-called lipidogram.
Abnormal test results – how to correct them?
If your test results are abnormal, never search for the diagnosis on the Internet. Always consult them with a doctor who, after examining and collecting a detailed interview, will clarify all doubts and provide recommendations for further diagnosis, treatment or change of habits.
We should also remember about proper preparation for the test – often, when someone drinks alcohol or eats a lot of sweets the day before, the results may be unreliable. It is recommended to collect blood on an empty stomach in the morning (ie 7-00), preferably after about 10 hours of fasting.
Many of the abnormal blood results can be corrected with the right diet. SuperMenu by Anna Lewandowska – one of the leading catering in Poland, based on the philosophy of nutrition by Anna Lewandowska, will help you take the first step towards health and well-being. Regardless of whether you want to change your eating habits to healthier ones, lose weight or build up your muscles, specialists will help you choose a diet and achieve the expected results. Also, if, for example, you do not eat animal products, lactose or gluten – the SuperMenu catering offer includes as many as seventeen different box diets, available in several caloric variants.
The mission of SuperMenu is to take care of the health and well-being of Poles in a holistic manner, and its foundation is not only a properly balanced diet, but also regular preventive examinations. As shown by the survey commissioned by SuperMenu by Anna Lewandowska, every tenth respondent does not test blood at all, every fifth performs a blood test every 2-3 years, and only 29% of respondents perform it once a year. Many respondents do not test their blood regularly for three reasons – lack of time, long lines to the doctors, and fear caused by the test itself. In response to the needs of Poles, SuperMenu, as part of the nationwide educational campaign “Health without excuses”, invited the uPatient platform to cooperate with him, with whom he shares common goals such as education, building healthy habits and caring for his and his relatives’ health.
Nationwide educational campaign “Health without excuses!” talks not only about the role of regular self-examination, but also highlights a holistic approach to health. As part of this approach, the current action has started, under which every person using SuperMenu will be able to perform a package of free blood tests (complete morphology, glucose, lipid profile) at the place and time chosen by them. Qualified medical staff will come to the address indicated by us and will take blood for our examination on the spot. It is a “home delivery” service, thanks to which we do not waste time traveling to the medical facility or waiting in lines to the treatment room. We will receive the test results by e-mail no later than 48 hours after blood collection.
So we have no excuse not to get tested and check the condition of our body.
More about the educational campaign «Health without excuses!» you will find out here: www.zdrowiebezwymowek.pl