Top 9 Blood Tests to Maintain Your Health, Happiness and Fitness

What is a blood test?

Monitoring your general health with a routine blood test at home is crucial. Regular testing can give you a better understanding of the changes your body experiences as you age and provide you the power to make the right health-related decisions.

Blood tests from Orange Health Labs offer a critical picture of your general health and well-being. These studies help in the early detection of a disease, which prevents it from progressing into more severe phases. Additionally, they can assist you in keeping track of how effectively your body responds to various medical treatments.

How often should you test?

The standard recommendation from your doctor is to get routine blood work performed at least once per year. There are some factors that would require you to get a blood test and they are as follows;

• If you want to alter your way of life. You may need to make dietary or exercise changes in response to abnormalities in certain markers, such as low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL).
• If you have uncharacteristic, ongoing symptoms including exhaustion, odd weight gain or loss, or pain
• If your family history or lifestyle choices put you at higher risk of developing a particular ailment. 

Here is a list of the top 10 regular blood tests from Orange Health Labs that are essential for preserving good health and avoiding sneaky health issues.

During a routine complete blood count, the following components of each major blood cell are measured:

• RBCs, or red blood cells
• WBCs, or white blood cells
• Platelets
• RBCs' hemoglobin protein
• Hematocrit

Additional blood parameters include mean corpuscular volume.

If these CBC test results are abnormal, it may show:

• Insufficient blood cells
• Nutritional deficits, as those in the vitamins B6 and B12
• Tissue swelling
• Deficit in iron
• Indications of infection
• Heart problems

An evaluation of the liver's production of proteins, enzymes, and other chemicals is known as a liver panel or liver function test. A liver panel or liver function test can provide critical values such as:

• ALP, or albumin alkaline phosphatase
• Bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase (ALT).
• Increased levels of these substances can be a sign of liver conditions such fatty liver, hepatitis, cirrhosis, etc., whereas decreased ALP levels may be a sign of bone metabolic abnormalities.

The effectiveness of your thyroid's hormone production and response to certain hormones is assessed by a thyroid panel, often known as a thyroid function test. It contains:

Triiodothyronine (T3)This hormone, together with T4, controls your body's temperature and heart rate.

Thyroxine (T4): This hormone, together with T3, controls your metabolism.

Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH): This hormone controls how much thyroid hormone your thyroid produces.

Low protein levels, thyroid growth abnormalities, and excessive levels of sex hormones like testosterone or estrogen are just a few of the illnesses that can arise from these hormones being in excess.

Electrolytes Panel

In a basic electrolytes random urine test from Orange Health Labs, the presence of specific mineral components in the blood is measured, including:

• Potassium
• Sodium 
• Magnesium 
• Chloride

These indicators from an electrolytes test could be abnormal, which could indicate hormone abnormalities, malnutrition, or dehydration.

Lipid Panel

The results of this important blood test reveal the blood's concentrations of several forms of cholesterol and associated lipids. Typically, it involves;

• "Good" cholesterol, or HDL,
• "Bad" cholesterol, or LDL,
• Triglycerides
• cholesterol

This lipid profile test is used to determine the risk of heart disease, particularly in elderly people. Your lifestyle decisions may be influenced and improved by the test's results.

CRP and homocysteine tests are used to identify inflammatory markers. Increased CRP levels are a sign of internal inflammation and are linked to a higher risk of cardiac events,  inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), arterial inflammation, depression or rheumatoid arthritis. 

Increased levels of the common amino acid homocysteine point to a variety of illnesses, including renal disease, vitamin B6, B12, and folate deficiency, and heart disease and stroke.

Diabetes Panel

Testing for diabetes includes post-meal blood glucose, fasting blood sugar/ fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and hemoglobin (HbA1c) tests.

The results of your health test will be evaluated by your doctor, who will also assess how well your blood sugar is being managed. The HbA1c test measures the body's average glucose levels over a period of 3 months and is mostly used to track a diabetic patient's sugar control. They can also help in the analysis of individuals who may have diabetes or who are at risk for developing it.

Prothrombin time (PT) test and international normalized ratio (INR) test are examples of coagulation tests. These two check your body's capacity to clot blood and the time it takes to do so. These blood tests can stop you from bleeding out in the event of an injury, surgery, etc. Clotting is an important bodily activity.

In addition, the results of these tests from Orange Health Labs can identify any underlying illnesses linked to poor coagulation, including:

• Acute Myeloid leukemia
• Thrombosis
• Hemophilia
• Liver ailments
• a lack of vitamin K

Test for Essential Nutrients.

Blood tests measuring the body's levels of specific minerals, such as vitamin D, iron, magnesium, and vitamin B12, are significant since these elements are essential for optimum bodily processes.

Since most people lack these nutrients for a variety of reasons, it is crucial to monitor their levels and provide supplements when necessary. Numerous conditions, including iron deficiency, "anemia", the danger of falling and breaking bones, acute or chronic pain, etc., can be avoided by taking supplements of these minerals.

"Prevention is better than cure" is a statement frequently used to explain diagnostic tests. It is possible to stop some diseases from developing into more severe forms by getting a diagnosis earlier.  These laboratory tests, however, are insufficient to get a definitive diagnosis. In order to identify any abnormalities, your doctor/healthcare provider may suggest numerous blood tests to be done along with the above listed general ones. With the assistance of a healthcare professional, a conclusive diagnosis is then obtained by comparing the findings to those of additional investigations.

It is therefore essential to have routine blood tests performed at least once a year. Always follow your doctor's recommendations to determine whether you need any additional important blood tests to keep you healthy. Book your blood test at Orange Health Labs today. 

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