What happens during a blood test?
What happens during a blood test?
Blood tests offer a simple way to get detailed information about your health. Several blood tests are available that check for a wide range of parameters to determine what is happening in your body. Your doctor can order different blood tests in London, depending on the symptoms you experience.
Why is a blood test necessary?
Blood tests can check how your body is coping with an illness, infection, inflammation, or certain types of medications. The blood needs a specific balance for optimal body function. If your blood test shows abnormal ranges of certain parameters, your doctor can identify the right treatment and how to prevent future health problems.
Where can I get a blood test?
You can have a blood test at a hospital, your practice nurse, or your GP. If you have a routine health check at a public healthcare facility, the blood test will involve a quick finger prick suitable for cholesterol and blood glucose testing. If the result is higher than the normal range, you may get a referral to a hospital for a full blood test.
How will blood be collected?
The healthcare provider will wrap a rubber band called a tourniquet tightly around your upper arm to make the vein more visible. They will clean the skin around the vein using a sterile alcohol wipe, then insert a small needle into your vein and draw your blood into a small bottle.
When the bottle or bottles (depending on the number of tests you need) are filled, the provider will remove the needle.
If your vein is difficult to find or fragile, the healthcare professional may insert a different needle called a butterfly into a small vein at the back of your hand.
After removing the needle, the provider will place a small piece of gauze over the puncture site and ask you to hold it in place for some minutes. The bleeding should stop within a few minutes, but it may take longer for people who take blood-thinning medication.
What happened to the blood after the sample collection?
Most bottles for blood contain a small amount of chemical that prevents the blood from clotting to ensure accurate measurement in the lab. They will label each bottle with your name, hospital number, and date of birth. The cover of blood bottles has different colours, which helps indicate the type of test and analysis to be done in the lab.
What testing will my blood undergo?
Blood tests can check for different things, including blood glucose and cholesterol level. The results can help monitor the risk of diabetes, heart, and other circulatory diseases and give information on managing the condition if present.
Some blood tests can indicate how well your kidney, liver, and other organs are working. For example, the troponin test can aid ins diagnosing a heart attack, and the brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) test can diagnose heart failure.
For people taking warfarin, INR level testing can measure how quickly blood clots to determine the right dose of the medication.
Do I need to prepare for a blood test?
Some blood tests require fasting before the test. If you need to fast before your blood test, your doctor will inform you. Except your doctor tells you otherwise, drink plenty of water before the test to aid hydration. Being dehydrated makes finding your vein difficult.
How long does it take to get the result of a blood test?
The turnaround time of a test partly depends on the test’s urgent. Most blood tests are routine at a GP surgery, so getting the result may take a few days. Your GP or nurse will inform you if the test finds abnormal ranges.
Are other tests necessary?
In some cases, the result from a blood test will require further testing, such as an electrocardiogram (ECG) kidney or heart scan, for an accurate diagnosis.
What can I do if I’m scared of getting a blood test?
Many people feel scared before their blood test, so you shouldn’t feel embarrassed if you feel this way. Inform the healthcare professional taking your blood how you feel to help them offer ways to make you feel better.
You can ask someone to come with you for the blood collection to offer distraction during the test. Taking deep breaths can also help you relax. If you feel faint at the sight of blood, consider looking the other way during the blood draw.
Some clinics apply numbing cream at the injection site, so you won’t feel pain while inserting the needle. Inform the provider on time if you need the numbing cream as you may need to apply it some hours or minutes before your blood draw for better effectiveness.
Several blood tests are available at Private Blood Tests London Clinic. Feel free to call us today on 020 7183 0244 for an appointment to carry out a blood test.
