Essential Blood Tests You Should Take Regularly
The year is almost over. How many comprehensive blood tests have you taken? Most definitely, you have not received any single medical examination. This might be contributed to either ignorance or lack of relevant knowledge concerning the tests. Unless your blood is evaluated by a professional, you cannot identify any issue that might be a menace to your health.
For aging adults, 25 years and above, the secret to preventing life-threatening diseases is living a healthy lifestyle and taking annual blood testing. With blood tests results given by a professional, you can note crucial body changes in your body before they manifest as diabetes, cancer, or other illness. That way, you can make better decisions that can enhance the quality of your life. For instance, you can follow health tips that prevent obesity, erectile dysfunction, depression, among other conditions. Here are some of the essential blood tests that every adult should plan to take often.
- Complete Blood Count (CBC) and Chemistry Panel
This is one of the necessary tests that you can take if you are targeting to commence a disease prevention program. What stands out about this test is the cheap cost and efficiency in evaluating your overall health. The commonly diagnosed areas in this test include liver, kidney, blood cell status, and vascular. CBC is essential in screening for hematological abnormalities and infections because it measures the quality of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. On the other hand, the chemistry panel evaluates the cardiovascular system by giving information concerning total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein, and total cholesterol. It also measures blood glucose levels.
With these tests, you don’t have to wait until symptoms of diseases such as diabetes, coronary artery disease, and metabolic syndrome emerge. You can receive preventive treatment as soon as you get the results
- Thyroid Stimulating Hormone
This blood test evaluates the levels of the hormone in the blood. If it is above average, it indicates increased thyroid activity (hyperthyroidism), and if it’s below average, it means low thyroid activity (hypothyroidism). Doctors don’t frequently screen for thyroid function. Therefore, hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism can go undiagnosed for some time leading to the manifestation of symptoms of diseases such as atherosclerosis, atrial fibrillation, reduced bone density among other conditions. You can easily avoid these conditions by taking the blood test often.
- Testosterone
Testosterone is a hormone found in both women and men. In women, it is produced in the ovaries, and in men, it’s produced in the testes. When the hormones’ levels decline as people age, dramatic body changes are realized. The hormone plays different roles in both men and women. Some of these roles include fertility regulation, muscle mass, and libido. A test of free testosterone levels can evaluate in men whether they have adequate bioactive hormones that can protect the body against mental depression, osteoporosis, heart diseases, and abdominal obesity. In women, low levels of the hormone decrease the well-being and libido. Increased levels of the hormone in women may indicate low estrogen levels and hirsutism which is a condition of excessive hair growth on chest or face.
In essence, many diseases can Essential by evaluating the blood under a microscope. However, you need the services of an expert. Once the results are out, you can engage in preventive measures that are less costly. In addition to blood tests, there are other health screenings you should take once in a while which are all offered at Maryland Pain & Wellness Center.