Things to Consider Before a Blood Test- Dos and Donts

Preventive Health Checks are essential for good health, but it’s vital to follow the precautions before any Blood Test to get precise results. If your doctor has prescribed a blood test, there are multiple factors you need to keep in mind, and these preventive measures can vary depending on the purpose of a blood test. 

It might be projected to diagnose any kind of health disorder, inflammation, infection or to check specific parameters before surgery. Herein, read the article for a complete guide regarding accurate blood tests. 

Understanding the Blood Test:

A Blood Test is one of the most common pathology tests prescribed to evaluate a particular health disease or overall health condition. 

Types of Blood Tests:

There exist various kinds of Blood Tests that a doctor might recommend you. Some of the most common types of blood tests include

• Hemoglobin or HbA1c Test
• Haemogram Test
• Complete Blood Count or CBC Test
• Thyroid Profile Test
• Blood Sugar Test or Diabetes Test
• Creatinine Serum
• Kidney Function Test
• Full Body Checkup
• Ferritin Test
• Fever Test- (Malaria, Typhoid, Dengue, and More)
• Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN Test), etc.

The recommendations for the different types of blood test is based on the symptoms of the patient. 

Now, for different types of blood tests, there can be various preparations. 

List of Preparations Before The Blood Tests:

Out of the various blood tests, some tests require similar preparations, and the list of the do’s and don’ts is mentioned below.

1. Fasting:

Most of the blood tests require 8 to 12 hours of fasting, depending on the parameters to be tested. 

Need for Fasting Before Blood Test:

Fasting is necessary before the Blood Test because the drinks and food in your bloodstream lead to variations in the parameters to be monitored, and this may never let you get the right results for the tests. Moreover, in case you eat or drink anything apart from water, you should inform the same to the phlebotomists or the lab assistant collecting your sample. It will help him to share the condition with the doctor and perform the test with the necessary precautions, if possible, or else shift it to another day.

Tests that Require Fasting Necessarily:

Some of the tests that require fasting are:

• Fasting Blood Glucose
• Iron Studies
• Kidney Function Test
• Lipid Profile
• Vitamin B12, and

Others as per the doctor's recommendations.

2. Keep Yourself Well-Hydrated:

Drink plenty of water before you get yourself tested. It helps you to undergo the tests conveniently without any issues. Let's understand how?

• Blood is an essential component that comprises 50% of water. It makes your blood thinner and flows precisely to your veins.
• Also, it makes your veins completely apparent and makes it easier for phlebos to draw the sample.
• Along with that, doctors usually suggest urine tests along with blood tests. If your bladder is full, there will not be any issue in drawing the urine sample.

If you have any doubts or need precise instructions before any test, please call the Redcliffe Labs care team to clear up all confusion. We are always happy to assist you. Also, all the details are available on our website for all types of blood tests. 

3. Enough Rest for Mind and Body:

Ensure that you are entirely relaxed the night before your tests. Take proper sleep, and help your mind and body to wake up fresh.

There is evidence that stress and anxiety might fluctuate in the blood test results.

4. Special Preparation for Testing Enzymes & Hormones:

While your doctor prescribes a blood test for hormonal check or analyzing hormonal levels, ensure to get tested before 10:00 am. 

Know-Why?

• Enzymes and Hormonal levels fluctuate with time, and not getting diagnosed on time might result in improper outcomes. Do connect to your physician for better understanding.
• In the case of the analysis of women's hormones, the results highly depend on your periodic cycle. Check with your doctor or lab assistant to understand the time for the test.

Now, while we are already aware of what we need to do before a blood test, it would help to acknowledge what not to do.

Things to Avoid Before a Blood Test:

Often you might get recommended for revised tests by your doctor because of unacceptable outcomes. The reason might be not following the standard instructions. 

For your information, herein, the article further reveals the don'ts before a blood test.

1. Say No to Exercise:

There should be no rigorous activity before the blood tests. Your body should be completely relaxed. Any exercise might enforce the blood flow to the veins, increasing the span of the clotting period. It might also speed up the heart rate to unacceptable levels, not delivering accurate results. 

2. Medications:

People suffering from any particular health disorder and with regularly prescribed medicines shall continue with their medicines. 

Or,

It would discuss your medical conditions with the doctor to understand if you shall avoid or take medicine before the blood test.

This is a necessary precaution to take because:

• The presence of the medicine in your blood at times might fluctuate the results.
• Some medicines are blood-thinning, and your phlebotomist will have to seek special precautions while drawing your sample.

Precautions Are Mandate Even Before Preventive Health Checks:

While we seek blood tests and other health checks to stay healthy, but for that also we need to be a little cautious. We might be really carefree about it, but not abiding by the Dos and Don’ts may not make us reach close to accurate results and get the right results diagnosed. 

We hope that the above-mentioned guidelines take you closer to the facts and away from any persisting myths. 

Stay Tuned for more insights on preventive measures for better health. Redcliffe Labs- Healthy India’s Trusted Labs’, is always on the go to make India fit and healthy by making healthcare accessible for all.