Common Blood Tests and What They Reveal About Your Health
Introduction
Have you ever received a blood test result and thought that you have no idea what that means? You are not alone; many people regard a blood test as something their doctor just does, and seldom do they appreciate the wealth of information contained in a single blood sample. In fact, a single blood test can give you an amazing amount of data about your overall health, help you identify diseases before they present themselves, and help prevent life-threatening medical problems.
One of the first things that healthcare professionals realize as they progress through their career is that many diseases do not present themselves with any “tell-tale” signs. Conditions such as diabetes, high blood cholesterol, thyroid disorders, anaemia and kidney disease can often develop quietly, and by the time any symptoms develop, they have progressed to advanced stages. This is one of the reasons why routine labwork/ blood testing is one of the best preventive health care tools available.
Table of Content:
- What are Neurotransmitters?
- Main Categories of Neurotransmitters
- Major Types of Neurotransmitters and Their Roles
Importance of Neurotransmitter Balance
Factors that affect neurotransmitter function include multiple biological and lifestyle factors:
- Conclusion
Why Blood Test Results Matter More Than You Might Think
Blood is what carries oxygen, nutrients, hormones, immune cells and waste products throughout the body. Since all organs are in communication with your blood, even minor changes in the composition of your blood will give you major indications about your health.
Blood tests that are done routinely can help doctors figure out many health issues (nutritional deficiencies, infections, hormonal issues, inflammation, organ dysfunction and long-term illnesses) long before they become an issue. You can understand what is going on inside your body and take early steps to correct it – instead of waiting until you feel bad.
Complete Blood Count (CBC) - A Window to Your Overall Health
The CBC or Complete Blood Count is one of the most commonly ordered blood tests. A CBC looks at many different aspects of your blood. These include: Red Blood Cells, White Blood Cells, Haemoglobin, Platelets, and Haematocrit.
For instance, a decreased haemoglobin level may point to anaemia, while an increased white blood cell count could indicate either an infection or inflammatory process occurring. In addition, abnormal levels of platelets may indicate a bleeding disorder or other pathology. If you experience symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, weakness, repeated infections, or a significant fever that doesn’t have a clear cause; obtaining a CBC will assist you in evaluating the cause of your symptoms.
Blood Sugar Testing: Tracing Diabetes Before there is Injury
Diabetes is one of the most prevalent health problems today, and there are thousands of people who have high blood sugar without even being aware. Three tests for measuring blood sugar that physicians usually recommend are:
- Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS)
- Post Prandial Testing (PPBS)
- (HbA1c) – The HbA1c test measures your blood sugar for 2 to 3 months prior, and can help identify the progression of diabetes or prediabetes, giving you the time needed to adjust your nutrition & physical activity habits, to reduce your possibility of serious health complications such as damage to your heart, urine & eyesight, plus damage to your nerves.
The Lipid Profile: Measuring Heart Health
High cholesterol (which has no symptoms) is still one of the leading risk factors for heart attack/stroke.
The Lipid Profile determines:
- Total Cholesterol
- LDL
- HDL and other lipid parameters.
Tests conducted before eating (fasting) and after eating (post-prandial) only show how much sugar was present in someone’s blood at one given time, whereas HbA1c shows how much sugar has been in an individual’s system over the last 2-3 months (i.e., this is why it’s called average blood glucose level). If you are diagnosed with prediabetes or diabetes, you will then have the chance to make lifestyle changes (such as eating healthier foods, increasing your physical activity level, managing your weight, etc.) and, therefore, decrease your chances of developing heart problems, kidney failure, vision impairment/disease, and nerve damage.
Liver Function Tests (LFTs): Protecting Your Body's Chemical Factory
Your liver does hundreds of things for you every day – from detoxifying harmful substances from your body to storing vitamins and nutrients to producing proteins.
Liver function tests measure your liver by looking for specific enzymes and proteins in your blood (like SGPT/ALT, SGOT/AST, bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, and albumin). These tests can help detect many types of liver conditions, including:
- fatty liver disease
- hepatitis
- alcohol-related liver problems
- medication-related liver injury
- Bile duct problems
Fatty liver disease is becoming increasingly common in young adults today because of the sedentary lifestyle and obesity crisis. That’s why it is so important to have regular LFTs done to monitor your liver.
Kidney Function Tests (KFTs): Monitoring Your Body's Natural Filters
Healthy kidneys filter out your body’s waste products while keeping your fluid balance and electrolyte levels in check.
Kidney Function Tests include lab tests that measure:
- Creatinine
- Blood urea
- Electrolytes
- Estimated glomerular filtration rate.
.Kidney disease usually evolves silently; therefore, individuals with diabetes, hypertension, or a family history of kidney disease should have KFTs done regularly to identify kidney disease before irreversible damage occurs.
Factors that affect neurotransmitter function include multiple biological and lifestyle factors:
- Diet – adequate nutrition (amino acids) is important for the formation of neurotransmitters.
- Sleep – lack of sleep impacts the chemical balance of a person.
- Stress – chronic stress can disrupt neurotransmitter function.
- Exercise – regular physical activity supports healthy brain function.
These four factors, as well as others, play an important role in maintaining a healthy and balanced lifestyle which established proper pathways of communication throughout the body’s nervous system.
Conclusion
In the body are many types of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters that allow for communication between all of the nerve cells. They assist in processing information and function to maintain many aspects of internal balance, such as coordination, memory, emotion, and sleep. Through neurotransmitter coordination, the brain successfully sends signals to the entire body. The understanding of the many different types of neurotransmitters can help you appreciate how the body uses brain chemicals to manage physical and emotional processes. Having an understanding of neurotransmitter function will help you understand the importance of good neurological health as well.
