Test for Blood Disorders
Though varied by the cluster of disorder, if you are experiencing shortness of breath, fatigue, fever or easy bruising, these may be symptoms of one of a number of blood disorders. There are certain things you can expect to encounter when you go in for testing for blood disorders. You should also be aware of the battery of tests the doctor is running so you know what questions to ask to get the most out of your follow-up and can play an active role in your care to quickly get to the bottom of what may have precipitated your visit to the doctor in the first place.
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Instructions
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Test for Blood Disorders
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Know the preparation. Some tests require fasting for eight to 12 hours before blood is drawn. Your doctor will tell you if that is the case.
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Calm down. Many have a fear of needles and can't stomach the sight of blood. During the process look away and try to occupy your mind or focus your attention elsewhere. The actual act of drawing blood is swift -- less than three minutes.
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3
Know what they are testing for. Sometimes doctors have the tendency to rattle off an alphabet soup of tests. Have them slow down, for starters. Typically you can expect four tests: Complete blood count (CBC), blood chemical, blood enzyme and blood tests for heart-related conditions.
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Familiarize yourself with CBC. This is a routine check which measure red and white blood cells and platelets to detect disorders such as anemia and blood cancers.
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Get to know the second common test -- blood chemical. This measures different chemicals in the plasma to offer data on the muscles, heart and bones. This test usually requires fasting beforehand.
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Familiarize yourself with what they are looking for when testing blood enzymes, those chemicals which help to control different reactions. These and other tests assess heart-related illnesses.
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Take appropriate aftercare. Usually you will be asked to place pressure on the area where blood is drawn to stop the bleeding and minimize swelling and bruising. You should keep the Band-Aid on that area for at least two hours.
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Follow up with your doctor. This is the most important part of the process. You are familiarizing yourself with the testing process to get to this point, so you are best equipped with information to ask intelligent questions and get the most out of your follow-up.
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