The ESR test is often used to monitor whether your treatment is working. It also measures the effect of Warfarin therapy; a drug used to slow down the blood clotting process and help prevent thrombosis. It is frequently used to assess whether the kidneys are working properly or to monitor people who take various tablets such as blood pressure medication. It helps to determine whether someone may have gall stones; and can identify problems with the liver; such as hepatitis.
Some medication can cause liver function tests to become abnormal. A Glucose test measures how much sugar is in the blood. High levels of glucose in the blood can be a sign of diabetes. Thyroid hormones control gland production of energy by cells. A CRP C-reactive Protein test measures the concentration in the blood of a protein that indicates inflammation caused by illness; for example during a flare up of rheumatoid arthritis.
Electrophoresis allows us to see proteins such as albumin; which carries substances around the blood and antibodies to infections. This happens through another complex process called haematopoiesis. There are also different tests that make up a FBC, each of which looks at how many of a particular type of blood cell is present.
It also measures how much haemoglobin Hb is in the blood. Samples for an FBC are collected in a test tube with a red top. Clotting or coagulation — this measures how long it takes for a sample of blood to clot. As well as checking for clotting problems, perhaps before an operation, it can be used to check levels of anti-coagulation medicine such as warfarin, using a test called International Normalised Ratio INR.
Samples for clotting tests are collected in a test tube with a green top. Samples for Group and Save are collected in a test tube with a light blue top. These include sodium, potassium and chloride.
Keeping minerals and salts in balance allows the body to function as it should. Blood glucose — Sugar or glucose is carried in the blood so monitoring this can show whether the body is dealing with sugar in our diet or not.
This is commonly used to investigate diabetes but also to monitor the effects of treatment. A specific type of test called HbA1C looks back at the average blood sugar level over the last three months or so. Samples for blood glucose tests are collected in a test tube with a yellow top. C-reactive Protein CRP — this is produced by the liver and raises if you have inflammation. Inflammation may be caused as a symptom of a disease, such as arthritis, or it may suggest an infection.
Samples for CRP tests are collected in a test tube with an orange top. Blood typing is also used during pregnancy, as there's a small risk the unborn child may have a different blood group from their mother, which could lead to the mother's immune system attacking her baby's red blood cells. This is known as rhesus disease. Read more about diagnosing rhesus disease. If testing reveals there is a risk of rhesus disease, an injection of a medicine that stops the mother's immune system attacking her baby's blood cells can be given.
Read more about preventing rhesus disease. A number of blood tests can be carried out to help diagnose certain cancers or check if you're at an increased risk of developing a particular type of cancer.
By counting the chromosomes each cell should have 23 pairs and checking their shape, it may be possible to detect genetic abnormalities. If it takes a long time for your blood to clot, it may be a sign of a bleeding disorder such as haemophilia or von Willebrand disease.
A type of coagulation test called the international normalised ratio INR is used to monitor the dose of anticoagulants , such as warfarin , and check that your dose is correct. Read more about monitoring your anticoagulant dose. CRP is produced by the liver and if there is a higher concentration of CRP than usual, it's a sign of inflammation in your body.
Electrolytes are minerals found in the body, including sodium, potassium and chloride, that perform jobs such as maintaining a healthy water balance in your body. Changes in the level of electrolytes can have various possible causes, including dehydration , diabetes or certain medications.
This test works by measuring how long it takes for red blood cells to fall to the bottom of a test tube. The quicker they fall, the more likely it is there are high levels of inflammation. This is a test to check the types and numbers of cells in your blood, including red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. This can help give an indication of your general health, as well as provide important clues about certain health problems you may have.
This involves extracting a sample of DNA from your blood, then searching the sample for a specific genetic change mutation. Genetic screening can also be used to check if someone carries a particular gene that increases their risk of developing a genetic condition. For example, if your brother or sister developed a genetic condition in later life, such as Huntington's disease , you may want to find out whether there is a risk that you could also develop the condition.
Read more about genetic testing. When the liver is damaged, it releases substances called enzymes into the blood and levels of proteins produced by the liver begin to drop. By measuring the levels of these enzymes and proteins, it's possible to build up a picture of how well the liver is functioning.
This can help to diagnose certain liver conditions, including hepatitis , cirrhosis liver scarring , and alcohol-related liver disease. This test is used to test your blood for levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone TSH , and, where needed, thyroxine and triiodothyronine thyroid hormones. If you have low or high levels of these hormones, it could mean you have a thyroid condition such as an underactive thyroid or overactive thyroid.
Skip to Main Content. Search the site. Sometimes, receiving results can be stressful and upsetting. If you're worried about the outcome of a test, you may choose to take a trusted friend or relative with you. For some tests, such as HIV, you will be offered specialist counselling to help you deal with your results. Blood tests can be used in a number of ways, such as helping to diagnose a condition, assessing the health of certain organs or screening for some genetic conditions.
Cholesterol is a fatty substance mostly created by the liver from the fatty foods in your diet and is vital for the normal functioning of the body. Having a high level of cholesterol can contribute to an increased risk of serious problems such as heart attacks and strokes.
Blood cholesterol levels can be measured with a simple blood test. You may be asked not to eat for 12 hours before the test which usually includes when you're asleep to ensure that all food is completely digested and won't affect the result, although this isn't always necessary. Find out more about diagnosing high cholesterol and read about cholesterol tests on Lab Tests Online UK.
This involves taking a small sample of blood from a vein in your arm and from one or more other parts of your body. The samples are combined with nutrients designed to encourage the growth of bacteria. This can help show whether any bacteria are present in your blood. A blood gases sample is taken from an artery, usually at the wrist.
It's likely to be painful and is only carried out in hospital. A blood gas test is used to check the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in your blood, and the balance of acid and alkali in your blood the pH balance. A number of tests can be used to diagnose and monitor diabetes by checking the level of sugar glucose in the blood. Blood glucose test kits may be available to use at home.
These only require a small "pin prick" of blood for testing. This is done before donating blood or having a blood transfusion , to check what your blood group is. If you were given blood that didn't match your blood group, your immune system may attack the red blood cells, which could lead to potentially life-threatening complications.
Blood typing is also used during pregnancy, as there's a small risk the unborn child may have a different blood group from their mother, which could lead to the mother's immune system attacking her baby's red blood cells. This is known as rhesus disease.
Read more about diagnosing rhesus disease. If testing reveals there is a risk of rhesus disease, an injection of a medicine that stops the mother's immune system attacking her baby's blood cells can be given. Read more about preventing rhesus disease. A number of blood tests can be carried out to help diagnose certain cancers or check if you're at an increased risk of developing a particular type of cancer.
By counting the chromosomes each cell should have 23 pairs and checking their shape, it may be possible to detect genetic abnormalities. If it takes a long time for your blood to clot, it may be a sign of a bleeding disorder such as haemophilia or von Willebrand disease. A type of coagulation test called the international normalised ratio INR is used to monitor the dose of anticoagulants, such as warfarin , and check that your dose is correct.
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