Blood Test

A blood test is a lab analysis of things that may be found in your blood. You may have blood tests to keep track of how well you are managing a condition, such as diabetes or high cholesterol. You may also have them for routine checkups or when you are ill.

Blood tests are very common. They are ordered by healthcare providers to:

Find out how well organs, such as your kidneys, liver, heart, or thyroid are working

Help diagnose diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and HIV/AIDS

Find out if your medicine is working to make you better

Diagnose bleeding or clotting disorders

Find out if your immune system is having problems fighting infections

Diagnose anemia, such as iron-deficiency anemia, pernicious anemia, aplastic anemia, or hemolytic anemia

Find variations in hemoglobin, such as hemoglobin S, C, or E, which are common in people of African, Mediterranean, or Southeast Asian background

Monitor chronic health conditions and diseases

Find health problems in their early stages

You have the right to know why a blood test has been ordered and how much it will cost. Ask your healthcare provider if you are not sure why they want you to have the test.

Types of blood tests

These are common blood tests:

Complete blood count, also called a CBC

Blood chemistry tests

Blood enzyme tests

Blood tests for heart disease risk

Blood tests can give your healthcare provider a lot of information. They can see if certain elements in your blood are in a normal range. But in many cases, blood tests are only part of the information your healthcare provider needs to make a diagnosis of a health condition. You might need to have some other types of tests as well.

Preparing for a blood test

For most kinds of blood tests, you don’t need to prepare. These tests are to see what your blood is like under normal conditions.

For some blood tests, you will have to fast for a certain amount of time before the blood test. The fasting time may vary depending on the test. These tests are often scheduled for early in the morning.

Your healthcare provider will let you know if you need to fast before a blood test.

The procedure

To test your blood, a technician called a phlebotomist will use a needle to take a sample of blood. Tell the technician if the sight of needles makes you nervous. They can help you feel more at ease. You can also look away during the procedure, and bring a family member or friend to help distract you.

In most cases, the sample is taken from a vein in your arm. You will be seated or lying down. You may be asked to make a fist. The technician will tie a rubber band around your arm. Once they see a vein, the technician will clean the area and then insert the needle. You might feel a small prick or stinging sensation. Once the technician has drawn enough blood, they will take the needle out and put an adhesive bandage over the site. You may be asked to press firmly on the site to stop any bleeding.

After the procedure

Your blood sample will be sent to a lab. Trained technicians then look for the information the healthcare provider has ordered. This may take a day or up to a week or more. Ask your healthcare provider’s office how you should expect to find out about the results. In many cases, the results will be posted online in the provider’s web portal.