A healthy lifestyle is a necessity to lead a happy life, but most of us are inconsistent when it comes to our routine checkups. The lag in our regular checkups causes various problems hence, creates difficulties in living a pain-free life.
To live a long healthy life having a balanced diet is not enough; instead, it is also necessary to exercise daily. Having a healthy lifestyle requires you to get yourself checked, if not monthly, then at least once a year because most of the diseases don’t show any symptoms at first and keeps on growing within. However, one of the most common and safe lab tests include a blood test.
Blood tests are prescribed by doctors depending upon the medical condition of the patient. It is a summary chart for the professionals to have an idea about the biological casualties developing in the body.
Their importance is measured as they can catch almost any disease in the initial stages, such as diabetes, heart diseases, and metabolic syndrome. It can share numeric results that are more efficient in examining the abnormalities produced by proteins, lipids, and amino chains.
Getting yearly blood tests cannot just help catch the abnormalities but also helps in prolonging your life. In the 21st century, labs such as Primex Labs are equipped with the latest technologies that centrifuge for more specific and quantitative results.
However, some of the necessary blood tests are listed below to help you understand better which ones you should get.
Chemistry Panel and Complete Blood Count
The first and most crucial test that you need to get is a complete blood count (CBC) test. This test evaluates the total count of your red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs), and platelets (PLTs). It gives the doctor a snapshot of the overall health of your body.
It examines the condition of the body and highlights if there are any signs of diseases such as infections, anemia, or leukemia. The test requires a minimal cost, and it tells the quantity, percentage, and concentration of RBCs, WBCs, platelets, and the presence of any hematological abnormalities.
At the same time, the Chemistry Panel test includes the kidney function test, blood glucose test, cholesterol test, and electrolytes test.
Hemoglobin A1C
The hemoglobin A1C test evaluates your glucose level in the body from the past two to three months. This test tells explicitly you the type of diabetes: type1 or type 2. This test helps to indicate the risk of heart disease or diabetes.
However, if you are already a diabetic patient, this test allows you to check how well you are managing your glucose level. This test is also known by other names like glycosylated hemoglobin, glycated hemoglobin, and HbA1C.
Fibrinogen
It is usually given by doctors if there is any bleeding disorder or risk of cardiovascular disease.
Fibrinogen is a protein that is produced by the liver. Its primary function is the clotting of blood. The increased level of fibrinogen in the blood may result in the clot in the blood, which is dangerous for the patients suffering from heart diseases. There are two types of test for fibrinogen
- Fibrinogen activity test: it evaluates the functioning of fibrinogen in the blood.
- Fibrinogen antigen test: it measures the amount of fibrinogen in the blood.
Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) – For Men Only
A prostate-specific antigen test is to diagnose prostate cancer. PSA is a protein that is produced by prostate glands in men. The exceeded level of prostate-specific antigen indicates enlarged prostate, prostate inflammation, or cancer.
However, the increase in the level of PSA does not always mean prostate cancer; it can also be an indication of infection in the urinary tract.
C – Reactive Protein
It is harmful to have a high C – reactive protein, and this protein level increases when there is an inflammation in the body. Doctors suggest this test to examine the level of inflammation because it is linked to developing a risk of coronary artery disease and can cause cardiac arrest.
But it has a minor limitation of not indicating the cause of inflammation. However, a higher level of CRP in the blood can lead to a second heart attack for a person who has already experienced it. This test is mainly for people who have heart disease and are prone to a heart attack.
So the purpose of this test is to prevent and treat the higher level of CRP in blood.
Homocysteine
Homocysteine is an amino acid that is usually produced by eating meat. The high level of homocysteine in the blood increases the risk of heart disease—however, vitaminB12, vitaminB6, and Folic acid help in breaking it. If homocysteine is high in the blood, it indicates that you have a deficiency of vitamins, heart disease, or inherited disorder.
DHEA
Dehydroepiandrosterone is a hormone that is made by adrenal glands. This test is primarily to detect infertility or cancer of ovaries /testicles. DHEA is produced in the ovaries (women) and testicles (men).
However, the increase of DHEA in the blood can cause puberty defects in boys and girls. This test mainly helps to examine the functioning of adrenal glands.
Thyroid Stimulation Hormone (TSH)
The pituitary gland secretes the thyroid-stimulating hormone. This TSH encourages the thyroid to produce hormones called thyroxine (T4) and tri-iodothyronine (T3).
In hyperthyroidism (overactive), there is an increase in the production of T4 and T3, which leads to weight loss, rapid heart rate, hand tremor, irritation in the eyes, and nervousness. Whereas, in hypothyroidism (underactive), there is a decrease in the production of T4 and T3, which causes weight gain, fatigue, dry skin, and constipation.
Usually, doctors do not give tests for thyroid functioning, so it goes undiagnosed sometimes until clinical symptoms do not appear.
Testosterone
Testosterone is found in both men and women; however, the quantity varies. It is found more in men than women and is responsible for physical strength as well as the growth of hair etc.
The purpose of this test is to diagnose the cause of erectile dysfunction, early or late puberty, and testicle tumors in men. In women, this test is done to diagnose infertility, polycystic ovaries, and excessive facial hair.
Estradiol
Estradiol is a hormone that is found both in men and women. The level of estradiol varies in women during their menstrual cycle. It is constant after menopause. This hormone plays an essential role in the density of bone both in men and women.
However, the high level of this hormone in women increases the risk of breast cancer, and low-level causes osteoporosis and bone fracture. The higher level in men will cause difficulty in urination and breast enlargement.
Conclusion
Health is wealth; there is nothing more important in this world that can replace a healthy lifestyle. It is essential to get yourself diagnosed before the situation worsens, keep a balanced diet plan, and exercise.
Our biology is very complex, excess or deficiency of anything can cause life-threatening diseases, which makes routine checkups and blood tests very crucial to have a sustainable and healthy lifestyle.
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