What is the Doctor Checking For In Your Blood Work?
At Refresh Life Wellness, board-certified physician Dr. Kimberly Collins offers primary care services to patients throughout Hermitage and Nashville, TN. As an experienced general physician, she has helped patients take control of their health and wellness. She recommends that her patients get routine blood work at least once a year. It may be recommended for patients with new and unusual symptoms or who want to reduce their risk of disease to get blood work done more often.
What does blood work show?
At Refresh Life Wellness in Hermitage, TN, Dr. Collins offers several blood tests, including:
-
Complete blood count (CBC): A complete blood count looks for levels of ten components of blood, including white or red blood cell count, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and platelets. Abnormal levels can indicate iron deficiency, bone marrow problems, vitamin deficiencies, infection, heart problems, or even cancer.
-
Basic metabolic panel: A basic metabolic panel looks for levels of calcium, electrolytes, sodium, glucose, potassium, chloride, or carbon dioxide. This test requires that a patient fasts for at least eight hours before testing. Abnormal results can indicate hormone imbalances, kidney disease, or diabetes.
-
Complete metabolic panel: A complete metabolic panel measures the basic metabolic panel, as well as proteins and substances related to liver functions, such as total protein, albumin, and bilirubin. Cirrhosis, gallbladder problems, bile duct blockages, gallstones, hepatitis, bone metabolism disorders, zinc deficiency, pancreatitis, mono, and liver cancer can all be detected with this blood work.
-
Lipid panel: This test looks for high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or low-density lipoprotein (LDL). This testing also requires an eight-hour fast.
-
Thyroid panel: A thyroid function test looks at how well the thyroid produces and reacts to various hormones. Abnormal results can detect thyroid growth disorders, low protein, or abnormal levels of estrogen or testosterone.
-
Enzyme markers: Enzymes help the body to clot blood or break down food. Abnormal levels can indicate several different disorders.
-
STD testing: Many sexually-transmitted diseases can be detected with a blood test, including herpes, HIV, gonorrhea, syphilis, or chlamydia.
Dr. Collins can make recommendations about what other blood tests will be most beneficial for a patient’s health during an annual physical. It generally takes 24 – 48 hours to get results for these blood tests.
How does a doctor follow up after blood work?
A follow-up appointment at Refresh Life Wellness allows us to diagnose a condition and explain treatment options for your health. Your results may be simple with a simple positive or negative, or more complicated and open to interpretation. We also may suggest additional testing to learn more about what is going on and how to help you best. We will also schedule follow-up visits in Hermitage, TN after we start treatment to measure how effective treatment is and track if there is any chronic illness progression.
Schedule routine blood work to maintain your health
To ensure that you are feeling your best, routine blood work should be done at least once a year. At Refresh Life Wellness, board-certified physician Dr. Kimberly Collins helps her patients in Hermitage, TN address health problems early on. She specializes in diagnosing and treating a variety of medical conditions for patients of all ages. To schedule an appointment to learn more about blood testing and what it can detect regarding your health, call our office today.