What You Can Learn from Your Blood Work

As part of a thorough annual physical, your doctor may run a series of blood tests. The experienced urgent care team at Rapid City Healthcare may also order some of these tests, to help diagnose the cause of any symptoms you are presenting. 

These blood tests can pick up a range of diseases and conditions and give your doctor a clear read on how many of your vital organs are functioning.

The most common blood tests include:

• The complete blood count test (CBC)
• The basic metabolic panel (BMP)
• Blood enzyme tests
• Blood clotting tests
• The lipoprotein panel

Your doctor determines which blood tests to order based on your symptoms, age, and overall health.

Read on to discover what exactly you can find out from each of these blood tests.

Complete blood count (CBC) test

The complete blood count test measures a range of blood components. Specifically, this test will indicate:

• Red blood cell count
• White blood cell count
• Platelet levels
• Hemoglobin levels
• Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) levels
• Hematocrit levels

If you have a high red blood cell count, this could be a sign that you are dehydrated, anemic, or bleeding. On the other hand, an elevated white blood cell count could be a sign of infection, a problem with your immune system, or blood cancer.

If your platelet levels are off, such can indicate a clotting or bleeding disorder. Hemoglobin levels being too high or low is tied to anemia, whereas hematocrit levels being off may indicate dehydration.

Basic metabolic panel (BMP)

A basic metabolic panel test is given to measure the naturally occurring chemicals in the blood. Focusing primarily on the blood plasma (or liquid), these tests can provide insight into how your kidneys, heart, and liver function. These tests can check for heart failure and high blood pressure.

Blood enzyme tests

A blood enzyme test can indicate muscle damage, which is also given to individuals who suspect they’re having (or have had) a heart attack. If the test picks up high levels of CK-MB enzymes in a person’s blood, it’s likely they’ve had a heart attack recently.

Blood clotting tests

Blood clotting tests are given if it’s suspected that a person has a bleeding disorder, platelet disorder, or blood clotting disorder. These tests examine the proteins and levels of platelets in the blood, and are usually advised for those who routinely take blood-thinning medication.

Lipoprotein panel

A lipoprotein panel measures cholesterol and triglyceride levels. If you have high or low cholesterol and triglyceride levels, it could be a sign that you have coronary disease. You must fast for nine to twelve hours before taking this test.

Blood tests give doctors a good look at your overall health and help the Rapid City Healthcare team make an accurate diagnosis. 

If you need an annual wellness exam, call Rapid City Healthcare to schedule an appointment in our Irving, Texas office, or use the convenient online tool to book an appointment. If you’re experiencing symptoms, visit our urgent care center as a walk-in, no appointment needed.