Your doctor has recommended that you need lab work done. Laboratory tests usually cannot be done at the doctor’s office, although some offices may have facilitates for some tests. You often have to go to a hospital’s outpatient services in order to get lab work done. When would you need medical Lab Services Levelland?
Complete Blood Count
One of the most common medical tests prescribed is the complete blood count or CBC. Counting all of your different types of blood cells is a great diagnostic tool for your physician. It also measures your hemoglobin, an important protein in your red blood cells. If platelets, red or white blood cell counts are abnormal, this lets the doctor know that something is wrong and further tests may be needed. Depending on why you are being tested, you may need to fast before a CBC.
Insulin Tests
With the increasing rates of Type II diabetes, blood sugar or insulin tests are becoming more prescribed. As its name implies, the test measures your insulin levels. People who are obese often get this test. There are two types of insulin tests, one of which requires you to fast beforehand, the Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS) test and one where you do not have to fast, the hemoglobin A1C test (hBA1C.) The latter means taking a series of blood tests over a 90 day period in order to determine your average insulin levels.
Kidney Function Tests
If your doctor suspects that your kidneys may not be working properly, you will be ordered these blood tests. Malfunctioning kidneys leech waste products into the blood. High levels of waste products like serum creatinine, uric acid or blood urea nitrogen means that something is wrong with your kidneys. If you are taking medications which may list kidney malfunction as a side effect, then your doctor may want kidney function tests done just to be sure the medication is not effecting your kidneys.
Other Blood Tests
The blood is a very good indicator of a person’s health or illness. Other types of blood tests may look for thyroid function, negative effects from medications or for the first indications of heart disease.
