Photo: Artem Podrez

How do you prepare for a blood test?

Preparing for a blood test This usually means no eating or drinking anything after midnight before 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.

hopkinsmedicine.org - Blood Test | Johns Hopkins Medicine

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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, coronary 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. Ask your healthcare provider if you are not sure why he or she wants 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. He or she 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 not eat (fast) for a certain amount of time before the blood test. This usually means no eating or drinking anything after midnight before 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

In order 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. He or she 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 he or she sees a vein, the technician will clean the area and then insert the needle. You might feel a small prick. Once the technician has drawn enough blood, he or she 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. Check back with your healthcare provider’s office to find out about the results.

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What are symptoms of lack of blood flow?

Poor circulation can cause a number of symptoms, including: Muscles that hurt or feel weak when you walk. A “pins and needles” sensation on your skin. Pale or blue skin color. Cold fingers or toes. Numbness. Chest pain. Swelling. Veins that bulge.

my.clevelandclinic.org - Poor Circulation: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment - Cleveland Clinic

Overview

What is poor circulation?

Poor circulation happens when something interferes with your complex, far-reaching circulatory system that delivers blood, oxygen and nutrients to your entire body. When your heart, veins, arteries, capillaries and other blood vessels are healthy, they can give your cells everything they need in an efficient way. It’s a continuous cycle of bringing oxygen and other necessities to your cells and taking away waste from your cells. Problems happen when something goes wrong with some part of the delivery system or the valves that control which direction your blood goes. Like a delivery driver who runs into problems and delays along his route, blood can hit detours and roadblocks along the way. Obstacles in your blood vessels make it hard for blood to get through, especially when trying to reach the parts of your body that are the longest distance away from your heart ― your fingers and toes. The biggest problem with poor circulation is that your cells aren’t getting as much oxygen as they need. When cells don’t have the oxygen they need, they can’t function well.

Who does poor circulation affect?

People who are older than age 40, are overweight, have diabetes and don’t get much exercise are more likely to have poor circulation.

How does poor circulation affect my body?

You may feel pain, numbness, tingling or cold in the parts of your body that have bad circulation. Often, poor circulation symptoms affect your legs, hands, fingers, feet and toes.

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