Haven’t Had Blood Work in 10 Years?
- Category: Preventative Healthcare
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From checking your cholesterol levels and thyroid function to diagnosing infections and diseases, blood tests are the first indicator of dozens of conditions. An annual physical is a routine check-up that is completely covered by insurance. If you’ve slid by your 20’s and 30’s (40’s? 50’s?) without getting a physical, it’s time to carve out 30 minutes for this important appointment.
What Can Blood Tests Detect?
The reasons for getting your blood tested vary. In a routine blood test, it might just be to check that nothing has changed since your last healthy test result. Here are some of the typical blood tests your Ogden Clinic provider may request.
Complete Blood Count (CBC)
This routine blood test measures the cells in the body through the blood. They test the blood for white blood cells, red blood cells, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and platelets. CBC tests can detect if you have anemia, nutritional deficiencies, an infection, cancer, and bone marrow problems. If any of these results come back as abnormal, your doctor may order more specific testing.
Lipid Panel
As the name suggests, a Lipid Panel measures the amount of fat in your blood. More specifically, it measures good cholesterol (HDL) and bad cholesterol (LDL). If your LDL levels are high, that could indicate a plaque build-up in your arteries; a sign of future or present heart disease.
Basil Metabolic Panel (BMP)
This blood test measures certain components of the blood, such as glucose, sodium, potassium, electrolytes, and creatinine. By checking these factors, an Ogden Clinic doctor can tell if you have kidney disease or diabetes. The results may also indicate a hormonal imbalance.
Complete Metabolic Panel (CMP)
This test measures the same elements as the BMP as well as some other important components. These include alkaline phosphate (ALP), albumin, bilirubin, and more. When these other components are imbalanced, there could be a serious problem. Too much ALP could point to hepatitis, gallstones, or Paget’s disease. Too much bilirubin could indicate a bile duct blockage, hepatitis, Gilbert’s syndrome, or hemolysis.
What to Expect Before and During an Annual Physical
Simply make your appointment with the primary care provider (PCP) of your choice. If you have a family PCP, they can provide you with a physical examination. If you don’t already have one, here’s a list of our outstanding options.
Here’s what to gather before your physical:
- List of current medications you take including over-the-counter drugs
- List of any symptoms or pain you are experiencing
- Results from any recent tests
- Medical and surgical history (especially if you receive(d) care outside of Ogden Clinic)
- Names of other doctors you may have seen recently
- Any additional questions you would like answered
Fasting
Most blood panels require fasting for 8-12 hours before your visit. The reason for fasting is that eating can dramatically alter the chemicals in your blood, affecting your cholesterol levels, glucose levels, and more. Upon scheduling, your provider’s staff will explain more about fasting.
What Happens After an Annual Physical with Blood Work
After the appointment, you are free to go about your day. Your PCP may follow up with you after the exam via phone call or email. They will provide you with a copy of your test results and carefully go over the report. Your PCP or his/her nurse will point out any problem areas and tell you anything that you should be doing. Depending on the findings, you may need other tests or screenings at a later date.
If no additional tests are needed and no health problems arise, you are set until next year!
Why Choose Ogden Clinic?
- Family Medicine is Ogden Clinic’s largest specialty group, with over 60 providers to choose from in Northern Utah.
- All nine of our Family Medicine clinics have 4.5 stars or higher on Google Reviews, with thousands of positive experiences.
- We accept nearly all insurance plans including SelectHealth, United, U Health Plans, and many more.
- Nine locations to serve your family from Pleasant View to Bountiful.