If you want to take care of your health, you should remember about regular preventive examinations. What kind of tests fall into this category? What information about our body can they provide us with?
Preventive screenings are free examinations ordered by your GP. It is recommended to have them once a year on average. This category includes, among others, blood and urine tests. They are a form of preventive health care, helping to prevent the development of a number of different diseases and providing valuable information about the state of our health. General examinations are performed in order to assess the general state of health or to detect various abnormalities.
It is one of the most frequently performed preventive examinations. Morphology allows us to determine the current condition of the patient’s body. The examination checks the level of morphotic elements in the blood – their shape or volume. What kind of information is provided by the morphology results? Among other things, they allow us to assess whether there is anemia or inflammation in the body. How is this type of examination performed? A small amount of blood is sufficient for this purpose. The test is done on an empty stomach, up to 12 hours after your last meal.
This is another popular basic test and one of the most common laboratory tests. It is recommended to perform it at least every 2-3 years. During the examination the urine parameters are determined, such as color, pH and pH. It is also important to determine whether the urine contains glucose, protein, red or white blood cells, ketone bodies, bile pigments, or bacteria, and whether their content does not exceed the norm. Any abnormalities will help determine the direction of further testing or create a treatment plan.
A general urine test can detect diseases of the urinary tract or kidneys and complications related to hypertension or obesity. The reliability of the result depends on whether the patient prepares the urine sample correctly. It should be given in a special sterile container, which is available in pharmacies. Before the sample is taken, the intimate area should be washed thoroughly. Urine from the so-called middle stream is examined. First, a small amount of urine is passed into the toilet bowl. A container is used to collect urine from the next stream.
Pregnant women, among others, should have their glucose levels tested. In their case, an oral glucose load test is performed. For other patients, the test is carried out on an empty stomach, using a special device and a strip on which a drop of blood is placed. In particular, people who are at increased risk of developing diabetes should remember to have their blood glucose levels tested regularly. Patients who are overweight or obese, with high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease or polycystic ovary syndrome should also have their blood glucose checked.
These are preventive tests that evaluate liver function. They are based on the determination of the activity of specific enzymes that indicate the condition of this organ. Liver function tests enable early diagnosis of acute and chronic liver diseases and liver damage. How do I prepare for this test? The patient must be fasting, and for 24 hours prior to the test he must not consume alcohol (this could affect the results).
