Teaching Patients How to Read Food Labels

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Medical laboratory tests involve analyzing samples of blood, urine and/or other body fluids or tissues in order to better understand a person's health state.^[1] Some lab tests provide precise information about specific health issues, whereas others provide more than general data. Your dr. combines data from medical lab tests with a physical exam, wellness history and other diagnostic tests (such as x-rays or ultrasound) before he/she comes up with a diagnosis for you; however, learning what your lab results mean (especially mutual blood and urine tests) can assistance y'all better understand more nearly your symptoms and how your torso is performance.

1. i

   Learn about what a CBC is. One of the nigh common claret test analyzed in a medical lab is a complete blood count (CBC). A CBC measures the nearly mutual types of cells and elements in your blood, such as scarlet blood cells (RBC), white blood cells (WBC), and platelets.^[2] RBCs contain hemoglobin, which carries oxygen to all your cells, whereas WBCs are function of your immune system and help to destroy microorganisms such as viruses, bacteria and fungi platelets help your body course blood clots.^[3]

   • A depression hemoglobin count (Hb value 12-xvi) is office of red blood cells suggests anemia, which tin cause hypoxia (not enough oxygen getting to tissues), although too many RBCs (chosen erythrocytosis) may indicate bone marrow illness.^[4]
   • A low WBC count (called leukopenia) may too suggest a os marrow trouble or a potential side issue from taking medications — common problem while undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. On the other hand, a high WBC count (called leukocytosis) usually indicates that you're fighting an infection.
   • Normal RBC ranges are different between the genders. Men have 20 – 25% more than RBCs because they tend to be larger and take more musculus tissue, which requires more than oxygen.

2. ii

   Acquire about cholesterol panels. Another common blood test is a cholesterol console (also called a lipid panel). Cholesterol panels are helpful for determining your risk of cardiovascular disease, such as atherosclerosis, heart attack and stroke.^[v] A cholesterol/lipid profile includes measurements of your full blood cholesterol (includes all the lipoproteins in your blood), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) and your triglycerides, which are fats that are ordinarily stored in fat cells.

   • Ideally, your total cholesterol should be less than 200 mg/dL and you should accept a favorable ratio of HDL (the "proficient" kind) to LDL (the "bad" kind) that is less than iii.5:1 in order to reduce your run a risk of cardiovascular disease.^[6]
   • HDL removes excess cholesterol from the claret and transports it to your liver for recycling. Good for you levels are greater than 50 mg/dL (ideally above 60 mg/dL).
   • LDL shuttles cholesterol from your liver to cells that need it, every bit well as to blood vessels in response to injury and inflammation — this can trigger clogged arteries (called atherosclerosis). Healthy levels are lower than 130 mg/dL (ideally less than 100 mg/dL).
   • Doctors look at the results of a cholesterol / lipid profile earlier determining if you need or could benefit from cholesterol-lowing medication.

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3. 3

   Appreciate what the CMP is. A comprehensive metabolic console (CMP) measures other components in your claret, such as electrolytes (charged mineral salts needed for nerve conductance and muscle contraction), organic minerals, protein, creatinine, liver enzymes and glucose.^[seven] A CMP is typically ordered to determine your overall wellness, only too to check the function of your kidneys and liver, every bit well as electrolyte levels and acid/base balance. CMPs are often ordered along with CBCs as part of standard medical exams and annual physicals.

   • Sodium is needed for regulating fluid levels and assuasive nerves and muscles to part, but also much in the blood causes hypertension (high blood pressure) and increases your hazard of cardiovascular affliction. As well piddling can also be dangerous, causing neurological bug. Normal sodium levels are between 136 - 144 mEq/L.
   • Liver enzymes (ALT and AST) become elevated when your liver is injured or inflamed — caused by alcoholism, acetaminophen (Tylenol) overdose, gallstones, hepatitis, or autoimmune disorders.
   • If your blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine levels are elevated, that likely means your kidneys have bug. BUN should be betwixt 7 – 29 mg/dL, whereas your creatinine levels should be between 0.8 – i.iv mg/dL.

4. 4

   Understand blood glucose tests. Another potential component of a CMP is a blood sugar (glucose) test. Blood saccharide tests measure the amount of glucose circulating in your bloodstream, normally after fasting for at least eight hours.^[8] Glucose tests are usually ordered if your doctor suspects you may have a type of diabetes (types 1 or 2, or gestational). Type 1 diabetes develops when your pancreas doesn't produce enough insulin hormone (which functions to grab glucose from the blood and evangelize information technology to cells) or the cells of your body "ignore" the effects of insulin. Type two diabetes develops when your tissues are resistant to the action of insulin, commonly because of obesity. Thus, diabetics have chronically high blood glucose levels (chosen hyperglycemia), which is greater than 125 mg/dL.

   • People at high risk for diabetes have claret sugar levels between 100 – 125 mg/dL — if you lot're in this range, you lot might be referred to as "pre-diabetic."
   • Persistently high glucose levels tin cause harm to organs in the long-term and result in the complications of diabetes similar middle disease, kidney illness, eye disease, and neuropathy.
   • Keep in heed in that location are other causes of high claret sugar, such as chronic stress, kidney affliction, hyperthyroidism and a cancerous or inflamed pancreas gland.
   • Very low levels of glucose (less than 70 mg/dL) is called hypoglycemia and tin can be caused past taking besides much insulin medication, alcoholism and failure of various organs (liver, kidneys and/or heart).

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1. 1

   Learn what urine analysis (urinalysis) screens for. A urinalysis detects the byproducts of normal/abnormal metabolism, cells, protein and bacteria in urine.^[nine] Healthy urine is typically clear looking, without a bad odor and sterile, which means without significant numbers of leaner. Many metabolic and kidney disorders can be caught in their early stages by screening for abnormalities via urinalysis. These abnormalities can include higher-than-normal concentrations of glucose, protein, bilirubin, RBCs, WBCs, uric acid crystals and bacteria.

   • Your doctor may recommend urinalysis if she suspects a metabolic condition (similar diabetes), kidney disease or a urinary tract infection (UTI).^[10]
   • For urinalysis, you lot'll demand to collect 1 – ii ounces of mid-stream urine (not the initial portion out of your urethra) into a sterile plastic loving cup. Collecting the sample offset thing in the morn is usually recommended. Don't forget to clean your genitals thoroughly before collecting a urine sample, particularly if yous're menstruating.
   • The reason information technology needs to exist midstream: there volition be bacteria on the skin near the opening if your urethra normally. The initial flow of urine will incorporate some of these bacteria.
   • Your urine sample is analyzed iii means in the lab: via visual exam, dipstick test and microscopic examination.^[11]

2. 2

   Understand the lab results that suggest a metabolic/kidney trouble. Most metabolic and kidney problems don't create obvious symptoms, at to the lowest degree in their initial stages. Full general feelings of tiredness and lack of free energy are common, only are difficult to chronicle to kidney or glandular dysfunction. An analysis of your urine can propose that a problem exists, although it's non definitive by itself — blood tests, physical exam and other tests (ultrasound, MRI) are often required also.^[12]

   • Normally, at that place isn't meaning amounts of poly peptide (albumin) in urine; however, when urine protein levels are high (called proteinuria), it can be an early on sign of kidney disease.^[xiii] Proteinuria is also common with multiple myeloma and various types of cancer.
   • Kidney illness tin also cause blood (RBCs) to be in urine, too every bit loftier acidity and specific gravity (the concentration of the urine). Crystals in your urine may be a sign of kidney stones or gout.
   • The presence of carbohydrate (glucose) and ketones in your urine may be indicative of diabetes.^[14] Thus, diabetics have too much glucose in both their blood and urine.You may have just high ketones but non glucose in your urine if yous haven't been eating much lately.

3. 3

   Larn how to correlate symptoms of a UTI to the lab results. Another common reason for getting your urine analyzed is if a urinary tract infection (UTI) is suspected.^[15] A UTI usually involves just the urethra (urethritis), but tin can also involve the bladder (cystitis) and kidneys (pyelonephritis) in more than severe cases. UTIs are much more common in women compared to men — about forty% of American women have at to the lowest degree one in their lifetime.^[sixteen] Symptoms of a UTI are much more obvious than the early stages of kidney or metabolic disorders. Frequent and/or painful (burning) urination, nighttime colored urine, urine in the blood, feeling like yous need to become over again right after urinating, lower abdominal pain, dorsum hurting and a mild fever are the most common signs of a UTI.

   • The main prove of a UTI from the dipstick portion of urinalysis is the presence of nitrites or leukocyte esterase (a product of WBCs).^[17]
   • Under the microscope, WBCs (a sure sign of infection/inflammation), bacteria and maybe RBCs will be seen if you take a UTI.
   • Although numerous leaner can cause a UTI, about are due to E. coli, which are normally plant in stool.

4. four

   Recognize other important lab results. Other weather condition and diseases can be identified from urinalysis also, such as liver disease or inflammation, kidney and bladder cancer, chronic inflammation somewhere in the trunk and pregnancy.^[eighteen] These parameters aren't always looked at routinely in the medical blood lab, so your doctor might take to request them specifically.

   • Bilirubin is a byproduct of RBC breakdown and usually not constitute in urine. Any bilirubin in your urine can signal liver damage or illness, such equally cirrhosis or hepatitis. Information technology may also indicate gallbladder affliction.
   • The presence of abnormal looking cells, besides as WBCs and RBCs in the urine, tin be indicative of cancer somewhere in the genitourinary organization.^[nineteen] If cancer is suspected, blood tests and jail cell cultures are usually performed as well.
   • If you suspect you're pregnant because y'all missed your period, urinalysis can exist helpful for confirming it. The medical lab will look for human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in your urine sample, which is a hormone made past the placenta of pregnant women.^[twenty] The hormone can also be detected in the blood, although pregnancy examination kits sold at pharmacies measure hCG in urine.

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• Question

  What does it mean if the results of my urine test "urine claret" says pocket-sized H?

  

  Dr. Ziats is an Internal Medicine Doctor, Researcher, and Entrepreneur in biotechnology. He received his PhD in Genetics from the University of Cambridge in 2014, and completed his Md shortly thereafter, at Baylor Higher of Medicine in 2015.

  

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• Question

  What do the acronyms HGB, HCT, and MCH stand for?h

  

  Dr. Ziats is an Internal Medicine Physician, Researcher, and Entrepreneur in biotechnology. He received his PhD in Genetics from the University of Cambridge in 2014, and completed his Medico shortly thereafter, at Baylor College of Medicine in 2015.

  

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• Question

  Why were my blood creatinine level results of 0.57 mg/dL flagged?

  

  Dr. Ziats is an Internal Medicine Physician, Researcher, and Entrepreneur in biotechnology. He received his PhD in Genetics from the Academy of Cambridge in 2014, and completed his Doc shortly thereafter, at Baylor College of Medicine in 2015.

  

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  What does it mean if I have elevated Lipase?

  

  Dr. Ziats is an Internal Medicine Md, Researcher, and Entrepreneur in biotechnology. He received his PhD in Genetics from the University of Cambridge in 2014, and completed his MD soon thereafter, at Baylor Higher of Medicine in 2015.

  

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  If my lab results prove that my hgb level is 11.4, hct level is 35.four, MCV level is 77.8, MCH level is 25.0, MCHC level is 32.two, and RDW level is xv.6. Does this audio like some type of anemia or like more testing should exist done?

  

  Dr. Ziats is an Internal Medicine Doctor, Researcher, and Entrepreneur in biotechnology. He received his PhD in Genetics from the University of Cambridge in 2014, and completed his MD before long thereafter, at Baylor Higher of Medicine in 2015.

  

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  I cannot answer a question like this without knowing a whole lot more about the patient's medical history and doing a physical exam. Speak with your primary physician or the doctor who ordered the tests about your results.

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• All blood and urine tests must include sure bones elements: your name and health ID, date the test was completed and printed out, names of the examination(s), lab and doctor who ordered the examination, the bodily test results, a comparative normal range for results and flagged abnormal results.

• There are many factors that can skew the results of blood and urine tests (advancing age, prescription drugs, diet, stress levels, altitude / climate of where you live), so don't bound to any conclusions until you've had a chance to talk with your physician.

• Once you're familiar with how medical lab tests look on newspaper, you can quickly browse the page for flagged abnormal results (if there are any), which are labelled every bit either "L" for too low, or "H" for too high.

• Y'all don't demand to memorize the normal ranges for any blood or urine test because they'll e'er be printed alongside your test results as a user-friendly reference.

• The PSA examination is a blood test that looks for a blazon of protein produced by cells in the prostate and released into the blood and semen.^[21] PSA levels below iv.0 ng/ml is desirable.

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• This article in no mode intends or purports to give medical advice. For medical advice, please check with your healthcare provider.

• Never apply your lab results to treat yourself. Lab results are only one part of a broad array of tools a md uses to diagnose and manage diseases.

• Every test has a potential to be wrong due to many factors. This may result in false positive or negative result or fifty-fifty incorrect levels. Therefore most of the test are done at least twice to confirm them. However, in some cases the results may be accented (usually in a test that looks for abnormalities in a sample and they are not present in whatever amount) - those test are usually marked "DNR", significant "Did Non Retest".

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Commodity Summary 10

Learning how to read your medical laboratory results means yous tin better empathise your symptoms and how your trunk is functioning. One of the well-nigh common claret tests analyzes consummate blood count, or CBC. A low hemoglobin count suggests anemia, though too many RBCs tin can signal os marrow disease. A low WBC count can also suggest os marrow problems, while a high WBC count usually ways that you lot're fighting an infection. If your doctor is checking your cholesterol, your total number should be less than 200, with your HDL levels greater than 50 and your LDL numbers lower than 130. Blood sugar or glucose tests measure the corporeality of glucose circulating in your bloodstream after fasting. People at high risk for diabetes have blood sugar levels between 100 and 125. For more tips from our Medical co-author, including how to understand urine lab tests, keep reading!

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