Sometimes, when you’re suffering from an illness, your doctor will order a blood test. Of course, it’s to complete his diagnosis so that he can give you the right care, but the idea makes you anxious and many questions come to mind. Here are some answers that might put your mind at rest.
What is a blood test?
This involves drawing blood from one of your veins, usually in the arm, using a very fine needle. If the veins in the arm are difficult to locate, blood is taken from the fingertip, this time using a technique known as the “micro-method”.
The blood taken will be analyzed in a laboratory, and the results given to your doctor so that he or she has a precise idea of what’s going on in your body. Such an examination contributes to the diagnosis.
Where can I have my blood tested?
The best thing to do is to go to a hospital or analysis laboratory. This is also possible at home, especially for people with reduced mobility.
Laboratoire LBS for blood sampling in Brussels is a good reference. In fact, there are 5 main sampling centers and 30 blood sampling centers spread across the whole of Brussels, for a complete local, high-quality service. LBS is a modern medical laboratory that most doctors recommend to their patients. Specializing in clinical biology, occupational medicine and functional medicine, the LBS laboratory processes more than 1,500 tests in several fields, including :
- Hematology
- chemistry
- coagulation
- immunology
- serology
- bacteriology
- toxicology
- molecular biology and many others.
Do I need to make an appointment?
Patients don’t need to book an appointment. All you need to do is arrive at the laboratory during opening hours. It’s best to come in the morning on an empty stomach.
What preparation is required before sampling?
There’s really no preparation to do before the blood test. You just need to be calm, as it’s not recommended to take blood from an anxious person whose blood pressure may be rising.
Fasting, why and how?
For some people, a fasting sample is recommended by the doctor. This means that they are not allowed to eat any food since midnight the previous day, nor to drink sugar water. They are still entitled to a glass of unsweetened water a few hours before the blood test. A cup of tea or black coffee is also permitted, as long as it’s sugar-free.
It is important to tell your doctor and the health care staff taking your blood what medication you are taking. This can have an impact on analysis results.
Is the blood test painful?
It’s almost painless. The needle will obviously sting when it passes through the skin, but no more. If you want to feel less pain… and less fear, there’s a simple solution: apply an anaesthetic cream to the skin to be pricked 1 to 2 hours before the blood test.