Blood Test Results Are Not Quite Normal – Here's What You Should Do

Imagine this: Upon your online request to a laboratory that provides specialized mobile blood test services in Northern Virginia or your local area, the phlebotomist visits to collect your “stat” specimens. And later you receive the reports on your mail and you're going through them, and you notice some numbers are teetering on the edge of the normal range. Should you be worried? “It's complicated because, in some tests, a borderline result hardly makes any difference. While in others, it might indicate an important change in health that we need to follow or act on.

When you go through the blood test report, you’ll find the normal ranges for each blood test next to your personal results. For example, if your routine blood work includes a test for calcium in the blood, your lab may list the normal range for calcium as 8.3 to 9.9 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). If your result is a 9.1 mg/dL, right in the middle, you can feel confident that your calcium level is normal.

Minor fluctuations in test results may also reflect:
• Recent Infections
• Medication Side Effects
• Stress
• Gender
• Age
• Inaccurate Lab Procedures

WHEN TO BE CONCERNED

Instead of looking at a one-time test result on the high or low end of normal, nowadays doctors look at trends. They get concerned if there’s a change from what’s been normal for years, for you. If your test result is always in the high normal range they hardly bother. But if it’s always been in the low normal range, and today it’s high normal, that’s different and they pay heed to it.

For instance: If you have your blood sugar (glucose) measured every three years and the normal range you witness is between 60 and 100 mg/dL. Levels between 100 and 125 mg/dL are considered “prediabetes” — that is, not quite full-blown diabetes, but approaching it. If your results have usually been 81 or 82 mg/dL, but your latest result is suddenly 98 mg/dL, it’s still considered normal, but the change might spark a conversation about your diet. To start up the investigation as to why suddenly your blood sugar is going up, the doctors will surely ask “Have you put on weight? Are you eating more carbohydrates and sugary foods?"

However, there are some tests which don’t have any room for fluctuation, such as tests for liver enzymes, called AST (aspartate aminotransferase) and ALT (alanine aminotransferase).

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

Get an annual check-up done, and don’t skip routine blood work. Even if you feel that you’re healthy, it’s still a good idea to have a continuous record of standard blood markers so your doctor can look for trends. If you have some results at the high or low end of normal, ask your doctor if you should repeat the test or investigate them further. But remember: “Each test has its own rules, and it takes years to understand how the numbers work together.” If you can't leave home due to illness or do not have time for regular checkups due to hectic life schedules, then you can opt for mobile blood test services in Northern Virginia or your local area. All you have to do is order test online, schedule the sample collection at home or office, and thereafter receive the results online.