In our high-tech age, doctors still stick to proven diagnostic methods such as blood, urine, and stool tests. As a rule, not a single appointment with a therapist is left without a referral for these tests. But are they informative?
Why do we need general tests?
As soon as a failure occurs in the body, it is immediately reflected in the main indicators of biological fluids - blood and urine. Depending on what exactly is wrong, certain characteristics change.
And if the material is collected correctly, even general analyzes can be informative enough for primary diagnosis. Later, when the doctor understands in what direction it is worth looking, he can ask the patient to undergo clarifying tests in order to confirm or refute his assumptions. But it is the general analysis that will tell him what the problem may be. And if the visitor came as part of a medical examination, then this is also a quick way to understand whether everything is in order and remove most of the questions about the state of he alth. In a word, there is simply nothing to replace the proven methods - they are so effective. No wonder thatthey are still used so actively.
At the same time, a urine test and a blood test are often considered in combination, since this significantly increases the information content. That is why, even in the absence of complaints, doctors often give patients two referrals for tests at once.
Blood
This liquid is an invaluable source of information, it is, in fact, the carrier of life in the human body. Its composition is unique, so it has not yet been possible to synthesize a full-fledged substitute that could save hundreds of thousands of lives around the world. Blood consists of a liquid part - plasma, and the cells contained in it. Both of these components are extremely important. Plasma is colorless and similar in composition to s alt water, though not identical to it. The color of blood is given by various cells - red and white bodies. All of their types have their own function and cannot be replaced by others. If everything was arranged differently, otherwise, it would be difficult to imagine the world as we know it.
The main types of blood cells are: leukocytes, erythrocytes and platelets. The former are responsible for protecting the body from harmful bacteria and support the immune system, the latter provide respiration and nutrition for all cells in the body, and the third help to quickly “patch” wounds in case of any damage and injury. The ratio of the number of these cells, as well as their behavior and reaction in certain conditions, is observed in the analysis of blood.
Urine
This fluid is equally important in assessing he alth status. Since it is a product of blood filtration, many problems in the body also quickly become visible when analyzing its composition. 97% of urine consists of water, the rest is the breakdown products of protein substances, as well as s alt.
With various metabolic disorders and imbalances in the product of the work of the kidneys, foreign elements appear or changes occur in normal values. For example, during inflammatory processes of the excretory system, bacteria can be found in the urine, although it is normally sterile. In other cases, proteins or special elements - cylinders - can be found. Thus, a urinalysis and a blood test are equally important - they can help to look at the problem from different angles.
Kal
Product processed by the body can also provide some information about human he alth. In particular, it can be used to assess the condition of the intestine, diagnose dysbacteriosis or infection with certain types of parasites. In other cases, tests using this biomaterial may reveal bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract and improper functioning of the biliary system. In general, these analyzes should not be neglected.
Preparation and delivery procedure
Clinical blood and urine tests require certain actions during the collection of the material and immediately before it. Despite the fact that these rules seem to be known to everyone, it will not be out of place to remember them again.
Correct for the general analysis will be to collect the morning portion of urine. Before this, it is necessary to toilet the external genitalia.organs, especially for women, but men should not neglect this in order to avoid distorting the results. Next, you need to collect the average portion in sufficient quantities in a sterile container.
Well, in order to take a blood test, you need to visit the treatment room on an empty stomach. If this rule is violated, the material may become unsuitable for research. When we are not talking about a general analysis, the issue of preparing for taking blood from a doctor should be further clarified. In some cases, the diet is adjusted for a certain time before the test. In others, on the contrary, you must definitely eat. In other words, conditions vary.
It's easy to take a urine and blood test - you can get a referral from a local therapist or go without an appointment to any paid clinic. The results will be ready very quickly.
Special tests
In addition to the fact that there is a general analysis of blood and urine, considering the main indicators, there are many more. For example, people with an increased risk of diabetes often undergo a glucose tolerance test. If there is a suspicion of a particular disease, they look for antibodies to its pathogen. Blood is also often used for genetic tests that reveal various tendencies and predispositions. In a word, there are a lot of special options, but there must be certain grounds for the appointment of any of them. In any case, blood is an invaluable source of information about the state of the human body.
As for urine, it can also provide useful he alth information. Since, in fact, it is filtered blood, some of the substances also enter it, albeit in a much lower concentration. In addition, urine allows you to find out how efficiently the kidneys are working. In order to understand this, it is enough to conduct a Zimnitsky test.
Norma
Urine analysis and blood analysis are the most popular and simple tests that rely on basic indicators and material properties. While normal values may vary from person to person, there are certain limits that are cause for concern.
| Indicator | Reference values | |
| Men | Women | |
| Hemoglobin | 120-180 | 115-165 |
| Erythrocytes | 4-5, 5 million | 3, 9-4, 7 million |
|
Leukocytes
|
4-9 thousand
|
|
| Platelets | 200-400 thousand | |
| Color indicator | 0, 8-1 | |
| Monocytes | 2-9% | |
| Lymphocytes | 18-30% | |
| ESR | 1-10mm/h | 2-15mm/h |
For urine, normal values are about the same for both sexes, so division, as with blood, is usually not used.
| Indicator | Reference values |
| Relative density | 1010-1026 |
| Reaction | slightly acidic |
| Glucose | Not found |
| Protein | Not found |
| Bacteria | Not found |
| Erythrocytes | Not found |
| Leukocytes | 0-7 |
| Epithelium | 0-5 |
By the way, the pH of urine is largely dependent on the diet. People who mainly eat plant-based foods can often suffer from inflammation due to the disruption of the natural barrier and the growth of harmful bacteria due to the alkaline environment.
Biochemical analysis of blood and urine, in addition to the already listed indicators, also considers the composition of the biomaterial for trace elements and some other substances that signal more serious problems and processes. Usually such tests are ordered more or less targeted before serious examinations begin.
Test results
Blood and urine can give a lot of information to knowledgeable people, but most people have no idea what these or other abnormalities mean.
For example, the number of red blood cells can be increased or decreased both in malignant tumors, and in anemia or oxygen starvation. ESR can increase or decrease during pregnancy, menstruation, after injuries, in the presence of inflammatoryprocesses, myocardial infarction, due to taking certain drugs.
As for urine, everything is not so clear-cut here either. Any changes can speak both about serious diseases, and simply about the peculiarities of nutrition and lifestyle. Thus, a urinalysis and a blood test should be read and interpreted by a doctor, correlating the results with the anamnesis, complaints and the overall picture.
