This content is for informational and educational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider.
It can be a bit overwhelming to be able to read your medical lab results, which is understandable. It’s got all those symbols and numbers that can get you all confused.
- But it’s actually not that hard.
You don’t need to have a medical degree before you can read your lab results.
Because this article will help you understand how to read it, without being confused.
📋 Table of Contents
Let’s start with the basics.
These are things things you would normally find in your lab report.
They include:
- Your information: Like your date of birth, name, and sometimes your medical record number
- Test information: This is the names of the tests you’ve done (like blood, pee, and so on)
- Your results: It is the numbers or words that show what the tests found.
- Reference range: It tells you if you’re within the “good” range most people who are healthy are.
- Units of measurement: Your lab results are measured in things like (grams or milligrams)
What the numbers and ranges mean
- The results: These are the numbers or descriptions that help you know how your body is doing.
- Normal range: This is the range of numbers that are considered normal Or healthy. It’ll be written next to your results
- What it means: If your results are outside the normal range, it could be that something is wrong, and needs a little extra attention.
Common lab tests
These are some common tests people do, and what they typically assess:
Blood count (CBC): It checks your blood cells like including your:
- White blood cells
- Red blood cells
- And platelets
It can show if if you’re going to get a cold or other issues.
Blood chemistry tests: This measures things like your,
- Blood sugar levels
- Cholesterol
- Electrolytes
- Proteins
It’s going to let you know how well your organs are working, particularly your,
- Liver
- Kidney
- And heart
It helps indicate things like diabetes, liver problems or kidney disease.
Lipid levels test: It measures your cholesterol levels, including
- LDL (“bad”) cholesterol
- HDL (“good”) cholesterol
- And triglycerides
It’ll check how much fats like the food or bad fats are in your blood. It can show you if you’re at a risk of getting heart problems.
What these words mean in your medical lab results
- Normal: This means that your number is within a healthy range.
- Abnormal: Your number has passed the normal or healthy range.
- High: It means your number is higher than the healthy range.
- Low: This means that your number is lower than the range that is considered healthy.
What should you do if your medical lab results show “abnormal”
The first thing you should do is relax
- Don’t panic, or start freaking out.
Abnormal results don’t always mean that you have a severe illness.
Stay calm, and follow up with your doctor. Your doctor will tell you what your results mean for YOU, will tell you if you need to do anything else. them.
You might also need to start making some changes in your life.
- Maybe you need to start eating differently
- Or exercise more
