Why have a blood test when you feel well?
You do not need to feel unwell to want to know more about your health.
Some people choose a blood test because they have symptoms. Others simply want to check key health markers, understand their current levels, or have a baseline they can compare with in the future.
A blood test cannot tell you everything about your health, but it can give you useful information about what is happening in your body at that point in time.
See what your current levels look like
Blood tests can measure many different biomarkers.
Depending on the test, this may include:
- Iron
- Vitamin B12
- Vitamin D
- Folate
- Cholesterol
- Blood sugar
- Thyroid markers
- Liver markers
- Kidney markers
- Full blood count
- Hormones
This can help you understand whether your results sit within the laboratory reference range and give you a clearer picture of the areas being tested.
Create a useful baseline
Having a blood test when you feel well can give you something to compare with later.
If you choose to repeat the same test in the future, you can look at how selected biomarkers have changed over time.
This can be useful if you are keeping an eye on things such as cholesterol, blood sugar, vitamins, thyroid markers or hormones.
One result should not be looked at in isolation, but having previous results can give useful context.
Check vitamins and minerals
Low levels of some vitamins and minerals can affect how you feel.
Blood tests can measure nutrients such as iron, vitamin B12, vitamin D and folate.
If you want to know what your current levels are, testing gives you an objective result rather than relying on symptoms alone.
If a result is outside the expected range, you can discuss it with an appropriate healthcare professional.
Understand more about symptoms
Tiredness, low mood, poor concentration and changes in weight can have many possible explanations.
A blood test cannot tell you the exact cause of these symptoms, but it can give you information about biomarkers that may be relevant.
For example, someone with ongoing tiredness may choose a test that includes iron, vitamin B12, vitamin D, thyroid markers and a full blood count.
This does not diagnose the reason for the tiredness, but it can give useful information to help guide the next conversation.
Support your health and fitness goals
Some people choose blood testing while making changes to their lifestyle.
This might be while improving their diet, increasing exercise, managing their weight or training for a fitness goal.
Blood tests can give you measurable information about selected health markers alongside the other things you are tracking.
They cannot prove that a particular lifestyle change caused a result, but they can help you compare your markers over time.
More testing is not always better
A bigger test is not always the right test.
The most useful test is the one that matches what you actually want to understand.
Before booking, it is worth checking:
- What the test measures
- How many biomarkers are included
- Whether it covers the area you are interested in
- Whether there are any preparation instructions
Choosing the right test can be more useful than simply choosing the one with the longest list of biomarkers.
What happens after your blood test?
At The Phlebotomist, your blood sample is collected by a clinically trained and highly experienced phlebotomist.
Clinic appointments and mobile visits are available across Swindon and surrounding areas.
Most blood tests purchased through The Phlebotomist include your laboratory results and a doctor-reviewed report.
If you already have your own test kit, laboratory request or practitioner form, you can book our professional blood draw service instead.
A simple way to understand more about your health
Blood testing can give you useful information about your current health markers, whether you have symptoms or simply want to know more.
It is not about testing everything.
It is about choosing the right test for the questions you have and using the results as one part of the wider picture of your health.