If you want a clear view of your health, it begins with your blood.
A complete blood count (CBC) test analyzes the cells that circulate in your blood. It’s the most common test ordered by physicians and can provide valuable information on your overall health and help detect problems like anemia, inflammation, and infection.
Why take a CBC test
Because a CBC is clinically meaningful if you have abnormal results, it’s a good baseline test for understanding your health. Here are a few reasons why you may choose to take a CBC test:
- General wellness check: Review your overall health
- Diagnosis: Identify potential causes of symptoms, including weakness, tiredness, fever, bruising, swelling and redness
- Chronic Conditions: Monitor active health conditions that impact your blood count
- Medications: Understand the impact of certain medications, such as rheumatoid arthritis treatments, on blood count over time
- Pre-surgery: Low platelet counts put surgical patients at risk of abnormal bleeding so the procedure may be delayed—or so you and your doctor can develop a different treatment plan
If you do receive abnormal results, you have the option to dig deeper by sharing results with your doctor and determining next steps.
What can a CBC test detect?
A CBC test is extremely comprehensive, measuring different types of cells in your blood. That includes your white blood count, which is linked to your body’s ability to fight off infections and foreign agents that cause inflammation. It also measures your platelets, which indicate your body’s propensity to bleed or clot in certain situations, and your hemoglobin, which is the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells. When those levels are low, the decreased levels of oxygen can cause symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, and headaches.
A CBC test can detect a number of different conditions including:
- Anemia
- Autoimmune disorders
- Bone marrow disorders
- Dehydration
- Infections
- Inflammation
- Hemoglobin abnormalities
- Leukemia
- Lymphoma
- Sickle cell disease
