About

It’s no secret that healthcare and medicine can be very expensive in America. Healthcare is a luxury for some, particularly those without insurance, causing them to skip doctor’s visits and forgo necessary tests. A big reason for this is when a doctor goes to order a slew of tests, the patient doesn’t have any idea how much it will cost. When ordering a blood test online, though, the costs are always clear and known upfront.

There are a plethora of companies offering blood tests for a wide range of things. Some of them can be done at home, but others require visiting a lab. But you’ll always know the costs ahead of time. Keep in mind that while ordering these tests can be beneficial, you should not forgo consulting a licensed doctor and routine checkups.

Test types

The process for those tests that can be done at home is straight forward. You choose what you want to test for, order the kit, and receive instructions, often as a video, to take you through the process of taking a sample. You then send the sample to be analyzed, getting the results in about a week. Most companies offering these tests report the results in an easy-to-understand format and will suggest you consult a doctor if any of the results are critical.

For some types of tests, you will need to visit a laboratory. But you’ll know how much it is going to cost ahead of time. If you have used the same company as before, you’ll be able to see your testing history and previous results allowing you to keep track of your progress.

Categories

The main reason why these tests are more affordable than those ordered by doctors is that you cut out then middlemen. Instead of your doctor determining which things to test for, you can choose yourself. The laboratories where the tests are analyzed are all certified by the same agencies as those that a doctor would use - therefore, the accuracy is the same. Make sure the testing company you choose uses certified labs to conduct their tests.

The following are most commonly tested for:

• Vitamins;
• Inflammation;
• Cardiovascular;
• Diabetes;
• Hormones;
• Infectious Diseases;
• Kidney;
• Liver;
• Drug and Alcohol Detection;
• STD Testing;
• Pregnancy, Fertility, and Prostate;
• Allergies.

Just keep in mind that when you take an allergy test for food be specific if you want to know allergies or food sensitivities. These are commonly mixed at sociality, be aware which one you are ordering and also don`t mix results.

Though often confused, food sensitivities and food allergies are two different things. Be clear which you would like to be tested for beforehand and note that aside from lactose intolerance, tests for food sensitivities may not be reliable whereas tests for food allergies are reliable.