A commonly prescribed medical test used today to decipher if you are ill, experiencing trouble, healthy or to better pinpoint a current complaint or medical finding is a blood test referred to as a Complete Blood Count, or more often explained as, CBC, its acronym.

Humans could not survive without blood flowing from top to bottom within our bodies. Thus it makes sense it is one of the first tests ordered when figuring out diagnosis. A CBC blood test is often called out by doctors in t.v. dramas these days, but in actuality, it is a vital step in being sure what's right and what's wrong with you, internally.

CBC blood tests may be prescribed by your physician simply when you are are under the weather, always tired, or even if you simply have a cold you can't get rid of. You need not be in the jaws of death, nor completely sick to have a CBC blood testCBC blood test ordered.

But, that said, every year when you visit your doctor, physician or alternative practitioner for your yearly check-up, if your doctor doesn't order a CBC Blood Test, by all means, ask for one. It is the cheapest, most simple, maybe even life-saving act you can do and definitely should do at least once a year.

Your complete blood count test, or CBC represents your overall health and if there's trouble, odds are, life saving alerts will be found within your blood and its makeup. There are exceptions to the case, but be on the safe side, anyways. A number of determining variables are studied with CBC Blood Tests: white and red blood cell counts or levels, the HCT (or Hematocrit, which basically is defined by the volume of space which your blood takes up), Hgb (or Hemoglobin which accounts for the oxygen inside your blood cells), and platelet counts which allows your blood's ability to clot.

Too many or too few of another element of your blood, depending on what numbers reveal themselves can be a alert that alerts your medical staff what's really going on. While the diagnosis variables can be vast and cover a wide spectrum, having your CBC Blood Test at least per year, after visiting your doctor can provide you answers to most questions about your overall health, that physical touch, listening to your heart, checking your lungs and using a tongue depressor just can't do.

A CBC (Complete Blood Count) Test (or Tests) can give you exact answers to why you are fatigued, not feeling 'normal', showing bruising for 'no reason', having chest discomfort, have a virus, are having adverse reactions, plus a mountain of other possibilities. But, perhaps even more important, these blood tests allow you the possibly life-saving, life stretching benefit of catching early warning signs of perhaps hazardous and life threatening trouble if allowed to grow. Make a note now for both yourself and your family to regularly (at least once a year) take part in a CBC Blood Test or Complete Blood Count Tests. It could spare your life, but even if nothing is seriously wrong, it's a simple method to increase the quality of your current lifestyle.

A regular author of the independently owned healthy living web site, Bradley Kohn, strives to contribute with his readers the importance of healthy eating on a budget and its role in your quality of living.