🩸 How to Decode Your Blood Tests (Without Needing a Biology Degree)

Joanna Monigatti
Nov 30, 2025
2 min read

Having a blood test: do you understand the result?

Understanding your blood tests shouldn’t feel like learning a new language. Yet so many people open their results, see a sea of abbreviations, and immediately wonder: “Am I dying or is this normal?”Good news—you don’t need a biology degree (or a medical dictionary) to make sense of the basics.

In today’s AskADoc4Advice breakdown, we’ll walk through the most common blood test markers, what they actually mean, and how to know when a number is worth paying attention to. This guide is designed to be simple, practical, and easy to reference the next time results hit your inbox.

🔍 Why Understanding Blood Tests Matters

Learning how to read your own lab results can help you:

Spot early signs of vitamin deficiencies
Understand inflammation and infection markers
Track thyroid, liver, and kidney health
Have more productive conversations with your doctor

Think of this as your quick-start guide to interpreting blood work.

📘 The Big Three Blood Tests You Should Know

1. Complete Blood Count (CBC)

A CBC measures your red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. It can reveal:

Anemia (low hemoglobin)
Infections (high white blood cells)
Clotting problems (low platelets)

2. Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)

This tells you how your organs are doing. Key markers include:

Creatinine → kidney function
ALT/AST → liver health
Electrolytes → hydration and metabolic balance

3. Thyroid Panel (TSH, T3, T4)

These levels help identify:

Hypothyroidism (slow metabolism, fatigue)
Hyperthyroidism (racing heart, weight loss)

🧪 What “High” or “Low” Really Means

A single high or low number doesn’t always mean something serious. Labs include reference ranges, and variations can occur based on:

Stress
Medications
Dehydration
Time of day
Recent infections

The key is patterns, not single values.

🩺 When to Talk to Your Doctor

Reach out to a healthcare professional if:

Your results fall far outside the reference range
You have symptoms that match abnormal values
You’re unsure how multiple results fit together

Doctors can interpret trends and context that lab reports alone can’t.

⭐ Final Takeaway

Blood tests don’t have to be intimidating. With a basic understanding of the major markers, you can feel more informed, more confident, and much more prepared for your next check-up.

Check out my Youtibe channel Askadoc for more medical content.

Stay healthy,

Dr. Joanna