8 Blood Tests which every woman should do regularly.

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a) Complete blood count will detect low Hb i.e anaemia which is one of the most common problems in young women and can be easily corrected by diet or medications.

b) Thyroid hormone profile – Thyroid hormones helps to maintain our body’s general wellbeing. It's important for control of our fertility and periods cycles and flow. Underactive Thyroid gland ( hypothyroid) can give rise to weight gain, hair loss.

c) Fasting and Postprandial blood sugars – It helps us to detect Diabetes which is one of the common public health problems in India , may be due our Asian genes, dietary habits and lifestyle issues. Early detection helps to manage it with diet and exercise

d) Lipid profile – Increased cholesterol is directly related to BP and heart related problems .

e) Infection screening- HIV, Hepatitis B tests helps to detect dormant infections which can not only affect you but also your family . Though they have been stigmatised, the treatments available can help an individual to maintain good health keeping onset of disease at bay.

f) Thalassemia  screening test- Hb electrophoresis. This helps to understand if someone has defective Thalassemia  Hb which can be a cause of low hb.  It is important if you are planning pregnancy as there is 25% chance that your baby may have the same gene.

g) Rubella IgG – This can help to know whether woman is protected against Rubella ( German Measles) infection which can be one of the  common cause of miscarriage in pregnancy.

h) Anti Mullerian Hormone ( AMH) – This hormone guides us about women’s fertility. This test may be of value if woman is finding it difficult to conceive or planning to defer pregnancy for different reasons.