Fasting tests are the tests that require the patient to fast for a few hours before the actual test. These tests usually take place in the morning as the stomach is empty for the whole night and a person does not have to literally fast. All the lipid profile tests for example blood test, sugar test, thyroid test etc are the fasting tests. Ideally, you should not eat anything before eight to twelve hours of the test.
There are certain things that you should take care of before the tests. Some of the precautions, guidelines are mentioned as follows:
Inform your doctor:
Before preparing for a test that a doctor has recommended, make sure that you inform your physicist about the things like any other medication- lithium, hormone therapy, birth control pills etc you are taking because it can affect the test results if taken before the tests. Also, you should tell your doctor if you have suffered from heart attack, stroke or trauma recently.
Basic knowledge of procedure :
You should have some knowledge of the procedure of the test. Like if the healthcare provider is about to draw the blood, he should clear the area of the skin from where the blood is to be drawn. The needle that the person would be using should be new or sterilised before use. You can relax your arm at the time of drawing blood so as to reduce the pain. Place the band-aid over the punctured area to stop the blood flow for a while.
Precautions related to liquid drinks:
It is recommended that you can drink water before the tests. But when you drink tea or coffee, the caffeine in such liquids can affect the test results. Coffee can also have a dehydrating effect on the patients. Also, some test needs you to not drink alcohol for at least 24 hours before the day of the test. So if a person is told that they should fast then they should refrain from drinking alcohol as well.
For special cases:
Since the kids are sensitive, if they are fasting for 8-12 hours, they should get a snack right after the blood test so as to maintain the good nutrition level. There are some tests to check the health of a potential child for pregnant women. The same should be followed for them too. They should be given a snack right after the test so as to provide the mother and child with nutrition. Rest of the guidelines are the same for the test of pregnant women.
Apart from this, if you are taking any regular medicines, continue taking them. There is no need to put on hold those medicines. By taking special care as mentioned above, you can have better results and then you can consult the doctor and proceed with the treatment accordingly.