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Tips to Keep in Mind for Your Next Blood Draw

Everyone has to get their blood drawn from time to time. Patients who receive home health care services have to get their blood drawn as their doctor deems necessary. It helps them to monitor their patient’s health and determine if any changes need to be made. But getting blood drawn can be a stressful and painful procedure. This post discusses tips for how to make your next blood draw
at home or at the lab easier.

Needle
Notes

Follow the Instructions 

Following the instructions seems like the most obvious thing for a blood draw. Not every blood test has special instructions. One of the most common is that the test requires you to fast or not eat or
drink anything before having your blood drawn. Make sure to ask your home health nurse or doctor’s office at least one day before the blood draw is going to take place if there are any. Any instructions not followed specific to the test may result in the draw being moved to another day, or it may need to be done again.

You may also have to stop taking a medication or two temporarily for the test. If you do, your doctor’s office will notify you about it in advance of the blood draw.

What to Do Before a Blood Draw


There are things that you can do to make your next blood draw easier for yourself and your nurse or phlebotomist. Some patients are what is called a “hard stick.” This is a way of saying that it’s difficult to find a vein to draw the blood from. One way to make your veins easier to find is to drink plenty of water. Water increases your blood volume and plumps up your veins. This makes the veins easier to find and can reduce the pain associated with the draw. Wear a short-sleeved top or layers that make your arm easier to access, and let the person know if
you have a preferred arm to draw from or a place where you’ve had blood drawn from before. Don’t forget to eat a good meal filled with carbohydrates or protein, if you can eat before the test. This can save you from feeling light-headed afterward.

Visit doctor
A little bit nervous.

How to Handle Anxiety or Nerves

 Being poked with a needle for a blood draw is no fun, and some people are afraid of needles or anxious about the whole procedure. The stick of the needle might hurt, and the tourniquet might feel too tight. Before your blood draw, tell the person doing it that you are nervous. They might be able to offer you tips like: – Take deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. – Try breathing exercises like breathing in four seconds, holding it in for four seconds, and breathing it out for four seconds. Repeat the process again. – Tell yourself you’re doing just fine. Remind yourself that you’ve done this before, that you’ll be ok, and that you’re doing it for your health. – Face your fears by acknowledging that you’re getting this blood draw done. If you feel anxious, remind yourself that nothing bad is going to happen. – Distract yourself by talking to the person drawing the blood to pass the time. The average blood draw takes about ten minutes, and then it will be over!

The Best IHSS Provider

Home health nurses, therapists, aides, and social workers do a lot to help patients who need home
health services for support and monitoring. To learn more about how Voyager Home Health helps
patients in the Denver, CO, area, reach out to us today at (719)-401-5654.

Highest Paying Provider   ● Highest Quality   ● All Phones Text-able   ●   Overtime allowed with hybrid hours  ● Smart Documentation ● Home Healthcare Company with Class A License.

 
 
 
 

Voyager Home Health Care is known for being the highest paying IHSS & CHCBS provider in Colorado.

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