If you have had a doctor's appointment recently for anything other than a cold, then you probably had a blood test done. This is a very common procedure and can yield some very important information for the doctor as to your health and wellbeing. There are a multitude of reasons for a blood sample to be taken and for the subsequent tests to be run, we will discuss a few of the more common reasons here.

1- Perhaps the most common reason what a blood test is performed is to validate, or not, the suspicion of a pregnancy. While there are over the counter early pregnancy tests that will give you a result, most doctors to not take this information at face value, preferring instead to get their result via blood. If in fact you are pregnant, this will be the first of many blood tests over the course of the next nine months or so.

2- A sample of blood can also prove or disprove the presence of many diseases, such as HIV, diabetes and prostate cancer to name a few. The early detection of these and other diseases is only possible through routine blood tests. The sooner they are detected, the sooner an effective treatment for them can be implemented.

3- Most states still require that at blood test be performed before a couple is allowed to be married. This type of blood test generally looks for certain vaccinations, HIV and sexually transmitted diseases that can be cured. In some cases, this information is helpful with future decisions that they couple may make.

4- A common blood issue is also detected via the use of a blood sample test; anemia is a condition that is caused by low iron in the blood. The symptoms are tiredness and pale skin. The blood test is utilized to track the iron levels to be sure they are appropriate for each individual patient.

5- As you can see, a blood test is a helpful tool that the doctor has as his or her disposal and often on that they use. So, instead of staying a way from the doctor like a baby, the next time you are in for a physical, suck it up, stick out your arm and give the doctor your blessing. Oh, it might help you to look away while the blood is being drawn, the doctor won't call you a sissy for this, I promise.