Are my body functions OK? Your blood knows the answer!
“Understanding laboratory values” – the patient guide in the 7th edition

In modern medicine, laboratory tests of blood, urine, etc. play a crucial role in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. But the abundance of technical terms, abbreviations and procedures overwhelms most people. Maria Lohmann does valuable educational work with "Laboratory Latin": The handy compact guide "Understanding Laboratory Values" provides competent and easy-to-understand information about medical backgrounds, measured values ​​and their meaning.

Questions upon questions

Am I getting enough minerals and trace elements? Is the composition of my body fluids correct? Am I missing important substances? Are there too many of some or are they present in unusual amounts? Are my hormone levels OK? Is my immune system and metabolism working?

Anyone who has ever held the results of a laboratory test with abbreviations such as CRP or ESR in their hand will be familiar with these questions. In practice, doctors often do not have enough time to explain the laboratory findings in detail. This guide provides a good overview that is not limited to common values ​​such as blood sugar, cholesterol and hemoglobin, but also provides information on inflammation values, liver enzymes or normal values ​​for the kidneys and intestines. " Understanding laboratory values " answers all questions, explains normal values ​​and the meaning of laboratory results and "translates" technical terms and important abbreviations. For medical laypeople, the guide is good preparation for the conversation with the doctor.

The meaning of blood

Doctors rely on the results of laboratory tests for almost every diagnosis. Their analysis provides deep insights into how the body functions, because a small drop of blood or urine can often reveal more than complicated tests. Since the composition of the blood changes with almost every illness, its values ​​provide information about the condition of most organs. Laboratory values ​​are also indispensable for checking whether medication is being dosed correctly or whether and how well a treatment is working.

Our blood, which transports vital substances, consists of solid red and white blood cells, platelets and liquid plasma. Various factors such as gender, age, diet, medication, etc. influence blood values, which give a first impression of the state of health in a complete blood count, for example. Maria Lohmann explains the relevant components of the blood and the laboratory values ​​determined for them, and explains why these can deviate from the normal value under certain circumstances.

In addition, it explains individual test procedures and provides information about their significance for diagnosis and therapy. The connections between health disorders and laboratory values ​​are presented clearly, so that the "medical jargon" is understandable even for the "non-expert". With this knowledge, it is possible to better understand both your own body and the development of diseases.

Example: CRP – Tracking inflammation

In order to detect inflammation, the C-reactive protein (CRP, normal value less than 5 mg/l) in the blood is very important because it rises around ten hours after the onset of inflammation - even before the white blood cells (leukocytes) and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Since the value reacts quickly to changes, it is also ideal for monitoring the progression of the disease.

CRP levels are increased in bacterial infections, but hardly at all in viral infections. Accordingly, the laboratory value is also helpful in deciding whether the administration of antibiotics - which only work against bacterial infections - makes sense.

Conclusion: If you want to understand the technical language of medical findings and their interpretation, as well as get help with health behavior in the case of various diseases, this book is recommended at a low price.

Certified by the Health Foundation:
“This book belongs in the hands of every patient who wants to understand what is happening in his body and who wants to actively work on his health (...).” Stiftung Gesundheit

Book tip:
Maria Lohmann: Understanding laboratory values. Compact guide. Blood, urine and stool analyses - an overview of normal values ​​- technical terms and important abbreviations . Mankau Verlag, 7th updated edition July 2021, paperback 11.5 x 16.5 cm, full color, 159 pages, 9.99 euros (D) / 10.30 euros (A), ISBN 978-3-86374-158-7

Link recommendations:
More information about the book “Understanding Laboratory Values”
To the reading sample in PDF format
More about the author Maria Lohmann
To the Internet forum with Maria Lohmann