How to Check Your Blood Type at Home?

How to Check Your Blood Type at Home?

Knowing your blood type is knowing your health.

Every blood type comes with its potential health concerns and treatments. By availing of a blood test home service, you can easily know your blood group and its associations. However, not everyone is aware of the alternatives to check blood type at home other than that.

So, today, let’s discuss how you can perform a blood type check right at home. But before addressing the topic directly, let’s first discuss the basics.

Defining blood types Blood type is determined by the presence and absence of antigens which trigger the blood’s immunity response. Furthermore, if a person has A antigens and B antigens, the chances are that they possess a protein called the Rhesus factor.

The very first stage when checking blood type involves testing ABO typing. This will determine which of the following main blood types a person has: 1. A: for the A antigen 2. B: for the B antigen

3. AB: for both A and B antigens 4. O: for neither of the antigens Incorporating the four antigens ABO types and the two Rh types, 8 different common blood types result from this: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

A+ AB+ BAB+ ABO+ O-

Now that the basics of blood types are revised let’s discuss how you can find out yours at home.

How a blood test home service determines blood type To accurately determine your blood type, you might think about visiting a clinic, but that’s no more necessary. Now, you can determine and check your blood type at home in these simple ways.

Drawing blood The method that most home-based blood typing professionals use is drawing blood. This method requires top-quality blood typing equipment, which is used to prick the finger with a needle. These kits come with cards that contain chemicals known as reagents to test the presence of antibodies and Rh factor.

When one or more of the blood type antibodies or Rh factors are present in a blood sample, the test produces “clumping” of the blood. If clumping doesn’t occur, it means that the person’s blood type is O-negative.

Without drawing blood A blood test home service can also use a saliva sample to test your blood type as antigens are present in the mouth. According to research, if the person doesn’t secrete antigens in their saliva, then dried saliva can reliably indicate blood type.

Yet, it’s important to note that not everyone can secrete antigens using this method, so this doesn’t necessarily indicate the Rh factor's absence or presence.

The other alternative

The last alternative is donating blood. NGO’s collect blood from volunteers for use at hospitals in emergency cases. This method is a completely free way to know your blood type. A person who donates blood receives a donor card, which states the blood type.

Conclusion, The methods above will help you determine your blood type right at home conveniently and efficiently. Consulting with a professional should always be your priority before taking the final step of going for a blood test. Remember, you can always opt for a home-based blood type test if you don’t have the right equipment available. So, When are you going to check your blood type?