A healthy lifestyle and a balanced diet are the keys to long-term good health and illness prevention. We all know that. Yet, in the midst of our busy schedules, simple health checks are often left behind until something goes wrong.
Simply put, keeping track of your health can be a bit of a hassle. Just to get a blood test, you have to wait for a GP’s appointment, then trek to and wait at the local (often very busy) hospital or lab and then wait, again, for the results. Instead, my husband goes for a full private (& expensive) MOT every few years while I wait for something to feel or go wrong before getting checked out, a strategy that was probably better suited to my lifestyle in my twenties.
I have just discovered Thriva, a simple DIY Health Test that I can do in the comfort of my own home. I was a bit suspicious at first but then I found out that Thriva partners with The Doctors Laboratory, the biggest private pathology laboratory in the UK that processes over 40,000 tests a day and has the NHS as its biggest client. Thriva uses proven tests that are actually used by the NHS on a regular basis. They also only work with fully qualified and experienced GPs. I felt in good hands!
I ordered my test online. The process involved a short health questionnaire to flag up any concerns or previous conditions that could help them to interpret the results. Curious about my vitamin D levels (something everyone around me seems to be deficient in these days), I chose the Energy Test which analyses vitamin D and iron levels and thyroid function.
A couple of days later a Thriva kit arrived in my letterbox. The box included a small collection tube, 2 lancets, some cleaning swabs, plasters and a full set of instructions.
I was a bit nervous at first, not looking forward to stabbing my little finger with the lancet and feeling unsure about what I was doing. The instructions in the box were very detailed and helped guide me. While my rolling veins often prove tricky during blood tests, Thriva’s method was very straightforward. The lancet did not hurt one bit and I manage to extract enough blood to fill the collection tube in under a minute.
Plaster firmly in place, I finished completing the information label, placed the tube in its neat protective plastic casing and dropped my sample at the post office in the envelope provided.
A couple of days later, I received an email advising that my results were in. Logging back into my Thriva account, my personalised results were accompanied by a note from Thriva’s GP. I was pleased to see my vitamin D was good and surprised to see some borderline results for my thyroid (slightly too low) and iron levels (slightly too high)!
While my results are not of great concern at this stage, Thriva‘s Energy Test has certainly flagged up some potential health issues that I need to keep an eye on and monitor in the future.
Besides the Energy Test, Thriva offers a more general Lifestyle Test with full cholesterol and liver function profiles. There is also a subscription Baseline Test to help keep track of your health with a test every 3 months.
Of course, Thriva, is not there to replace a GP consultation and if you are feeling that something is “off” then I would advise you to go straight to your doctor.
Yet if you want to keep a closer and more regular watch on some aspects of your health, then Thriva DIY Health Tests are a really convenient and easy way to do so.
If you would like a chance to try out one of these tests, Thriva is very kindly offering 1 Free Health Kit for a lucky winner. Head over to this competition page for details on how to enter. Good luck!
You can find out more about Thriva on their website, follow them on Twitter, Instagram or visit them on Facebook.
A Commissioned Post for Thriva. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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This sounds great, I’m a vegetarian going on to veganism so it would be great to see if I am deficient in anything, I do take vitamin B12 but having one of these every so often would be helpful with my diet and put my mind at ease!
I agree. This is so easy to do and does give you peace of mind. Fab that you are going vegan!
I love having home blood tests done as it’s much quicker than through GP and also GP won’t send you for tests unless if you have any symptoms. Recently I did a similar test through The Online Surgery (it was for liver function, PR sample as well) but I had to use two lancets to get enough blood out of my little finger! I got results very quick as well and no doubt I will be doing more home blood tests in the future.
Thanks Petra. Yes I agree doing it at home is much quicker and easier. Good luck with the competition 🙂
Thanks Petra. Yes I agree doing it at home is much quicker and easier. Good luck with the competition 🙂