Everyone’s been there at some point. They brush off a seemingly insignificant symptom until it just can’t be ignored anymore, go to the doctor, and find out that they’re dealing with a condition that could have been prevented – if only they’d caught it sooner. This type of procrastination can occasionally result in pretty serious health outcomes, but for most people, the main consequence is that their overall quality of life just isn’t what they want it to be.
Even so, do you really want to wait until you’re sick enough to visit the doctor before you decide to find out what’s going on with your health? Will you wait until you can barely drag yourself out of bed each morning, or would you rather start looking into it when you realize that you’ve been adding an extra cup of morning coffee during the last few weeks?
In other words, you have to draw the line somewhere. Plenty of people regret not digging deeper into their health issues sooner, but nobody regrets being proactive about whatever health complaints have been dragging them down. With the at-home lab tests available from Base, you won’t be in the dark about why you’ve been brain-fogged, cranky, or unable to sleep. How exactly can these tests give you important health insights? Here are some details that should clear things up.
Lab testing lets you be your own Sherlock Holmes.
So much of the time, it seems like you only have two options that’ll help you figure out your own health issues: start looking up your symptoms on the internet or make a doctor’s appointment. At-home lab tests bridge the gap, so you can get trustworthy, actionable information without having to convince a doctor to order a bunch of blood tests.
You might know that something’s off, but many doctors simply won’t have time to explore symptoms like “I keep noticing brain fog in the afternoon”. Someone who’s having trouble sleeping might be told to “just take melatonin, you can pick it up at any supermarket” – but they won’t find out what’s causing the sleeplessness, or even how much melatonin they should take. A doctor’s expertise is necessary for many situations, but when it comes to exploring the ins and outs of your own health issues, sometimes it’s best to take matters into your own hands.
Don’t be alarmed; this is a far cry from consulting “Dr. Google” and then self-medicating with random supplements. The base uses resources such as AI, certified labs, and real doctors to both run tests and interpret the results in a way that makes sense to the average person.
The healthcare system isn’t always the best option.
While doctors and other healthcare professionals are the experts that most people trust to diagnose and treat health conditions, there’s something else that they do for many patients – prescribe unnecessary medications. There are many conditions, such as high cholesterol, that can easily be fixed with lifestyle and dietary changes. However, if you went to a doctor due to concerns over your heart health, you might come home with a new prescription, instead of recommendations to slow down on fried and sugary foods.
Just because you’re getting tested at home doesn’t mean you’re doing everything on your own.
If you have questions that aren’t answered on Base’s website, you can ask them during the introductory consultation that’s offered at the beginning of the process. You get to start your journey to better health with the help of someone who knows what they’re talking about, so you don’t feel like you’re flying blind. If you feel like you need a (virtual) helping hand while you’re taking a finger-prick or saliva sample, you can talk with a live person who’ll get you through every step.
What happens after the samples have been processed? You’ll still have all the guidance you need through the Base app. Not only will the test results be displayed in the app, but they’ll also be explained in a way that makes the information accessible. You’ll learn about how your tested levels are impacting your health – and how you can improve them.
You won’t just get a cut-and-dried “your vitamin D levels are low, so you should start taking a supplement at X dosage”. That might appear among your results, but you may also be advised to get more sun exposure, start incorporating specific vitamin D-rich foods into your diet, and more. In addition to the in-app recommendations, you can also turn to an online community of active members and experts.
Here’s a hypothetical scenario:
Kate didn’t consider herself a “health nut”, but she ate a pretty reasonable diet that included lots of fruits and veggies. However, she had been having issues with fatigue, brain fog, and even occasional irritability, and she didn’t know what could be causing it.
She decided to try out Base’s lab tests and soon discovered that her vitamin B12 levels were quite low. Her recommendations in the Base app didn’t just tell her to take B12 supplements so she could quickly fix the deficiency, but also to start incorporating more foods that contain the vitamin, such as fortified cereals, milk, cheese, meat, fish, and eggs. Within a few months, Kate’s levels were back in the normal range, and her brain fog had been banished. To make sure she was on the right track, she continued to monitor her progress with periodic tests that helped her fine-tune her approach.
You can get expert help for your health issues without having to go through the healthcare system.
The idea of “getting lab tests” might seem official and a bit scary, but it really doesn’t have to be. You can do these lab tests from home, and Base will give you the resources you need to get through every step. Whether you’re having issues with low energy, high stress, bad sleep quality, or poor sex drive, Base can help you pinpoint the cause – and then give you a solution that’s customized to fit your needs.
