What is the VITAMIN - C Test ?

Vitamin C is one of the most potent antioxidants which plays a critical role in the body of every particular individual. It has been found that the lack of vitamin C can often lead to several adverse complications. So in many circumstances, it becomes quite necessary for the doctors to know about the current level of Vitamin C that is present in a particular patient. It is in such a situation, that the doctors recommend a Vitamin C test to a patient. The sole purpose of the test is to measure the level of Vitamin C that is present in a sample of blood. The test is also carried out during the course of treatment or after the treatment of Vitamin C deficiency.

Preparation

Since there are no other requirements other than obtaining a sample of blood, hence there are no special arrangements that are required to be made. The patient can follow any diet schedule and can easily spend the day like any other day of the year. However, the patients are always advised to share their medical history with the concerned doctor. Besides this, they should also inform them if they are prone to any kind of allergies, or if they face any kind of problem with any specific kind of drug. Depending on all the information shared by the patient, the doctors provide the patient with specific instructions that are required to be followed by the patient before and after the test.

Uses

Vitamin C (Active) test provides the doctor with a clear idea about the level of vitamin C that is present in a sample of blood. It helps in the treatment of many dermatological treatments and is also one of the basic steps for the treatment of photoaging. The normal value of vitamin C (Active) is around 0.6 - 2 mg/dl irrespective of age and gender. This, in turn, helps the doctors to get a clear conception of many disorders that may develop over the course of time due to the deficiency in vitamin C.

Procedure

The test is mainly done by following the active method on a given sample of blood. The patients are always advised to wear half-sleeves so that the sample of blood can easily be obtained by the lab officials. The area from where it is to be obtained is first cleaned using an alcohol or spirit pad. The needle of the syringe is then pushed through the veins (preferably in the arms) for collecting the sample. The sample is then stored in a glass container with the name of the patient written on the label. It is then sent to the laboratory for further investigation.