6 Ways to Find Out What Your Blood Type Is
For it to be such an identifying marker as skin color, blood type is widely unknown by many Americans. A 2019 survey done by CBS revealed that over 30% of Americans don’t know what their blood type is.
Your blood type, whether it be O, A, B, or AB, makes you who you are. The crazy thing about it is that most people don’t understand the ways in which blood type contributes to their lives, and therefore don’t care to know what it is.
That’s where I come in, as the self-healed, blood type, ketogenic enthusiast and health coach, spreading the word about the teachings of father and son naturopath Drs. James and Peter D’Adamo, as well as the geneticist Arthur Mourant. Knowing the impact that eating and living according to my blood type has had on improving my life, I feel that it would be irresponsible of me not to share it.
Why should you know your blood type?
Here are several reasons to know your blood type:
To know which blood to give and receive for a blood transfusion
As a mother, to know if your blood type is different from your baby’s, and what to do about it
To know which foods to eat and not to eat
To know which illnesses you are susceptible to
To know which types of exercises you will benefit the most from
To know how your body processes stress
If you are among the 30+% who are clueless of their blood type, keep reading as I will offer you six effective ways to determine your blood type so that you can move on to the next step, curating your diet and lifestyle accordingly. No need to scour the internet for more ways because I’ve already done that work and collected my findings in the list right here.
Ask Your Parents or Doctor
You may be able to cut the line, figuratively, and ask your parents for some medical records that they may have acquired in the past that reveal your blood type. Have you broken a limb, had surgery or had a blood transfusion as a child? These would be reasons that your parents would have a record of your blood type.
In addition, your doctor may have your blood type on file. Now that’s a big MAY because from my experience and the experience of friends and family, they have asked their doctors for their blood type and the doctors literally did not know! My friends thought that since they had drawn blood before that it meant that their blood type should have just been provided somewhere in the test results. Nope! See #3 to find out what your doctor will tell you.
2. Check Your Own Records
If you’re older than your early-20s and have been to the hospital on your own, then likely you are responsible enough by now to keep your own medical records.
If you’re a woman who has given birth to children, then the blood type of you and your children should be in your hospital records.
If you’ve ever had surgery or needed a blood transfusion, then you should be able to find your blood type in your medical records.
If you have access to a patient portal, you can create an account, log in and search for your blood type there.
If you’ve served in the military, your blood type is likely printed in your military records.
3. Have Your Blood Drawn
As a continuation from #1, doctors told my friends and family to call and schedule to have their blood drawn and to be sure to ask that, included on their prescription, was a test for blood type too. Annoyingly, that would be an extra fee. I was shocked to learn this. Many of them thought that this was a hassle and opted for #5. I thought that asking your doctor for your blood type would have been a lot easier than being sent to make another appointment for it.
If you decide to go this route, some labs offer blood tests for a fee outside of normal blood testing times paid for by your insurance. You may make appointments at labs like LabCorp and QuestDiagnostic.
Moreover, if you have drawn blood in the recent past, you can ask to see if your blood type may have been recorded without your knowledge, or ask that the blood collected be tested for blood typing.
4. Donate Blood
When you donate blood using free services through organizations like Red Cross, tests are run on your blood including Rh blood typing to see who can receive your blood in a blood transfusion. When you have completed the process, you will receive a card that shares your blood type. Currently, the Red Cross is offering a $25 Amazon gift card to those who finish the blood donating process, since there is a need for donors.
5. At-Home Test
If you’re a DIY type of person like me, you’ll likely be open to the option of testing yourself at home. I used the $10 Eldon blood testing kit from Amazon which provides instant results. It’s quick and simple, however I do recommend watching my video tutorial so that you don’t skip a step. I skipped a few steps my first time taking it and had to start over and order a new test.
All you will need to do is wet the four circles on the collection card with water, prick your finger with the lancet and transfer the blood from your finger to each of the circles. Lastly, you will observe the way your blood behaves in each circle and compare it against the sample results on the back of the instruction sheet to determine what your blood type is. Take a look at my tutorial here.
6. Saliva Secretor Test
If you can’t get passed pricking your own finger, you may be interested in taking a saliva test. This test checks for blood antigen markers that are present in your bodily fluids. The catch about this test is that it only works for people who are considered “secretors” which means that the identifying markers of their blood secrete through their bodily fluids, but not all people are secretors. About 20% of the population are non-secretors, and the only way to find out if you’re a secretor is to take the secretor test. Since we’re interested in blood type here, please understand that you will be taking a chance on this test.
I hope that you are now empowered to make an informed decision on how you will find out what your blood type is. Your health is waiting on these results, be it an upset stomach, stiff joints, skin rashes or almost anything else you’re enduring. Whatever you choose, get on it as soon as possible so that you may take one step closer to healing yourself and those you know and love.
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4YourType. How to Find Out My Blood Type
VeryWellHealth. A Third of Americans Don’t Know Their Blood Type. Here’s How to Learn Yours
CNN. Many People Don’t Know Their Blood Type. Here’s How to Find Out Yours
American Red Cross. The Blood Donation Process
