Best Methods to Test Your Blood Type

Being aware of your blood type is crucial for several reasons, especially for safe blood transfusions. In critical cases like unexpected surgeries or accidents, knowing your blood type is highly important for effective medical care and recovery speed. An understanding of your blood type is equally essential during pregnancy, particularly for RH-negative mothers, as it helps prevent complications for both mother and child.

Understanding Blood Types

Before going into detail about how to determine your blood type, it is necessary to know the basic categories of blood based on the presence or absence of specific antigens. The ABO is the most common system of blood group which can be classified into four major types:

• Type A: Red blood cells (RBCs) with A antigens.
• Type B: RBCs having B antigens.
• Type AB: RBCs containing both antigens, A and B.
• Type O: Red blood cells without antigens A or B.

Besides the ABO system, the Rh factor is another crucial aspect for determining your blood type.

• Rh-positive: If Rh antigens are present on the surface of your red blood cells then your blood type is Rh-positive.
• Rh-negative: If no traces of Rh antigens are found on the surface of your red blood cells, you have a Rh-negative blood type.

Considering the ABO blood group system and the Rh factor, blood type can be of 8 main types:

• A positive or A+
• A negative or A-
• B positive or B+
• B negative or B-
• AB positive or AB+
• AB negative or AB-
• O positive or O+
• O negative or O-

The Standard Method to Determine Your Blood Type

The most reliable and effective way to find out your blood type is by getting a blood test done by a healthcare professional in a laboratory. This includes two main steps:

• Forward Typing: The main target of this step is to identify the antigens on your red blood cells. A small sample of your blood is mixed with each type of antibody (A, B, AB, and O). Whichever antibody your red blood cells react with, that specific antigen is present in your blood.
• Reverse Typing: This step is performed to determine the antibodies present in your blood plasma. Blood samples are then mixed with different types of red blood cells (A, B, AB, and O). The type of antibody present in your plasma against a particular blood type causes the RBCs to clump together.
• Summary and Rh Typing: Forward and reverse typing are two main components of ABO blood testing. While forward typing determines patient’s blood type, reverse typing cross-checks the results of forward typing. Apart from these, Rh typing involves mixing your blood with an anti-Rh serum. You can detect the response by observing the clumping of the blood cells. This clumping indicates your blood type to be Rh-positive.

Other Ways to Find Out Your Blood Type

Apart from laboratory tests, there are several other ways to know your blood type:

• Blood donation: Once you donate blood, the blood type gets automatically determined as a part of the screening procedure.
• Medical records: In case of history of blood transfusions, former surgeries or some other medical procedures, your blood type is often noted in the medical records.
• Contact your doctor: If you want to know your blood type, undergoing a blood test under the supervision of your doctor is another way.

At-Home Blood Typing Kits

At-home blood typing kits are available both on online platforms and in pharmacies. These kits usually contain a finger prick which is used to extract a blood sample, and then mixed with reagents which change colour as per your blood type. However, these are not always accurate in detecting your blood type. It is best to confirm your results through a professional blood test, especially in case of medical procedures.

Can blood type be detected without drawing blood?

The bodily fluids such as mucus, saliva, or sweat in most people contain blood group antigens. The type of blood group of those people can be determined from their saliva or other body fluids.

Important Considerations

• Accuracy: It must be noted that at-home blood typing kits, unlike professional methods, do not guarantee accurate results.
• Medical necessity: If you want to know your blood type for medical reasons like pregnancy or surgery, it is best to get your blood type tested by a qualified professional.

Are blood types inherited?

Yes, an individual inherits the blood type from his/her biological parents. For instance, one of the parents with blood type A can pass on either of antigens A or no antigen to the child. If the other parent has blood type B, he/she can similarly pass on either of antigens B or no antigen at all. Based on the antigen combination, the child develops blood type A, B, AB, or O.

However, the child will only get blood type O in case both the parents are of O blood type. Inheriting the Rh factor occurs in the same way.

Does blood type affect blood transfusion?

A blood transfusion usually occurs when an individual has suffered severe blood loss due to some surgery or trauma. Determining the blood type is highly crucial for blood transfusion. This is because it is essential that the blood type of the donor and the blood type of the recipient match each other.

Our body develops antibodies against ABO antigens that are not present naturally in our blood. Once a person receives a different blood type from a donor, the antibodies combat these antigens. As a result, the recipient’s body automatically rejects the donated blood. This rejection is medically described as an acute haemolytic transfusion reaction. This reaction may turn fatal, and might even lead to conditions like kidney damage.

Blood Type Compatibility

If your blood type is AB, your blood contains both A and B antigens. This suggests you are a universal recipient, which means you can receive blood from donor of any blood type. However, you can only donate blood to individuals who have blood type AB.

On the other hand, if your blood type is O, it suggests that your blood does not have any antigen. So you are a universal donor which means you can donate blood to individual of any blood type without triggering their immune system. However, you can only receive blood type O, which is quite rare.

Conclusion

Knowing your blood type is crucial for your overall health. While a number of methods, from a-home kits to professional laboratory tests, are available to determine your blood type, accuracy must be the point of priority in blood tests for medical purposes. Consulting your doctor is always the best method to derive reliable and accurate information regarding your blood type.