Have you ever been told that your blood test results were normal, but you still knew something wasn’t right in your body? This has happened to so many of my patients. So today I want to address the topic of blood tests, what a normal range is, and how we as Naturopaths use them. Let’s start by taking a look at what a normal blood test actually means.
What is a normal blood test?
When you see a doctor, have some bloods taken, and they tell you your results are ‘normal’, here is what that means:
Pathology tests compare the results you get to a reference range. For example, if your result is 17, and the reference range for that test is 15 to 140, you will be sitting within the ‘normal’ range.
However, you can see that there is a big range within that example (15 to 140) so if you are sitting at 17 does this actually mean that you are optimally healthy?
If you took that result to a doctor, you may be told that you are within normal range. However, as a Naturopath, we look at that result and can clearly see that you are nowhere near optimal in that result. Let’s say for example it was testing for iron. That being the case, at 17 you would be experiencing iron deficiency symptoms. Things like brain fog, fatigue, heavy periods and more would all manifest at that range, despite you being within the ‘normal’ range.
Another important point is that the ranges are taken from the general population, of which many people are outright sick when their bloods are taken, or not optimally healthy in general.
What else can happen with blood tests?
Getting a blood test is not always as straightforward as it seems. You need to get the correct tests for your specific situation, and if the wrong tests are done for a variety of reasons, or the test was not taken at the correct time, the answers you require may not be found due to that.
It can be difficult for your GP to order specific tests due to Medicare requirements, as everything they do order needs to be justified. If it can’t be, they can’t order it for you.
Another point to note is that blood tests are just one point in time reflected back on a piece of paper. Things like your hydration level, the food you ate, whether you exercised, if you slept well or not, what supplements you took that day, your gender and age, all play a factor in your test results. These things can make a big difference and need to be assessed. In general practice, there often is not time to do these assessments.
Naturopath’s and your blood tests
With general pathology testing, we will ask you many questions to identify factors that could make a big difference in your blood test results. Things like your hydration levels, diet, exercise levels, sleep, supplement regime, age, gender and more can all change your test results. The answers to these questions help us identify whether your test was taken at the optimal time, or perhaps needs to be taken again for a correct result.
Many people do not realise that Naturopath’s can order blood tests for you. The difference is that you pay for the testing to be done with your Naturopath, it isn’t covered by medicare. We can and do order a full bank of general and functional pathology tests. Functional pathology tests look at the function of your body, and assess things like metabolism, hormonal patterns and health, digestive health, liver function, neurotransmitter function and so much more. They are very well validated, and the results allow us to cater specifically to your health concerns, and often find the underlying causes for them too.
When you come to my clinic for a Naturopathic appointment, I will carefully study any blood test results you do have. When put into context with the rest of your health information (symptoms, diet, lifestyle etc), there are often patterns that point towards the reasons for your current state of health. If we don’t have enough information, I will order specific tests for you in order to find the underlying cause of your health issues. We then work together to resolve these health concerns, so that you can find true health and wellness again.
As always, I hope you found this article helpful.
You can head to my services page to book an appointment or discovery call today, I can’t wait to support you to optimal health.
Nicky
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