How many times have you heard “Your blood tests came back all normal” and you’re sitting there in front of your healthcare practitioner with your eyes hanging out of your head and about to cry if you hear that line once more?
Honestly, the amount of times I have heard that from patients is absolutely uncountable!
Blood pathology is such an exciting part of your health journey and can uncover so much more than what you may think.
As a Naturopath my job is to be the detective for your health. Every single body is different so it is so important to look at everyone as an individual in unique situations.
For example, someone in front of me says “I’ve just got so much on my plate at the moment.”
That person's plate might be made of paper, it might have been soaking in water for the past week, it might have been broken and glued back together a few times. That plate might have been holding up 3 other plates for the past 5 years. That plate might be sitting on the edge of the bench.
This is the analogy I use when talking about an individual’s constitution.
We each have different constitutions that can be affected by many outside factors.
The point of that story is that sometimes I see patients with blood pathology who have super duper very very low iron and they are walking around like nothing is wrong, working 2 jobs, managing 3 kids and still getting all household chores done.
You would never think there were nutritional deficiencies from the outside but on the inside the body is screaming out for help.
Interpreting blood pathology:
Blood pathology optimal ranges are based on the people who get the blood tests done.
Usually “healthy people” don’t get sent to do blood tests all too often. Blood test optimal ranges are based on an average of the people who get the blood tests done.
Therefore, the optimal ranges I want my patients to be in are often different to the “standard” on the lab form.
For example, your ferritin (iron stores) should be between 25-290ug/L as per most Australian labs.
My ideal and optimal range for patients is 90-110ug/L.
Interestingly, HIGH iron levels can have a similar symptom picture as LOW iron.
Main point: Never assume what your nutrients are doing. Always get testing completed.
Factors that can affect iron levels:
Heavy period bleeds
History of Glandular fever / other viruses
Haemochromatosis gene
Vegetarian / Vegan diet
Gut dysbiosis, parasites, candida overgrowth
This is just one example of one standard nutrient and the amount of factors there can be around it. Blood pathology can mean so much more than just what google says.
I have spent many years studying how to interpret blood pathology better and more in depth. Even a simple iron test can tell us a lot about how your immune system, adrenals and hormones are functioning.
Remember: You only get answers to the questions you ask (a wise doctor once told me that).
In other words, if the wrong test is done you may not get the answer you need.
Blood pathology includes many markers including:
Red blood cell count
White blood cell count
Liver enzymes
Kidney markers
Electrolytes balance
Inflammation markers - ESR, CRP
Homocysteine
Iron studies
B12
Zinc + Copper
Thyroid panel
Vitamin D
Celiac testing
EBV serology