Nutritionist post - Why does your blood test results may not be true indicator of your health. Your doctors says your bloods are fine but your symptoms say otherwise.

/

Have you been to the doctor because you don’t feel 100% and had blood tests. You have been told the results indicate there is nothing wrong and that you are fine?

The doctor generally responds that the results are within range and there is nothing to specify that anything else is going on but this doesn’t align with how you feel. .

Here is why this is happening.

  1. Doctors will look at treatment once you levels are out of range instead of monitoring your levels and preventing further development. If you have regular routine blood tests you may see a slow decline for example in thyroid function. Which means you can intervene and improve this function without ending on medication. Also some patients with very "mild" deviations in their thyroid laboratory test results will feel just fine while others will be quite symptomatic, every patient is different in what they experience and this needs to be considered.

  2. Optimal rates of thyroid, vitamin D, ferritin (Iron) and so on are very different from "normal ranges" used in lab tests. After you receive your results, make sure to ask your practitioner if your levels are optimal, not just normal. Clients can have sub optimal levels which mean they are within range however not an ideal level. You can experience symptoms and still have within range blood test result. Which means for your symptoms need to be addressed and try to figure out what is best for you.

  3. Each lab varies in reference ranges and lab inaccuracies can occur. When testing hormones, cortisol, blood glucose and insulin, these need to be tested certain time of your cycle, in a fasted state or certain time of day. This can be problematic if not tested accordingly. Tests can also vary due to food, exercise or supplements. For example exercise before a blood test can skew results and lead to inadequacies.

With blood tests its recommended to get additional advice if you find yourself with symptoms and your doctor is telling you are fine. When this happens with my patients I have a further look and examine the clients symptom picture. At times the blood results can be suboptimal and need to be addressed and consider in someone’s health picture.

Book in a consultation today if you wanted more advice and to reach your health goals.