Taking away the guesswork
Your body is an amazing, powerful, beautiful and CONFUSING thing!
There is so much we don’t understand about the body, but a lot that we can understand better through labwork.
Although we can’t guess by looking at you if you’re B12 deficient, or if the Vitamin D you’ve been taking has been the right dose for you or is actually too high and causing harm. Thyroid concerns and insulin resistance can look VERY similar in terms of their presentation and so we need to test to understand. Irregular menstrual cycles can be caused by a variety of things including PCOS, perimenopause, and hypothalamic amenorrhea - these 3 things are treated VERY differently and the only way to really differentiate is through bloodwork.
From a preventative perspective, bloodwork also tells us about risk factors for certain conditions overtime. High cholesterol doesn’t cause symptoms, but does increase the risk of plaque build-up in your arteries, so we want to know if it’s there! Elevated blood sugar doesn’t necessarily cause symptoms - but is MUCH easier to treat when it’s a little bit elevated vs. full diabetes. Knowing this information helps to inform, motivate, and determine health priorities!
When my patients say “my bloodwork all looked normal”, very often there was not a lot assessed. The size and shape of blood cells looked normal perhaps, but iron and B12 weren’t actually tested. The TSH looked fine, but there was no investigation into autoimmune thyroid concerns…. Alternatively, sometimes the numbers aren’t flagged by the lab but still fit the criteria for deficiency. There may not be a disease but they definitely aren’t optimized.
Labwork helps us to get insight, and allows us to be much more specific with your treatment plan. It doesn’t give the whole picture, but provides a lot of valuable information in conjunction with your health story.
Labwork is something that I’m able to order as a Naturopathic Doctor in Ontario, it’s not covered by OHIP but is often covered by health insurance plans. It’s a really valuable investment to fast track progress and to inform future health considerations.
Interested in learning more about your body? Use the link below to book a visit!