What Is Your Blood Telling you?

Clients often tell me they haven’t had blood tests done for sometime, or when they last had them they were told they were all normal.  Quite often they have not been given a copy of their results.  I encourage my clients to visit a GP to have a panel of as many blood tests done as the doctor is willing to do.  This is then covered under Medicare.  Any blood tests the doctor is not willing to do (they may not think they are necessary), I will then request myself, but they will not be covered under Medicare.

Some clients, choose to have all their blood tests requested by me, and are happy to pay the pathology for them, and then they take a copy to their doctor if anything significant shows.

For example, a recent client had been seeing her doctor for some time with excruitating headaches and eye pain.  I requested her HBA1C – average blood sugar over 3 months, and her E/LFTs – biochemistry that shows liver and kidney enzymes, cholesterol and triglycerides etc.  I requested her E/LFTs as they had not been done for some time and the medication she was put on for her head and eye pain, can have an adverse affect on the liver.  The results showed that she actually had diabetes and her levels were dangerously high.  Her liver enzymes were also greatly elevated.

I then sent her straight to her doctor with a letter and a copy of the results.  She was taken off her pain medication and treated for diabetes.  Her headaches and eye pain immediately disappeared and with some extra liver detoxing and the removal of the medication, by her doctor, we were able to correct her liver enzymes.  Her levels for diabetes were way to high to be treated with natural medicines.

As a naturopath and nutritionist, I do of course also use my alternative tools such as iridology, tongue and nail analysis, lengthy symptom analysis’s etc but I have found it is is essential to look at clients blood pathology to see if there are any urgent matters that need to be corrected or may need the support of the medical system.

Another client, who showed issues in the prostate area with his iridology as well as cholesterol signs, was then given a blood test request.  He showed greatly elevated PSA levels and high cholesterol.  The prostate needed further medical investigation which turned out to be okay.  With dietary changes and herbs and nutrients we were able to reverse these levels, but ensured regular reviews with his doctor.  The doctor was happy with his improvements and medication was not required.

It is the same with blood pressure, which we check for all our clients as a screening tool.  We have had to call an ambulance a few times over the years for new clients who presented with dangerously high blood pressure.  We do have supplements to help with reducing blood pressure but when it is at too high a level, clients are referred to their GP and recommended to go on blood pressure medication.  Or at times it may be elevated (not dangerously high) but they do not respond to the natural medicine and then a visit to their doctor is recommended.

It is always about the best health outcomes for our clients and natural medicine and conventional medicine can work together when assessed correctly.

Education around interactions is important as natural medicines and pharmaceuticals can interact, but natural medicines can also be used to reduce the side effects of pharmaceuticals so clients can continue taking them. A qualified naturopath can assist with interactions and so can pharmacists.

Blood tests can also tell you a lot about your nutritional status with iron and b12.  Many people, especially men and women over 50 have high iron.  Which can give you the same symptoms of low iron.  Some people, may also have hemochromatosis which is when the body stores too much iron.  Vitamin D is important too for immune and bone health.  Low vitamin d can also put you at risk of autoimmune diseases.

You can book an appointment via phone, Telehealth or in person to learn more about your health. You can book online at www.healthandhealing.net.au or ring the clinic on (07) 4159 1834. We are located at Bargara Beach Holistic Health Centre – Shop 1/15 See St Bargara Qld 4670.

Rebecca Lang – Naturopath & Nutritionist; Mentor; Author; Speaker; Retreat Facilitator;

BHSc (Nat); Adv Dip Nat; Adv Dip Ntn; Adv Dip West.Herb