How Functional Lab Testing Can Get To The Root Cause | Alberta Cardiology 2022

 Every successful journey requires a good map, so your journey to good health requires data to ensure you reach your destination. echo cardiogram in Edmonton Alberta know the source of the problem, you don't know the best place to start and the best route. A thorough assessment of your overall health is essential to charting your path to success.

Conventional medicine usually focuses on only one aspect of this journey. The scope of the test is narrow and focuses on specific symptoms, so any treatment plan does not have the full data needed for a holistic treatment approach.

In contrast, functional laboratory tests have the ability to examine the entire body. Because our health is not a collection of isolated processes, but a complex network. Examining your overall health allows your healthcare provider – and you – to step back and see the bigger picture. Therefore, a treatment plan is comprehensive rather than just focusing on relieving a single symptom.

 

What is a functional laboratory test?

As the name suggests, functional laboratory tests aim to determine how your body functions as a unit. The most common tests can include:

blood test

saliva test

stool sample

urine sample

The data collected through this test helps determine the effects diet, stress, environment, hormones, genetics and more have on your body. You can also assess the health of your microbiome – the bacteria in your gut. As a result, you have more information to identify the root cause of health problems.

 

key function test

The integrative doctor will determine the best test for you because there is no specific test formula. Some of the most common and informative tests are:

Hormonal panel

The impact your hormone levels have on your overall health – both physical and mental – is widespread and often underestimated. Unbalanced levels of cortisol, Internist in Edmonton Alberta, progesterone, testosterone, estrogen, androgen, insulin and thyroid hormones can affect your well-being in ways that are difficult to diagnose with standard tests. Debilitating symptoms such as weight problems, mood problems, and fatigue can persist without the need for targeted hormone testing.

It's often important to have a full panel rather than focusing on one, because you want to look at the balance of different hormones like estrogen and progesterone. Stress test in Edmonton can be done through a blood test or a saliva test.

 

Intestinal health assessment

This is another often overlooked trait that has far-reaching implications for your health. In fact, science is only now starting to recognize that your gut health has a significant impact on a variety of common health problems, including depression, obesity, and diabetes. Even your cardiovascular health is affected by the microbiome. Modern lifestyles and diets damage your gut, upset the balance of bacteria and lead to inflammation and malabsorption of essential nutrients. Tests to measure your gut health include:

Stool analysis: This test can reveal problems with malabsorption, which can be caused by intestinal damage or conditions such as celiac disease, Crohn's disease, or autoimmune disease.

Medical Consultants in Edmonton Alberta means bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine. Measuring the amount of hydrogen in your breath after consuming sugar can assess the number of bacteria in your small intestine and your ability to absorb certain sugars, such as lactose.