Are Your Blood Tests Saying You're "Healthy" While You Feel Otherwise?
If you’re suffering from fatigue, brain fog, hair loss, digestive issues, joint pain, or other debilitating symptoms, and your blood tests come back “normal,” it can be incredibly frustrating. Perhaps your doctor has even suggested antidepressants or therapy, implying that your symptoms are all in your head. But what if the problem isn’t you? What if it’s the way your health is being measured?
Many doctors rely on incomplete blood tests that only look for full-blown diseases, often missing the early warning signs of imbalances that can lead to serious health issues later on. In functional medicine, however, we take a different approach. We use blood tests to identify risks before they become diagnoses, so you can take action before it’s too late.
For example, a fasting blood glucose level above 100 mg/dL signals a risk for diabetes, even if you’re not yet diabetic. Similarly, comprehensive thyroid testing can reveal underlying causes of hypothyroid symptoms when a standard test says everything is “normal.”
Functional Medicine: Using Blood Tests to Restore Health
In functional medicine, we focus on addressing the root causes of symptoms, not just masking them with medication or surgery. One key tool we use is a more precise interpretation of blood tests, looking for trends and patterns within functional ranges—the parameters that reflect optimal health.
Unlike conventional lab ranges, which are often based on the average of everyone who visits that lab (including people who are quite ill), functional ranges give us a clearer picture of what’s truly healthy. Conventional ranges have broadened over the years as the overall health of the population has declined, meaning many people with real health concerns are told they’re “fine.”
The question is: Do you want your health compared to the average sick person, or would you prefer a blood test that measures you against the standards of true well-being?
Looking at the Whole Picture, Not Just Isolated Markers
One of the core principles of functional medicine is that the body’s systems are interconnected. Rather than looking at isolated markers, we use blood tests to identify patterns that tell a more complete story about your health. This allows us to see how different systems—like your immune system, digestive system, and metabolic functions—interact to create a constellation of symptoms.
For example, analyzing different types of white blood cells can reveal whether your immune system is dealing with a chronic or acute issue, and whether the cause is a virus, bacterial infection, allergies, or even a parasite. Other patterns might indicate the presence of a leaky gut, fatty liver, types of anemia, or the early stages of an autoimmune disorder.
A More Comprehensive Approach to Blood Testing
Functional medicine practitioners go deeper with blood tests. For instance, while many doctors only check TSH (a basic thyroid marker) when evaluating hypothyroidism, we recognize that 90% of hypothyroid cases in the U.S. are due to Hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune disorder that attacks the thyroid. That’s why we include thyroid antibodies and other thyroid markers in our testing.
A comprehensive blood test in functional medicine can also guide us in determining whether further testing is necessary, such as a gastrointestinal panel or specific markers for anemia.
How Functional Medicine Restores Health
Once we’ve identified potential risks or imbalances, functional medicine practitioners use a variety of science-backed, non-pharmaceutical approaches to support healing and restore balance. These approaches are tailored to the individual and often include:
- Dietary adjustments: Targeting foods that support your unique health needs.
- Lifestyle changes: Encouraging practices like proper sleep hygiene, regular physical activity, and stress reduction to promote well-being.
- Botanicals and nutritional compounds: Using natural remedies to address imbalances and support optimal physiological function.
- Custom protocols: Developing personalized plans based on your lab results to restore health from the inside out.
