You probably experience symptoms like headaches, brain fog or low energy. These symptoms often go disregarded, but usually, they’re a sign something’s not right.
Chronic symptoms shouldn’t be your baseline.
You may reach for a paracetamol or a cup of coffee as remedy, but these solutions only provide a band-aid, rather than resolving the cause.
Medical testing can uncover the root cause of your symptoms, direct a treatment plan and help you liver a fuller, happier life.
Even if you aren’t experiencing symptoms, you should be getting regular bloodwork to ensure your body is working at its best.
Read on to learn which symptoms require testing and how to prepare yourself mentally for having blood drawn or taking a stool sample.
Is routine blood work necessary?
Regular bloodwork, also known as a health screening is the best way to measure your physical health year on year.
Blood work screens your overall health, checking important nutrient levels, as well as the health of organs like your liver (which helps flush out toxins) and your thyroid (which governs most of your body’s critical functions).
How often do I need to have a blood test?
You should aim to have blood work done at least once every two years. For the over 40s, you should aim to get tested once a year.
What blood test should I take?
Our comprehensive analysis measures essential areas of your wellbeing.
The comprehensive analysis checks:
- Common deficiencies, including B12, folate, vitamin D and ferritin (iron) levels
- Thyroid, liver and kidney function
- Anti-aging markers, analysing your DHEA levels
- Cardiovascular health and cholesterol levels
Compare our health screening and blood tests.
Common digestive symptoms
A 2021 survey found that around 40% of people worldwide experience digestive issues. [1]
So if you’re one of the many who experience bloating, reflux, gas, digestive pain, constipation and diarrhoea, you’re not alone.
It’s important to listen to these signals from your body: they’re a sign that something is out of balance.
Gut symptoms like these are caused by a variety of issues.
Food intolerances
When you eat a food you’re intolerant to, it can cause all the symptoms above and more.
People can be intolerant to all foods, but the main culprits are gluten, dairy, histamines (often found in alcohol, cheese and smoked meats), caffeine, sulphites and FODMAPs (think apples, soft cheese, onions, garlic and bread).
If you keep eating a food you’re intolerant to you can damage your gut lining, causing leaky gut, which reduces your ability to absorb nutrients and allows matter from the gut to leak into other parts of the body.
If food intolerances are the cause of your digestive discomfort, you may also feel tired and weak.
Compare our food intolerance tests.
SIBO
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth is another cause for uncomfortable digestive symptoms.
SIBO occurs when you have more bad bacteria than good bacteria in the gut – also known as dysbiosis. Around 40% of people in Hong Kong have dysbiosis. [2]
Parasites
Travelling can leave you with more than just memories! Parasites can cause pain, diarrhoea, gas and bloating, nausea and feeling tired.
Large intestine imbalances
Imbalances like bacterial overgrowth in the large intestine lead to digestive symptoms.
Our digestive tests can check for SIBO, parasites and other digestive factors that may be causing your symptoms.
Tired all the time?
If you’re tired all the time, don’t just put it down to working hard and playing hard. Often, there’s a clear cause.
Hormonal imbalances of oestrogen, progesterone and cortisol can cause tiredness.
Other symptoms of hormonal imbalance include digestive issues, unexplained weight gain or weight loss, high cholesterol levels, depression and anxiety.
Our naturopaths recommend the DUTCH hormone test to check your hormones are within the healthy range.
Toxins, especially heavy metals, are another cause of tiredness.
If your body is working overtime to counteract the high toxic load it experiences on a daily basis, then you’ll struggle to function at your best.
Our toxin tests measure heavy metals, mould, herbicides and more, to ensure your body isn’t under any unnecessary stress.
Staying healthy as you age
If you’re interested in preventative care, or perhaps you know you’re genetically predisposed to particular chronic illness, you may benefit from a DNA test.
These tests analyse your genetics to figure out the best treatment plan so you can mitigate the chances of developing chronic illness.
From diet, to supplements and exercise, our naturopaths can help guide you as you discover the route to wellbeing as you age.
Other symptoms that should be tested
Cognitive symptoms like brain fog.
Hormonal issues like PMS, perimenopause and menopause, to reproductive health and pregnancy issues.
Anxiety and depression, which can be checked for genetic, nutritional or hormonal factors.
Sometimes people with depression have methylation issues and cannot absorb B vitamins unless they’re in a bioavailable form. A suitable supplement may help alleviate symptoms.
Neurological symptoms like numbness, tingling or headaches – which is often toxic overload manifesting as symptoms.
Sleep issues can also be an indicator that something is out of balance.
If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, we recommend you book an appointment with our naturopaths to talk through which test is right for your needs.
Taking tests
There are three types of test: blood, urine and stool.
Blood tests – it’s common to be apprehensive. Rescue remedy is useful for soothing nervousness. You can buy this from our dispensary or online.
Another great remedy is the homeopathic aconite – perfect for easing acute anxiety. Also available from our dispensary.
When you get your blood drawn, let your practitioner know you’re nervous. Saying it out loud can help ease anxiety. Practise deep breathing as they draw your blood, focusing and elongating your exhale to aid relaxation.
A urine sample should be your first wee of the day. Label your sample pot first, and then take your sample. Some urine tests may require you to wee on strips four times over the course of the day, but don’t worry, your practitioner will direct you.
The dreaded stool sample. Let’s be direct here. Taking a stool sample isn’t fun, but it can reveal all sorts of important things about your health.
We recommend placing some clingfilm loosely over the toilet bowl so you can easily take a sample. After you’ve taken your sample, slide your poop into the toilet and dispose of the cling film.
You can dab an essential oil under your nose for a little olfactory comfort – lavender is great for relaxation.
In summary
In clinic we’ve seen huge changes to people’s quality of life when they test their symptoms and treat the root cause.
If you’ve got time this summer, take a moment to consider the ‘why’ of your symptoms, rather than covering them with a band-aid.
Navigating your symptoms and figuring out which test is right for your needs and concerns is complex. That’s where our naturopaths come in. Chatting to one of our naturopaths can help clearly define the tests that are right for you, so you’re one step closer to figuring out the why, and getting a plan in place to regain full health.
Your moments of pause this summer could be used to find meaningful healing.
—
[1] Worldwide prevalence and burden of gastrointestinal disorders, 2021
[2] 40% of Hong Kong people show gut dysbiosis, 2020
醫學化驗檢查可以改變你的生活嗎？
你有頭痛、腦霧或經常感到能量不足等症狀嗎？ 這些慢性症狀經常被忽視，但它們可能是出現問題的先兆。醫學檢查可以揭示症狀的根本原因，從而解決你的健康問題。根據檢查報告所得出的結果從而提供個人化健康指導和治療計劃，幫助您過上更充實、更快樂的生活。即使您沒有出現相關症狀，定期進行血液檢查可以確保您的身體處於最佳狀態。
需要定期進行血常規檢查嗎？
定期驗血進行健康檢查，是每年測量您身體健康狀況的最佳方法。血液檢查可以篩查您的整體健康狀況，檢查重要的營養水平，以及肝臟（有助於排出毒素）和甲狀腺（控制身體大部分關鍵功能）等器官的健康狀況。
需要多久進行一次血液檢查？
建議至少每兩年進行一次血液檢查。 而40 歲以上人士應該每年進行一次檢查。
進行什麼血液檢查才合適？
綜合分析檢查：
-
常見缺乏症，包括維他命B12、葉酸、維他命D 和鐵蛋白（鐵）水平
-
甲狀腺、肝腎功能
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抗衰老指標，分析 DHEA 水平
-
心血管健康和膽固醇水平
常見消化系統症狀
2021 年的一項調查發現，全球約 40% 的人存在消化問題[1 ]： 例如腹脹、胃酸倒流、脹氣、消化疼痛、便秘和腹瀉等，此類腸道症狀是由多種問題引起的。
食物不耐受
是一個種慢性過敏反應，當您吃一種不耐受的食物時，可能會導致上述症狀甚至更多。
普遍是由麩質、乳製品、組胺（通常存在於酒精、奶酪和熏肉中）、咖啡因、亞硫酸鹽和 FODMAP（例如蘋果、軟奶酪、洋蔥、大蒜和麵包）引致。
如果你繼續吃你不耐受的食物，可能會損害腸道內壁，導致腸漏，從而降低你吸收營養的能力，並使腸道物質洩漏到身體的其他部位。
如果食物不耐受是您消化不適的原因，您也可能會感到疲倦和虛弱。
小腸菌叢過度增生 SIBO
小腸細菌過度生長是引起消化系統不適症狀的另一個原因。
當腸道內的壞細菌多於好細菌時，就會產生 SIBO，也稱為生態失調。 約40%的香港人患有菌群失調。 [2]
寄生蟲
寄生蟲會引起疼痛、腹瀉、脹氣和腹脹、噁心和疲倦。
長期感到疲累？
雌激素、黃體酮和皮質醇的荷爾蒙失衡都會導致疲勞。荷爾蒙失衡的其他症狀包括消化問題、不明原因的體重增加或減輕、高膽固醇水平、抑鬱和焦慮等。
DUTCH 激素測試可以檢查您的激素是否在健康範圍內。毒素，尤其是重金屬，是導致疲勞的另一個原因。我們的毒素測試可測量重金屬、黴菌、除草劑等，以確保身體不會承受任何不必要的壓力。
大腸失衡
大腸細菌過度生長等失衡會導致消化系統症狀。
我們的消化系統測試可以檢查 SIBO、寄生蟲和其他可能導致您出現症狀的不同因素。
隨著年齡的增長保持健康
DNA 測試能分析您的遺傳學，找出最佳的治療計劃，從而降低患慢性病的機會。
從飲食、營養補充品到運動鍛煉，我們的自然療法師可以指導您隨著年齡增長的同時保持身體健康。
其他症狀測試
認知相關症狀，例如腦霧。荷爾蒙問題，如經前綜合症、更年期，以及生殖健康和懷孕問題等。
焦慮和抑鬱，可以檢查遺傳、營養或激素因素。
有時抑鬱症患者存在甲基化問題，無法正常吸收維他命B雜，除非是生物可利用的形式。 合適的補充劑可能有助於緩解症狀。
神經系統症狀，如麻木、刺痛或頭痛——這通常是毒性超載的症狀。
睡眠問題也可能表明某些事物失去平衡。
如果您遇到以上任何症狀，我們建議您與我們的自然療法醫師預約，為您建議最適合的測試。
進行測試
測試分為三種形式：血液、尿液和糞便化驗。
血液檢查——抽血時難免有擔心和緊張，救援療法和順勢療法對於緩解緊張情緒很有效。 您可以從我們的藥房或IMI網店購買。
當您抽血時，大聲說出來可以幫助緩解焦慮，或者練習深呼吸，集中並延長呼氣以幫助放鬆。
尿液樣本應該在早上起床後第一次的小便時收集。 首先給樣品罐貼上標籤，然後取樣。 有些尿液測試可能要求您一天內用試紙小便四次，但不用擔心，醫生會給您適當的指示。
採集糞便樣本有一定的困難，但它可以揭示很多健康相關的各種重要信息。我們建議在馬桶上放置一些保鮮膜，以便您可以輕鬆取樣。
總結
在臨床上，人們在測試症狀並治療根本原因後，大大提升了生活質量。
了解您的症狀並確定哪種測試最適合您的需求是一個複雜的過程。 我們的自然療法師可以幫助您清楚地確定最合適的測試，助您找出問題根源並製定個人化健康計劃。
What’s next?
Return to your natural state of wellbeing with the help of our naturopaths.
Simply call +852 2523 7121 or complete your request below, and we'll be in touch shortly to confirm your appointment.
