Specialized Functional Diagnostic Medicine Lab Tests

As a modern, scientific discipline of medicine, naturopathic doctors often perform laboratory tests to help uncover the root cause of your symptoms.

Here are some of the tests Dr. Simona may perform for you.

An adrenal function test will reveal the status of adrenal hormones in your body, like cortisol.

In a healthy person, cortisol levels are usually a little higher in the morning, coming down slowly and gradually as the day wears on. But if you’re living with chronic stress, your cortisol levels will either spike at times or be a flatline.

An adrenal function test also looks at your sex hormones, which can be used to determine the cause behind sleeping issues, among other things.

It can also be used to detect breast cancer, and a few other conditions besides.

If you’re dealing with any of the following symptoms, an adrenal function test may be able to help you get to the bottom of it:

• Low blood pressure
• Chronic fatigue
• Difficulty sleeping
• Inability to handle stress
• Waking up exhausted
• Heart palpitations
• Low thyroid function
• Sexual dysfunction
• Weight gain
• Salty food cravings
• Difficulty concentrating
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Panic attacks
• Over-reliance on caffeine or other stimulants

This is a great tool we can use to evaluate your metabolic processes.

An organic acids test (OAT) is a urine test which measures more than 70 different markers of your overall health. It can reveal information about your intestinal health, levels of toxicity, oxidative stress, hormonal pathways, neurotransmitter levels, and your body’s ability to absorb nutrients.

Organic acids are intermediaries to the organic reactions within your body.

If substance A has to become substance B, it’s always mediated by one of these organic acids.

By measuring how much of substance A is in your body in relation to substance B, and then comparing them with the levels of a healthy individual, we can figure out how those metabolic processes are occurring and if there are any issues.

If you have a poor response to this, it could mean a number of different conditions including:

• Nutrient deficiencies
• Heavy metal toxicity
• Bacterial presence
• Fungal infection
• High levels of overall toxicity

A food sensitivity test is different than a food allergy test, because food allergies and sensitivities are two different things.

Food allergies cause severe acute symptoms, often related to one’s respiratory system. Think of a peanut or shellfish allergy. These are, thankfully, fairly rare.

A food sensitivity, also known as a food intolerance, on the other hand, can cause an inflammatory reaction which irritates your tissues. It’s not life-threatening, but it may impact your quality of life and lead to chronic illnesses like joint pain. Lactose intolerance is one of the more common ones you may have heard of.

If you’re experiencing any of the following symptoms, it may be a result of a food sensitivity:

• Migraines
• Headaches
• Runny nose
• A constant tickle in the back of your throat
• Coughs
• Stomach aches
• Bloating
• Hives
• Irritable bowel

There is also some evidence that certain cases of acne is connected with food intolerances, but research is still ongoing.

Your thyroid gland is an important part of your body, not least of which because it’s connected with the presence of a number of different autoimmune conditions.

By analyzing your level of thyroid hormones, including TSH, free T4, free T3, reverse T3, anti-TG antibodies, and anti-TPO antibodies, we can find out more about your thyroid health.

Because the thyroid plays such a big role in your body’s metabolism, an imbalance of these hormones can affect nearly every metabolic process in your body.

If you’re dealing with any of the following symptoms, you may have a thyroid imbalance:

• Chronic fatigue
• Coldness in the extremities
• Headaches
• PMS
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Stress
• Panic attacks
• Constipation
• Skin conditions
• Fluid retention
• Unexplained weight gain
• Muscle and joint pain
• Sexual dysfunction
• Difficulty concentrating

Optimal thyroid health may lower your risk of a number of different illnesses as well, including diabetes, heart disease, depression, sexual issues, and obesity.

Your body has an efficient system of disposing of toxic elements that wind up in your bloodstream – your liver – but this doesn’t always work as well as it ought to.

Toxic substances, especially heavy metals, are stored in your tissue. Most of us have a small amount of these toxins, and while they aren’t ideal they also don’t cause too many issues. But too much of it can cause a number of different health conditions, including:

• Fibromyalgia
• Hypothyroidism
• High blood pressure
• Chronic fatigue
• Skin conditions
• Abdominal cramps
• Diarrhea
• Fever
• Lack of appetite
• Nerve damage
• Respiratory issues
• Goiter

It’s important to note that many heavy metals – such as zinc, copper, iron, manganese, and chromium, are essential for your body to function properly, but too much of them is not good.

Balancing your hormone levels is essential for maintaining good health.

In particular, Dr. Simona will analyze your salivary hormones and urine steroid hormones in order to reveal a number of different health concerns.

Female Hormone Panel

A female hormone panel can reveal the underlying reasons behind a number of different issues related to women’s health.

For pre-menopausal women, it can help with:

• Infertility
• PMS
• Painful periods
• Mood swings
• Anxiety
• Breast cancer
• Weight gain

And menopausal and post-menopausal women may be dealing with:

• Difficulty sleeping
• Hot flashes
• Night sweats
• Breast cancer
• Weight gain
• Depression, irritability, or difficulty coping
• Bone loss

These symptoms may be related to hormone imbalance. Dr. Simona uses hormone panel testing to understand.

Male Hormone Panel

Hormone imbalances can affect men as well, though it’s generally female hormones that are talked about more often. In fact, testosterone imbalance can contribute to a number of different health concerns among men.

If you’re facing one of the following health conditions, it may be related to a hormone imbalance:

• Irritability
• Grumpiness
• Short temper
• Apathy
• Depression
• Erectile dysfunction
• Chronic headaches
• Weight gain
• Gynecomastia
• Bone loss
• Memory loss
• Enlarged prostate

Nutritional Status

Whether through poor dietary choices, lifestyle, or a compromised GI tract, some of us are deficient in certain nutrients.

These nutrient deficiencies can lead to a number of different symptoms, depending on the nutrient it is in which you’re deficient.

Some of the most common nutrient deficiencies include:

• Iron
• Vitamin B12
• Vitamin B9
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin A
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Zinc
• Copper
• Chromium
• Certain amino acids

By testing your nutrient levels, Dr. Simona can find out which nutrients your body lacks. From there, she can help you discover whether those deficiencies are linked with any symptoms you might be feeling and put together a treatment plan designed to bring your levels back to normal.

Contact Dr. Simona

Each of the above tests is done after a thorough assessment of your health needs.

If you’re dealing with any of the above symptoms, contact Dr. Simona today to book a consultation.

While you may have been dealing with them for a long time, even becoming a “new normal” for you, there’s no reason why you have to continue to suffer with them.

Naturopathic treatments are available which may help address the root cause of your health concerns, so you can manage your symptoms and improve your quality of life.

Call Dr. Simona to book a health consultation today.