Blood testing is an amazing tool we have to investigate our health troubles. Most blood testing gives you a snapshot look into your health, instead of an average overtime (of course there are exceptions). When using a blood test, we're investigating if your health is bad enough to need medication or surgery to survive. The parameters are looking for more serious/ long standing causes of your symptoms. They are important when first trying to uncover the cause and seriousness of your concerns. Unfortunately they generally don't pick up functional issues and this is the reason why we are often told there is nothing wrong, when we we're still experiencing symptoms.

DUTCH Testing stands for Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones. 

It is a great test for women who are taking hormone replacement therapy. 

I sometimes refer for this test, and used to a lot in the past. However what I have discovered is that HTMA is often a level deeper. This is because we get to understand why an organ may not be functioning at its best. With DUTCH testing we understand the hormonal pathways that are increased or decreased but can still lack the clarity about why that is occurring. With Hair Testing we understand the cellular health. When we focus on improving cellular function, organ function improves and hormone production and balance often improves.

There a loads of different Gastro-Intestinal tests. Ranging from finger prick tests to stool samples. 

Depending on when your symptoms began, how severe your symptoms are, if it was after an infection or if they seem to 'always be bad' or start out of nowhere, then the type of testing you need differs. 

If you went overseas and haven't had a solid poo since getting sick, it's a good idea to investigate for a parasite or persistent infection, so a GI Stool test is a great idea. 

If you're getting blood in your stool, that's an immediate trip to your GP. 

If, however like in the majority of cases you suffer from IBS symptoms like diarrhoea, constipation, bloating, reflux, farting and burping and have for a long time, this is a sign that your gut doesn't have what it needs to function. In the past I would send for IgG food sensitivity testing and SIBO testing. 

Now? I utilise the HTMA to tell me which part of the digestive system needs support --  Stomach? Liver? Pancreas? Intestine? This also links into your nervous system and helps to provide your body with what it needs to digest food appropriately. This helps to reduce sensitivity to foods because they are able to be digested in the parts of the body digestive system there were intended for.