Lab Testing

Food Allergy vs. Sensitivity vs. Intolerance – What’s The Difference?

Food sensitivity testing (FST) is a blood test many naturopathic doctors do in practice to measure the level of an immune response a patient has to certain foods. With the increasing evidence on the link between your gut and many chronic diseases, this can be a very useful tool in finding the root cause of your health concerns. Consumption of foods that your body negatively reacts to initiates an inflammatory cascade that can contribute to many skin conditions (eczema, psoriasis, acne, etc), cognition problems (poor memory, concentration and focus issues, etc), osteoporosis/arthritis, joint pain, asthma, weight gain, fatigue, as well as gut concerns (including poor nutrient absorption, constipation/diarrhea, bloating, etc), and many more.

There is some resistance in the medical community about this test, and a large part of this is because many don’t understand what FST is truly measuring. First and foremost, even though the test is measuring an immune response, it is NOT indicating a true “allergy”. There are specific tests that the conventional medical system does (such as the skin prick test) that DOES measure an allergic response. Confused? Take a read below as I dive into what a food allergy vs. sensitivity vs. intolerance is.

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By Dr. Priscilla Tang, Naturopathic Doctor, ago

Pap Smears, Breast Screening, STIs, and More – Female Screening Guide

A screening test is defined as: “The examination of a group of usually asymptomatic individuals to detect those with a high probability of having or developing a given disease”. In other words, screening tests are done to assess risk, NOT for already symptomatic individuals.

A good screening test has the following attributes:

  • Investigates an important health problem
  • Effective and acceptable treatment is available
  • The screening test itself is accurate and acceptable to patients
  • Natural history of the condition should be adequately understood
  • Overall benefits of screening outweigh harm
  • Ensures informed choice, confidentiality and respect for autonomy for the patient
 
Naturopathic medicine is all about prevention and being pro-active in your health. Screening tests are a big part of this, and while not all are worthwhile to do (e.g. for some, the cons outweigh the pros), there are some that you should be including as part of your routine check-ups.

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By Dr. Priscilla Tang, Naturopathic Doctor, ago

Top 3 Things You Should Know About Lab Testing

Part of my “east meets west” approach to medicine involves the use of lab testing. Naturopathic doctors can order labs that MDs can (such as cholesterol, blood glucose, creatinine (to help assess kidney function), iron, thyroid, etc) and additional ones that family doctors don’t have access to (such as food sensitivities, saliva and urine hormone testing (a more accurate measurement of hormones vs. blood), stool and bacterial overgrowth analysis, etc). However, I don’t believe in using a lab test for each and every treatment. Individualized medicine is the cornerstone of naturopathic medicine! While lab testing is a fantastic tool that I believe in to get quantifiable measurements to help guide treatment and track progress, it can be tricky to navigate.

Here are some things to keep in mind before you do any lab test:

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By Dr. Priscilla Tang, Naturopathic Doctor, ago