Stool tests about about as glamorous as they come! I mean everyone loves a good old poo test right?!
Once you get over the initial hurdle, the benefits in terms of the amount of information you receive in relation to your gut, is invaluable for understanding the health of your gut but also in terms of treatment of digestive symptoms, conditions and diseases.
From a practitioner perspective, testing gives me even more information than symptom pictures and can give valuable insight into the overall health of your gut.
What symptoms/conditions require stool testing?
Not everyone needs a stool test, although it is an interesting tool to assess your gut health.
I use stool testing in clinic when looking at the following symptoms or conditions:
- IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)
- Crohn’s disease
- Ulcerative Colitis
- Bloating
- Diarrhoea
- Constipation
- Abdominal pain
- Recent changes in bowel motions
- Symptoms that are not improving or stagnating with nutritional or herbal support
What kind of information does a stool test give?
This comprehensive test shows the following in relation to your gut health:
- Inflammatory levels of the gastrointestinal tract
- The strength of the mucosal lining as an immune barrier
- Level of leaky gut present using zonulin as a marker
- The presence of pathogenic parasites and worms, bacteria, viruses, fungi and yeasts and their levels
- The levels of opportunistic bacteria that can cause symptoms if their numbers get too high or the digestive or immune system is compromised
- The levels of the normal bacterial gut flora
- The metabolism of short chain fatty acids which are used as food sources for the gut microbes which keeps keep the gut cell barrier intact, reduce inflammation, and help control appetite
Stool testing sounds uncomfortable however the benefits much outweigh the negative effects of doing the test and can direct your treatment in a very specific direction.
If you want to sort out your gut health using integrative testing as an aid, please book your initial consult with us HERE.
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