How Does Gut Health Testing Work?

You haven’t been feeling up to par. Perhaps you feel sluggish. You may feel bloated and have a problem with diarrhea or constipation. Maybe you feel uncomfortable after a large meal. It’s time for a checkup. 

Board-certified FNP-C Letrice Mason with Her Down There provides in-depth diagnostics to identify what’s causing your discomfort. She may recommend a gut health test in addition to an abdominal ultrasound and other diagnostic tests. 

What is the gut microbiome, and why is it important to my health? 

You have millions of tiny microorganisms inside your intestines. This ecosystem, unique to you, is your gut microbiome. Scientists are discovering that your gut microbiome interacts with and influences many of your body’s systems. 

Digestive system

Microorganisms in your gut are central to your digestive system, helping to break down food byproducts and turn them into nutrients. 

Immune system

Your gut contains up to 80% of your body’s immune system cells. Beneficial substances in your gut help your immune system identify good bacteria and other beneficial microorganisms versus harmful pathogens. 

Nervous system

Bacteria in your gut may also influence your nervous system, producing beneficial effects or toxins. 

Because your gut microbiome intersects with important body systems, it stands to reason that if it’s out of balance, your health is out of balance also. 

Gut health testing 

If you have unexplained gastrointestinal systems such as excess gas, bloating, or chronic constipation or diarrhea, gut testing can provide additional information for your health team and help them target specific health concerns. 

We provide you with a stool sample kit. You provide a sample, and we send it directly to a lab. The lab identifies the composition of your gut microbiome and compares it to others within large databases. You may have a gut imbalance, called dysbiosis, that’s causing your symptoms. 

Outcomes of gut testing 

A stool culture identifies bacteria that cause diarrhea. If you have an ongoing issue with diarrhea, we follow up to determine whether the issue is an infection or a condition such as inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, or a food intolerance. 

The test measures pancreatic enzymes to determine whether your pancreas is working properly to digest your food. The fecal fat test evaluates how your body absorbs fats. If you’re having trouble digesting fats, the issue could be with your liver, gallbladder, or pancreas. 

The fecal occult blood test identifies any microscopic amounts of blood in your stool, which could signify an ulcer, a condition such as inflammatory bowel disease, or cancer. 

After gut health testing 

If you have a gut imbalance, sometimes the answer is as simple as taking certain probiotics or eating more fiber. 

If needed, we also administer an abdominal ultrasound, which evaluates the health of the tissues and blood vessels in your liver, gallbladder, and pancreas. If the situation indicates you may have a more serious concern, we follow up with further testing to ascertain a diagnosis and develop a treatment plan. 

If you’re not feeling well, call Her Down There, or book an appointment online for expert testing and diagnostics that get to the root cause of your discomfort. We have offices in Houston and Arlington, Texas, and offer telemedicine appointments at our Arlington office.