Gastrointestinal Issues Blood Test

What is Gastrointestinal Issues?

Gastrointestinal issues encompass a range of digestive symptoms including nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, constipation, and diarrhea. These symptoms can be caused by infections, dietary factors, medications, nutritional deficiencies, or toxic exposures such as lead poisoning. The Lead Blood Test is the most important test for identifying lead toxicity as an underlying cause of persistent gastrointestinal symptoms.

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What causes gastrointestinal issues?

Gastrointestinal issues are caused by a variety of factors including bacterial or viral infections, food poisoning, medication side effects, dietary intolerances, stress, inflammatory bowel conditions, and toxic exposures like lead poisoning. Common infectious causes include bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Helicobacter pylori, or viruses like norovirus and rotavirus. Environmental toxins, particularly lead exposure from old paint or contaminated water, can also trigger significant digestive symptoms including nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, and constipation.

What is the best test for gastrointestinal issues?

The Lead Blood Test is the most important test for gastrointestinal issues when toxic exposure is suspected because it detects elevated lead levels that cause constipation, nausea, vomiting, and severe abdominal pain. This test is essential for identifying lead poisoning, which can mimic other digestive disorders and requires immediate intervention to prevent neurological and organ damage. While gastrointestinal issues often require clinical evaluation and stool tests for infections, blood testing for lead is crucial when symptoms persist without clear cause, especially in individuals with potential occupational or environmental lead exposure such as construction workers, painters, or those living in older homes.

When should I get tested for gastrointestinal issues?

You should get tested if you experience persistent or severe digestive symptoms such as ongoing abdominal pain, unexplained nausea and vomiting lasting more than a few days, sudden changes in bowel habits like chronic constipation or diarrhea, blood in your stool, or unexplained weight loss. Testing is especially important if you have potential lead exposure through your job, live in a home built before 1978, or have children showing similar symptoms. You should seek immediate testing if your symptoms are accompanied by fever, severe dehydration, or if you work in industries involving metal work, battery manufacturing, or renovation of old buildings.

What are the symptoms of gastrointestinal issues?
Gastrointestinal issues present with symptoms including abdominal pain or cramping, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, bloating, gas, heartburn, and loss of appetite. You might also experience changes in stool color or consistency, blood in your stool, unintentional weight loss, or fatigue. When caused by lead poisoning specifically, symptoms often include severe constipation, persistent abdominal cramping, metallic taste in the mouth, and nausea that does not respond to typical treatments.
Who is at risk for gastrointestinal issues?
Anyone can develop gastrointestinal issues, but certain groups are at higher risk including people with weakened immune systems, elderly adults, young children, pregnant women, and individuals taking multiple medications. Those at particular risk for lead-related gastrointestinal symptoms include construction workers, painters, plumbers, battery manufacturers, people living in homes built before 1978 with deteriorating paint, and individuals who consume water from lead pipes. People who work with ceramics, stained glass, or ammunition are also at increased risk for lead exposure causing digestive problems.
What happens if gastrointestinal issues are left untreated?
Untreated gastrointestinal issues can lead to serious complications including severe dehydration, malnutrition, electrolyte imbalances, anemia, and weight loss. Chronic digestive problems can result in vitamin and mineral deficiencies that affect your overall health and energy levels. If caused by lead poisoning, untreated exposure can progress to kidney damage, high blood pressure, neurological problems including memory loss and difficulty concentrating, reproductive issues, and in severe cases, seizures or coma. Early detection and treatment are essential to prevent permanent organ damage and long-term health consequences.
Can gastrointestinal issues be diagnosed with a blood test?
Blood tests cannot directly diagnose most gastrointestinal issues themselves, as digestive problems are typically identified through clinical evaluation, physical examination, stool tests, or imaging studies. However, blood tests play a crucial role in identifying underlying causes of digestive symptoms such as lead toxicity, nutritional deficiencies, inflammatory markers, liver or kidney dysfunction, and signs of infection. The Lead Blood Test specifically can reveal toxic exposure causing your digestive symptoms, while other blood work may detect anemia, electrolyte imbalances, or elevated inflammatory markers that guide your doctor toward the correct diagnosis and treatment approach.
How are gastrointestinal issues treated?
Treatment for gastrointestinal issues depends on the underlying cause and may include dietary modifications, medications to control symptoms, antibiotics for bacterial infections, or treatments to address specific conditions like inflammatory bowel disease. For lead poisoning causing digestive symptoms, treatment involves immediately removing the source of lead exposure and potentially chelation therapy to remove lead from the bloodstream in severe cases. Supportive care includes staying hydrated, eating bland foods, avoiding triggers like spicy or fatty foods, taking probiotics to support gut health, and managing stress. Your healthcare provider will create a personalized treatment plan based on your specific diagnosis and symptom severity.
How can I prevent gastrointestinal issues?
You can prevent many gastrointestinal issues by practicing good hygiene including frequent handwashing, especially before eating and after using the bathroom. Eat a balanced diet rich in fiber, stay hydrated, avoid foods that trigger your symptoms, limit alcohol and caffeine, manage stress through exercise and relaxation techniques, and be cautious with food safety by cooking meat thoroughly and washing produce. To prevent lead-related digestive problems, test your home for lead paint if it was built before 1978, use proper protective equipment if you work with lead, ensure your drinking water is lead-free, and avoid bringing work clothes contaminated with lead dust into your home.
What natural remedies help with gastrointestinal issues?
Natural remedies that may help relieve gastrointestinal symptoms include ginger tea or supplements to reduce nausea, peppermint tea for digestive comfort and gas relief, probiotics to support healthy gut bacteria, chamomile tea to soothe inflammation, and eating bland foods like bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast when symptoms flare. Staying hydrated with water or electrolyte drinks is essential, and some people find relief with heating pads for abdominal cramping. However, these remedies address symptoms rather than underlying causes, so if you suspect lead poisoning or another serious condition, you should get proper testing and medical treatment rather than relying solely on home remedies.
How’s this work?
Getting your blood test with us is easy, private & backed by the power of science.

Long story short:
  1. In the test options, use the filters or search box to narrow your choices and find the test you want.
  2. If you need a hand navigating through options, text our super friendly support team at 754-799-7833, and we'll provide tailored suggestions to help you find the ideal test.
  3. Once your order is placed, we’ll create your doctor’s lab order remotely, without any need for you to make a trip to a doctor in person or to talk to the doctor. Expect to receive your doctor’s lab order right in your inbox. It will also be in your patient portal if you need to find it later. We’ll also include instructions regarding fasting and other requirements for your test. Your patient portal will be auto-created hassle-free during checkout.
  4. If this is your first time ordering, you'll be prompted to create a password for instant login access to your patient portal. It's a quick way to conveniently access your orders and results whenever you want.
  5. When you’re ready, visit one of our 4,000 locations. Just bring your ID – no printing or faxing of your lab order is needed, as your order and details will already be in the lab system.
  6. Note that most lab locations don’t accept walk-ins, so it’s best to book an appointment in advance. Don’t worry – we’ll provide detailed instructions along the way.
  7. You’ll get your results via email & SMS and dive into understanding your body better. Yup, that easy!
  8. If you have any questions, please text us at 754-799-7833 or email support@privatemdlabs.com and we'll gladly help you.
How do I know which test to get?
In the test options, find the test you want. If you’re not sure which test to get, we can lend a hand in finding the right option.

Just text or call us at 754-799-7833, email us at support@privatemdlabs.com, and we'll gladly help you. We've got your back and reply quickly.
Is it possible to make changes to my lab order if I made a mistake with the name, date of birth, or any other details?
Absolutely! We totally understand that errors can happen. No worries, we're here to help you.

Just reach out to us via text at 754-799-7833 or shoot us an email at support@privatemdlabs.com. Remember to include your order number and let us know the correct information you’d like to update. Our awesome team will jump right in and make sure everything is sorted out and accurate for you.

There are no changes necessary if your address is wrong on the requisition though. We don’t mail anything out.

Our lab requires an address to be listed to generate an order.
Do you accept health insurance?
Only HSA & FSA is accepted.

Our services are strictly self-pay and cannot be submitted to your health insurance provider except for Health Savings Accounts or Flexible Savings Accounts.

This policy applies to all insurance companies, including federal health insurance programs like Medicare.

If you have any questions, please text us at 754-799-7833 or email support@privatemdlabs.com.
Can I cancel my order?
Yes.

We get it – sometimes your needs change.

As long as your samples haven’t been collected yet, we’re happy to help you cancel your order.

If you have any further questions, please text us at 754-799-7833 or email support@privatemdlabs.com.

You can read more about our cancellation policy here.
How can I find a lab location near me?
During the ordering process, you’ll be able to select a specific lab near you, with no strings attached! You can switch it up later easily and visit any of our authorized locations as long as it’s the same lab company you selected your test for (Quest Diagnostics or Labcorp).

Before you proceed with your order, feel free to browse through all our lab locations here. This will give you the peace of mind of knowing that there's a lab nearby your home, office or your favorite gym.

If you have any questions, please text us at 754-799-7833 or email support@privatemdlabs.com and we'll gladly help you.
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Your testosterone levels are slightly below the optimal range. While this is not necessarily cause for concern, it may contribute to occasional fatigue, reduced motivation, or lower muscle mass over time.

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* Regular blood test results (e.g., CBC) typically start arriving the next business day after sample collection. More complex tests, such as hormone panels, may take up to 10–15 business days due to their complexity.

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Fast & easy, results by email & SMS
No need to visit a doctor
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No extra fees paid at the lab

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