Perth Health Collective

Perth Health Collective We are a holistic health clinic based in Mt Lawley WA, providing evidence-based care with a focus on building the foundations of health.

20/09/2026

A ferritin result can look beautifully reassuring while the rest of the bloods are asking some fairly awkward questions.

This client’s ferritin was 111, comfortably within the laboratory range (although slightly high for a menstruating woman)

But ferritin can also rise in response to inflammation, so we didn’t assume that one normal result told us everything about her iron status.

We tested further.

Her serum iron was sitting down at 9. Her transferrin was below range. Her MCV and MCH were also low, meaning her red blood cells were smaller and carrying less haemoglobin than expected.

Does this automatically confirm iron deficiency? No.

It raises more questions about inflammation, iron availability and other possible causes of low MCV and MCH. It gives us a reason to investigate further.

Your blood results are a pattern, not a collection of isolated numbers waiting to turn red.

Comment TIRED and we will send our iron pathology guide straight to you!

Finding something on a test does not automatically prove that it caused your symptoms, or that treating it will make you...
18/09/2026

Finding something on a test does not automatically prove that it caused your symptoms, or that treating it will make you feel better.

This applies to conventional blood tests and functional microbiome testing.
A blood result needs to be interpreted alongside related markers, symptoms, medications, medical history, inflammation, test timing and previous results.

Someone may have ferritin within range while their wider iron studies and full blood count still raise questions. That doesn’t automatically diagnose iron deficiency. It tells us the ferritin result cannot explain the whole pattern by itself.

Microbiome testing requires the same level of restraint.
These reports can detect microorganisms, measure markers and compare results with the laboratory’s reference data. But the presence of a bacterium does not necessarily mean it is driving symptoms.
A “low” beneficial organism isn’t automatically fixed by taking the corresponding probiotic. And every microorganism highlighted in red does not need an antimicrobial firing squad.

We need to ask:
Does the result fit the symptoms?
How clinically significant is the finding?
Could medications, diet, collection methods or recent illness have influenced it?
Does the test reliably answer the question we are asking?
Would acting on the result improve the person’s health—or simply create a longer supplement list and more food restrictions?

Microbiome testing can provide useful information when it is ordered for a clear reason and interpreted within its limitations.

The report is data. It is not a diagnosis, a treatment plan or an instruction to kill everything it managed to find.

Do you feel like you’re missing a piece of your puzzle? Book a free discovery call and let’s chat!

Receiving your gut test report can feel like finally getting answers.Then you open it and discover several pages of bact...
14/09/2026

Receiving your gut test report can feel like finally getting answers.

Then you open it and discover several pages of bacteria, markers, reference ranges and comments that raise another twelve questions.

The result still needs context.

Which findings are most relevant to your symptoms?
What needs attention first?
What can wait?
How will you know whether the plan is working?
What happens if your symptoms change?

A good test can help guide treatment. The report alone can’t prioritise, monitor or adjust that treatment for you.

If you already have gut test results but no clear idea what to do with them, book a free discovery call through the link in our bio.

The last thing you ate is simply the easiest thing to blame.You had dinner. You became bloated. Therefore, dinner must h...
09/09/2026

The last thing you ate is simply the easiest thing to blame.

You had dinner. You became bloated. Therefore, dinner must have caused it.

Sometimes the connection really is that straightforward. Often, the useful clues are sitting across the rest of the day.

When did the bloating actually begin?
Did it appear suddenly or gradually build?
Had you eaten quickly, gone a long time without food or felt uncomfortably full?
What were your bowel movements doing?
Does the same pattern show up at certain points in your cycle?

Good symptom tracking should help you see the wider pattern. It shouldn’t become an ever-growing list of foods you’re scared to eat.

Save this before you start another food diary.

02/09/2026

IBS is a diagnosis of exclusion - what it shouldn’t be is a polite way of saying, “We’ve run out of questions.”

This client had already completed allergy testing, a colonoscopy and gastroscopy, and tried a low-FODMAP diet without meaningful improvement.

Further investigation gave us more context. We found reduced beneficial bacteria, broader microbial imbalance and markers that prompted us to consider gut-barrier and immune support.

That doesn’t mean every person with IBS needs a stool test. It means persistent symptoms deserve an individual assessment, not the same generic advice on repeat.

The useful question wasn’t, “Is it just IBS?”

It was, “What haven’t we understood yet?”

If you’ve been given an IBS diagnosis but no useful next step, comment GUT and we will send you our free ebook to help you get some answers!

Address

Beaufort Street
Mount Lawley, WA
6050

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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