Are You Really Sick? Why “Normal” Blood Reports Don’t Always Mean Health—and “Abnormal” Doesn’t Always Mean Disease
- Dr Rakesh VG
- Sep 9
- 3 min read
By Dr Rakesh Ayureshmi, Ayureshmi Ayurveda Wellness Centre, Kollam, Kerala, India.
Every day, millions of people open their blood test reports with anxiety, searching for the word normal. A number above or below the reference range often sparks fear—“Do I have a disease?” But here’s the truth: laboratory “normal” values are not divine decrees. They are statistical averages, drawn from populations that may not represent your unique constitution, lifestyle, or genetics. Interpreting them without context is like judging the health of a tree only by its height, ignoring its roots, soil, and climate.
Numbers Are Averages, Not Absolute Truths
Medical laboratories define “normal ranges” based on population studies. The most common method is the 95% reference interval—meaning that if 100 healthy people are tested, 95 will fall into this range, and 5 will not, even though they are completely healthy (Rustad et al., Scandinavian Journal of Clinical & Laboratory Investigation, 2004).
This reveals a paradox: you could fall outside the “normal” range and still be perfectly healthy—or fall inside it while carrying disease. Normality, therefore, is not an absolute truth but a statistical convenience.
Blood Pressure: The Perfect Example of Misinterpretation
Blood pressure guidelines have shifted dramatically over decades. What was considered “normal” in the 1970s would be classified as “high” today. The American Heart Association, for instance, redefined hypertension in 2017 as ≥130/80 mmHg, lowering it from the previous 140/90 benchmark. Overnight, millions of people who were once “healthy” became “hypertensive.”
But Ayurveda teaches that prakriti (individual constitution) plays a central role. A Vata-dominant person naturally has slightly lower pressure, while a Kapha constitution tends toward higher readings. Labeling them diseased without considering constitution is like declaring that all rivers must flow at the same speed.
Context Is the Key: Why One Report Cannot Define You
Blood parameters are deeply influenced by:
Age: Hemoglobin levels in elderly individuals are often lower than in young adults, without indicating illness.
Sex: Women naturally have lower hemoglobin and creatinine compared to men due to body composition differences.
Lifestyle & Geography: High-altitude populations (e.g., in the Himalayas or Andes) show higher red blood cell counts, which would appear “abnormal” at sea level but are adaptive for oxygen demand.
Daily Rhythms: Cortisol, glucose, and even white cell counts fluctuate through the day. A test at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. may yield different results.
A single lab report without considering these attributes is like diagnosing weather by looking at one cloud.
The Ayurvedic Lens: Personal Attributes Matter
Ayurveda emphasizes nija roga (disease arising from within) and prakriti (constitutional type). Health cannot be defined by numbers alone but by balance—of doshas, agni (digestive fire), and dhatus (tissues). For instance:
A Kapha person may have naturally higher cholesterol, but if digestion, sleep, and vitality are intact, this is not necessarily pathological.
A Pitta person may present with slightly higher liver enzymes, reflecting strong metabolic fire rather than disease.
A Vata constitution may show lower blood pressure, yet remain perfectly functional and asymptomatic.
Modern science is beginning to align with this wisdom. Personalized medicine and “omics” research confirm that health markers vary widely among individuals (Jameson & Longo, New England Journal of Medicine, 2015).
Beware of Over-Diagnosis and Over-Medicalization
Interpreting every deviation as disease fuels unnecessary anxiety, investigations, and treatments. A 2012 BMJ article warned that “expanding disease definitions” lead to over-diagnosis, where healthy people are mislabeled as sick, benefitting pharmaceutical industries more than patients.
This does not mean we ignore abnormalities—but we contextualize them. A physician must interpret reports like an artist reading colors on a canvas, not a robot comparing numbers to a template.
Practical Wisdom for Interpreting Your Reports
1. Look Beyond One Report – Always compare with past records; trends matter more than isolated values.
2. Correlate With Symptoms – Lab values without clinical correlation are incomplete. Feeling well is often more important than a “perfect” number.
3. Know Your Constitution – Work with practitioners who understand body type, lifestyle, and genetics.
4. Avoid Panic – A minor deviation often reflects natural variability, not disease.
5. Seek Holistic Care – Integrate Ayurvedic insights, lifestyle correction, and modern diagnostics for balanced health.
Conclusion: You Are Not Just a Number
Numbers can guide, but they should never define your worth or health in isolation. Health is not the tyranny of averages—it is the harmony of your unique biology, mind, and lifestyle. Before letting a “red mark” on your report create fear, ask: Am I truly unwell, or is this just a statistical deviation?
True healing begins when we shift from chasing numbers to nurturing balance. Ayurveda, marma wisdom, and chiropractic philosophy all remind us that vitality cannot be captured by a single lab range. Your health is your story—one that no printout can fully narrate.
“Your blood report is a map, not a verdict. A number outside the box doesn’t always mean disease. Look beyond averages—your health is personal, not statistical.”
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