What Is Beta HCG Test Cost?
Have you missed your periods this month? This might be an indication of pregnancy.
To confirm whether you are pregnant or not you can take up Beta HCG test.
You must be wondering what Beta HCG test is.
Well, in this article I will discuss the following points in detail so that you understand the use of the beta HCG test in detecting pregnancy.
- Beta HCG Test: An Insight
- Types of Beta HCG Tests: A Quick Overview
- Beta HCG Test Results: What Do They Mean?
Beta HCG Test: An Insight
Beta HCG test is basically used to detect pregnancy. But its clinical importance does not end here. It is also used:
- To determine the age of the pregnancy (gestational age).
- To detect genetic diseases in the developing fetus like down syndrome.
- To detect potential miscarriage.
- To detect ectopic pregnancy.
Apart from pregnancy-related factors, the beta HCG test is used for non-pregnancy-related health conditions. The beta HCG is known as a tumor marker as it can help diagnose certain types of cancer like
- Lung cancer
- Breast Cancer
- Ovarian cancer
- Choriocarcinoma (uterus cancer)
The beta HCG test is used in non-cancerous medical conditions like
- To detect cirrhosis
- To detect ulcers
- To determine Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD)
The beta HCG test is not only used for women it is also used for men to detect testicular cancer. If a man complains about lumping any of his testicles or both, then the doctor recommends a beta HCG test. Beta HCG is present in the bloodstream in males.
Human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) is a hormone famously known as pregnancy hormone that is secreted by the placenta in the early days of pregnancy. After the fertilization of the egg (ovum), the fertilized egg travels down to the uterus and attaches to the wall of the uterus. This triggers the formation of the placenta. Then the placenta starts secreting HCG in the blood and urine.
Once the hormone HCG is produced then it triggers the body to produce estrogen and progesterone. All these hormones are HCG, estrogen, and progesterone stops menstruation in women and thickens the uterine lining to support the baby in the womb.
Types of Beta HCG Tests: A Quick Overview
There are two types of beta HCG tests:
- Qualitative testing
- Quantitative testing
Qualitative testing
This test is also known as an over-the-counter urine pregnancy test. This test only tells if the beta HCG hormone is present in the urine or not. But the qualitative test does not provide you the information about pregnancy age and the amount of beta HCG hormone. Qualitative testing is only capable of detecting the beta HCG hormone.
Quantitative testing
Quantitative testing is famously known as serum beta HCG test and beta HCG blood test. This test is performed after the qualitative test which measures the amount of beta HCG hormone present in the blood.
The serum beta HCG test also helps to determine abnormal pregnancies like ectopic pregnancy, molar pregnancy, and possible miscarriage.
Note: In case of ectopic pregnancy the test results come positive. This medical condition is very serious and harmful that requires immediate medical treatment.
The beta HCG blood test is requested by the doctor not once but multiple times during the pregnancy to check the level of the beta HCG hormone.
Beta HCG Test Results: What Do They Mean?
The beta HCG test results for normal men and women are:
The lab reports come in milli-international units per milliliter (MUI/mL).
Normal levels are found in:
Non-pregnant women: less than 5 MIU/mL
Healthy men: less than 2 MIU/mL
Abnormal Results
Higher than normal level may indicate:
- More than one fetus in the womb may indicate twins or triplets
- Choriocarcinoma of the uterus
- Ovarian cancer
- Testicular cancer (in men)
During the pregnancy period, lower than normal levels based on the gestational age may indicate:
- Fetal death
- Incomplete miscarriage
- Threatened spontaneous abortion (miscarriage)
- Ectopic pregnancy
Note: Certain factors can affect beta HCG test results. They are:
- drinking excess water dilutes the excreta
- obtaining an excessive amount of or deficient excreta on the take a look at the strip
- testing with excreta late winthin the day once it should be weaker
Tests that have passed their termination date could turn out false positives or negatives. Reused tests don't seem to be correct.
In rare cases, someone will have abnormally high levels of gonadotropin albeit they're not pregnant. The foremost common reasons for this include:
- a recent pregnancy loss
- using certain fertility drugs
- molar pregnancy
Less common causes include:
- cancer, including tumors that secrete HCG
- endocrine disorders, especially pituitary gland issues
- unusual antibodies in the blood
Conclusion
The beta HCG test is the primary choice of doctors to detect pregnancy. Using this test, we can not only determine pregnancy but also medical conditions like miscarriages, genetic disorders in the fetus, and diseases like cancer, and endocrine disorders.
The average beta HCG test cost in India is between Rs. 500 to Rs. 1000.
I usually prefer Bloodtestforhome for medical help as it is NABL and ISO-accredited. All the tests are done in CAP-accredited labs by well-qualified healthcare professionals that indicate the accuracy of the test reports. Also, the HCG test price at Bloodtestforhome is very affordable.
Bloodtestforhome also provides 24/7 online and phone booking facilities, thus giving us the freedom to avail of any test services at anytime and anywhere. You can clear your queries on their Facebook page and by calling them by using their phone booking facilities.
If you want to hear good news, then grab your mobile phone quickly and book your appointment at Bloodtestforhome .
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