All Entries in the "Tests & Procedures" Category

Overview of Home Pregnancy Tests

Home pregnancy tests detect pregnancy by diagnosing the presence of a hormone called hCG or Human Chorionic Gonadotropin. The placenta of a woman starts secreting hCG almost immediately after the egg gets implanted into her uterus. You can expect most accurate results from home pregnancy tests done during the morning; this is because the hCG stays in more concentrated form in one’s morning urine. What should you look for during a home pregnancy test? Put a drop of your urine on the testing device and wait for 5 minutes; you will see color bands or stripes appearing on the devices control section. Appearance of control stripe is the indicator of the fact that your test is in the right track. The device’s test section will inform you whether you have conceived or not. Appearance of a plus  [...]

Information on Female Fertility Tests

If you are trying to conceive for over a year and failing to do so, you should visit your doctor for getting treated for infertility. The doctor will ask you to undergo some of the following tests before prescribing any treatment. Ovulation testing: This is a blood test that involves examining the levels of progesterone, the hormone secreted by the female body after ovulation. Ovulation testing is done for finding our whether a woman is ovulating or not. Hysterosalpingography: Hysterosalpingography is done for evaluating the contour and size of a woman’s uterine cavity; this test can detect blockage in the fallopian tubes. If the test results reveal presence of any abnormality, the doctor will most likely ask you to undergo further evaluation. Laparoscopy: Laparoscopy helps the doctor to  [...]

Preparing for a Mammogram

Mammograms are of two types diagnostic and screening. Screening mammogram can be defined as the routine mammogram undergone by asymptomatic women for detecting occurrence of breast cancer at an early stage i.e. when the disease is most curable. During the procedure, the lab technician will be taking images of each of your breasts, both from side and top. Diagnostic mammogram is done on women who are experiencing relevant symptoms or whose screening mammogram reports have detected abnormalities. The process of diagnostic mammogram often involves alternate views or magnified images of the suspected cancer affected area. Physical demands from a patient during mammograms are not too much. Majority of the women remain in the standing position during mammograms, with their body slightly leaning forward.  [...]

Diagnosis of Endometrial Cancer

If you are experiencing the signs of endometrial cancer like postmenopausal spotting, bleeding between periods, abnormal discharges from vagina and pelvic pain, you should immediately get yourself checked by your gynecologist. After performing a physical exam the gynecologist may ask you to undergo one or more of the following diagnostic tests for knowing whether you are actually suffering from endometrial cancer. Endometrial biopsy: The first step of endometrial biopsy is surgical removal of sample tissues from the patient’s uterus. During this procedure, the woman’s cervix is grasped using a device called tenaculum. Then, a thin and flexible suction instrument gets inserted into her uterus through vagina. Now, with the help of the biopsy tool, endometrial tissues are removed. The next  [...]

Genetic Testing for Women – Is It Helpful or Harmful?

Scores of females have concerns about ailments which skulk in their family trees. Factually, women are leading the pack in regards to requesting genetic info. Females are the quintessential charioteers of the acquirement of medical care. Genetic testing is prevalent in expectant mothers & those keen on bearing children, however others worried about heritable sicknesses – crescent-cell anemia (a condition affecting RBCs), cardiovascular ailment & diabetes – too seek genetic info. in large numbers. What Genetic Testing could divulge? Alongside diagnosis & forecasting of conditions, genetic testing could: Ascertain whether patients carry gene mutations for conditions passing on to kids. Assessing fetal health (whether there is a risk of some disorder being inherited). Screening  [...]

Missed Period Negative Pregnancy Test

One of the highly exasperating things that women could go through is a belated menses & a negative pregnancy test. Regardless of what you’re intentions are – trying to get pregnant or avoiding pregnancy, a missed period negative pregnancy test outcome could trigger major anxiety, worries, perplexity & surmise on what’s exactly transpiring within? Have I conceived and if yes, why am I not getting a positive test outcome? If I haven’t conceived then where are my menses? Firstly, having a missed period negative pregnancy test outcome isn’t essentially an irony. There are some likely rationalizations. Undeniably, in several situations there might be elucidations apart from conception for why menses haven’t arrived on time or have gone amiss. On the other hand, there are even  [...]

Bone Density Testing – How Frequently Must Women Get Checked

Females who are rather particular about never missing out on their mammography & Pap smear appointment could be dolefully unaware about an important check-up – bone density testing. An express, pain-free assessment, frequently carried out for the foremost instant subsequent to becoming menopausal, could assist in forecasting if one would be sprinting through your forties and sixties or shuffling along agonizingly because of bone-thinning & fracture. Most significantly, the test outcomes could assist your physician in deciding whether medicines or lifestyle modifications are necessary at present for rescuing bone-thinning condition. Bone density testing can be an able forecaster of fracture risk & reducing it is crucial since as one grows old, the graver the fractures could be  [...]

How to Get the Best Care & Results During Health Exams – Part II

Here are some prudent pointers to bear in mind before going in for your subsequent health check up. Using Lubes for two weeks prior to a Pap Smear For menopausal women or those susceptible to experiencing vaginal dryness, Pap smear test might be quite discomforting. Hence, these women should ideally start using moisturizing products such as Replens specifically made for vaginal use, thrice per week all through the two weeks prior to the Pap smear test for making it less uncomfortable. However its use should be stopped three days prior to the examination so that it does not make outcomes unclear. Moreover, keeping track of the menses due date for keeping the Pap test clear. For getting more precise test readings women should preferably undergo the Pap test during non-menstruating days. Forego  [...]

How to Get the Best Care & Results During Health Exams – Part I

It is hardly astounding that in the midst of frenzied flurry usually noted in physician’s clinics occasionally they miss out sharing valuable little instructions with patients. These small yet paramount directives could improve accuracy of potentially life-saving tests – such as skin cancer diagnosis or Pap smears. Here is the entire scoop on what is to be said and done for getting the finest care and outcomes during health exams. Relax for few minutes prior to a blood pressure check-up Unwind for about five minutes prior to getting your blood pressure checked to ensure one would not get falsely high reading resulting in pointless prescription medicines. Dashing in for the appointment subsequent to a traffic snarl could jolt blood pressure readings by nearly twenty points. Hence prior  [...]

Hysterosalpingogram – What to expect?

Hysterosalpingogram is a diagnostic test chiefly performed in case of women incapable of conception. A number of researches have revealed that the test could improve a woman’s likelihood of getting pregnant since the contrasting dye used during the test could help in removing mucus plug, straightening the fallopian tubes and breaking through fine scar tissues. In case reason for infertility has been found to be blockage in fallopian tube then oil based dye could be employed at the time of the test for removing blockages. Study outcomes have shown that an oily dye could help in more ably removing blockage as compared to water-based dyes; however there appears to be no variation in other researches done involving use of both the dyes. What does the test entail? Hysterosalpingogram is generally  [...]