HCG analysis ✅: where does the blood come from for the hormone 💉, what is it in gynecology, decoding of the abbreviation, how to understand the results during pregnancy, take the test early terms, which means b is common in women, shows a positive HCG in girls, a table, why it is made, what human chorionic gonadotropin looks like, how understand

The doctor prescribes the analysis of hCG to the patient (the abbreviation stands for "human chorionic gonadotropin") in several cases. It is needed to determine pregnancy and oncological pathologies in men and women 👫. Having figured out what hCG means, the patient must understand why the doctor gave him a referral for this analysis.

What is the analysis for?

HCG or HCG is a hormone that is produced in women who are carrying a fetus and in cancer patients. In the case of conception, chorionic gonadotropin stimulates the development of the placenta. A home test for detecting early pregnancy is also built on the determination of the hormone. The bar will show the level of accumulation of hCG in the girl's urine.

Experts note that the hCG blood test will tell more precisely about pregnancy. The woman will receive a health result on the day of the study. A home test that measures the hormone of the expectant mother will reliably determine pregnancy after 48 hours.

To understand why pregnant women donate hCG, you need to figure out what functions in the human body are responsible for chorionic gonadotropin. The hCG hormone is responsible for:

• the development of the corpus luteum;
• accelerating the production of estrogen and progesterone;
• stimulation of the work of the fetal glands;
• preparation of the immune system of a pregnant woman for childbirth;
• stimulation of Leydig cells, without which testosterone production in a male fetus does not occur.

Diagnostic indications may indicate an abnormality of the fetus or the termination of its development.

In men, the analysis shows the presence of a malignant tumor in the body. In addition, hCG levels may indicate diabetes or teratoma.

Chorionic gonadotropin consists of a (alpha) and b (beta) units. A blood test for hCG is the presence of a beta-unit concentration. If the alpha particles are thyroid-stimulating or luteinizing hormone, then the b-component is considered a marker. In the blood plasma of a woman carrying a fetus, the hormone content doubles every 26 hours.

There are 2 types of hCG analysis: general and free b. HCG common indicates early pregnancy. In this case, the blood plasma will determine fertilization earlier than the home test strip. This is due to the fact that the hormone begins to be actively produced during fertilization of the uterus. A girl who is worried about whether she is pregnant can undergo a simple general analysis.

The beta test determines in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy the likelihood of having a baby with genetic abnormalities, such as Down syndrome or Edwards syndrome.

If the result of hCG is positive, then the expectant mother is at risk. This situation does not mean that the child will be born with deviations, but there is a percentage of anomalies.

For men, the analysis will help to understand whether there is a malignant formation in the body. By examining blood plasma, cancer of the testicles or other organ is determined.

How to pass correctly

Doctors recommend taking the hCG test between 8 and 10 am. Diagnostics is carried out on an empty stomach, and only still water is allowed from drinking. It is correct not to smoke or be nervous before the test. In addition, plasma research is carried out in a person who, 24 hours before blood sampling, did not drink alcohol, did not take medications. (insulin is an exception) and did not exercise (moving furniture, cleaning the room, or gardening work).

If the patient, on the eve of the delivery of the biomaterial, underwent fluoro- or X-ray, blood is taken in a few days. This rule also applies to people who have undergone surgery, ultrasound or massage.

To clarify the diagnosis, a repeated hormonal test may be prescribed. And doctors recommend donating blood for hCG under the same conditions as the first study. Otherwise, deciphering the results may not show a complete picture of the state of the body.

The analysis during pregnancy is done with the frequency that the gynecologist considers necessary for the expectant mother. The indicator of the level of chorionic gonadotropin depends on the period of gestation and the state of health of the woman.

In order for the analysis of hCG during pregnancy to show the dynamics of fetal development, it is recommended to take blood 3 times, with intervals of 2 days. In this case, the correct result will be subject to the conditions of the future mother's condition identical to the first analysis. Even mild stress can affect the state of the hormone.

How long to wait for the result

After donating blood, the patient is interested in how long to wait for the result from the laboratory. The answer, depending on the urgency, comes after 2-24 hours. Analyzes for hCG, the decoding of which has already been made, are received in the form of research results to the attending physician.

If the pregnant woman is at risk, the specialist makes a mark “cito!” On the referral, which allows the laboratory staff to understand that an answer is needed as soon as possible.

The results of hCG and the response of specialists depend on the workload and work schedule of the organization conducting the research.

How to decipher the results

Decoding of the analysis of hCG is done in the same laboratory where the biomaterial was delivered. This is due to the fact that the norms in different organizations may differ.

To determine the level of hCG, the doctor can read the information from the laboratory's response from the table.

Table. Test results for pregnant women:

Term (weeks)	HCG (honey / ml)
1	from 20 to 150
2-3	from 100 to 4870
4	from 2,500 to 82,000
5	up to 151,000
6	up to 233,000
7-10	from 20,900 to 291,000
16	from 6150 to 103000
20	from 4730 to 80,000
21-39	from 2700 to 78000

The table shows that during early pregnancy, the hCG rate increases sharply. At the same time, at 4 months and before childbirth, a decrease in the hormone is observed. The norm in each individual case is different, therefore, a specialist must decipher the laboratory's answer.

In healthy women, human chorionic gonadotropin hCG should be in the range from 0 to 5 mU / ml, in men - from 0 to 2.5 mU / ml.

Reasons for deviations

If the level of the hormone HCG differs from the standard norms, this means that the patients have abnormalities. A low level of chorionic gonadotropin in gynecology indicates:

• placental insufficiency;
• ectopic pregnancy;
• anomalies in the development of the unborn child;
• freezing of the fetus;
• the threat of miscarriage;
• prolongation of pregnancy;
• the death of the embryo;
• abortion.

For example, with the threat of miscarriage, the indicator in hCG (blood test) drops sharply by 50-55%. The risk of losing a fetus occurs in women from the 1st to the 3rd trimesters.

High levels of the hormone during pregnancy can mean:

• diabetes mellitus in the expectant mother;
• multiple pregnancy;
• toxicosis;
• abnormalities in the development of the fetus.

In addition, you need to understand that high HCG can be observed as a result of an incorrectly established pregnancy period or when taking synthetic gestagens.

In other patients, the abnormalities indicated by hCG (decoding) may be a harbinger of the appearance of various types of tumors in the body.

Fetal anomalies

If the chorionic gonadotropin, the analysis for which is assigned to the pregnant woman in the early period, shows a level below normal, the specialist can conclude that the fetal development is abnormal. The decoding of the test by the laboratory may show that the expectant mother is at risk and requires additional monitoring.

The result of the analysis should not scare the woman, because the likelihood of the manifestation of a chromosomal abnormality may be low or not manifest at all. Various factors can affect the fluctuation of the hormone, therefore, in this case, doctors recommend donating blood to the patient several times during the week.

Ectopic pregnancy

As a result of the analysis for hCG, an ectopic pregnancy is detected. Thanks to this early diagnosis, experts identify the problem and suggest ways to solve it.

Deciphering a blood test can determine an abnormality:

• abdominal;
• rudimentary;
• pipe;
• cervical;
• ovarian.

The identified deviations in the early period determine the further actions of physicians. The patient can find out the results of the study from her gynecologist during the next examination.

Frozen pregnancy

In the case when a blood test for hCG pregnancy shows a sharp decrease in the amount of the hCG hormone in the blood, this may indicate fetal freezing.

To verify the result of the study, the doctor prescribes a repeated diagnosis for the patient.

In this case, the test should be decrypted in the same laboratory where the first interpretation was carried out.

If a second analysis showed the same results, then the specialist finds out the reasons for the incident and conducts other tests.

Trophoblastic tumors

Malignant formation during pregnancy is called trophoblast or trophoblastic tumor (abbreviated TO). Poor hCG blood test results can indicate:

• invasive cystic drift;
• complete blistering skid;
• swelling of the placental bed;
• partial cystic drift;
• choriocarcinoma.

Trophoblastic formation accounts for 1% of malignant tumors in gynecology. If the test results indicate trophoblast, then the patient had a miscarriage or abortion. In addition, malignant growth occurs after childbirth or in the case of an ectopic pregnancy.

Timely diagnostics, which determined the quantitative level of the HCG hormone, helps the patient to solve the problem at an early stage. The further actions of doctors will depend on the result of the analysis. If TO is detected, an operation or medical treatment without surgery can be prescribed.

How to normalize hormone levels

Insufficient or excessive amount of human chorionic gonadotropin in the blood is regulated. The indicator will help determine the development of pathology in the human body. The blood test result may look confusing to most patients and must be translated by a specialist.

To normalize the condition of a pregnant woman or women who are being treated for infertility, doctors prescribe drugs created on the basis of natural or laboratory synthesized HCG hormone, the abbreviation designation of which on the package will indicate its content in medicine.

They can be named differently, but have the same effect. Common means of stabilizing gonadotropin include:

• Duphaston;
• Pregnyl;
• Horagon;
• Choriogonin;
• Humegon.

Before you start taking hCG, you need to consult your doctor. The specialist will tell the patient what the result can mean, and the formula “decipher and understand yourself” does not always work.

Leading a healthy lifestyle and adhering to a regime of work and rest, a person, without medication, normalizes the level of the hormone HCG. In addition, by contacting a doctor in time, you can avoid health problems.