Almost every woman was in a situation where there is a suspicion of pregnancy, and a doctor’s visit takes a lot of time, which is not always enough.
Miracles of modernity
It is in such cases, the representative of the fair sex can use the rapid test, which is able to determine whether she is pregnant or not. Accordingly, if the result is positive, and this is proved by the two strips that appear, then you should immediately visit a gynecologist. One strip is a negative answer, but here it is also better to go to the doctor to avoid the development of the inflammatory process or other health problems.
But what should the fair sex do when the second strip on the test is barely visible, what does this mean? The doctor, of course, has the answer to this question, but it is desirable that the woman herself understand how to evaluate the result.
Testing principle
The manufacture of such express strips for determining pregnancy in all cases occurs according to the same principle, regardless of their cost. The main factor here is a high sensitivity to the unique hormone gonadotropin, which begins to appear in the woman’s urine already in the initial stages of pregnancy.
These tests are equipped with a control zone, on which one or two bands are displayed. But it so happens that the first of them is pronounced, and the second strip on the test is pale. Do not forget that they all differ in how much time the test should be checked so that the result is true. Almost always required to wait from three to ten minutes. The main thing to take into account a very important point is the unsuitability of an express pregnancy test after the time specified in the instructions expires, otherwise the displayed result should not be regarded as reality.
Is the result always correct?
This question is asked by many women. In fact, in case of pregnancy, two strips should be highlighted, and their color is pronounced and they are very clearly visible. If the test shows a faint second strip, then it may simply be unusable.
You should be aware that in each package there is a fairly detailed instruction that outlines the steps of what and how to do. If during use you do not take into account the rules indicated there, then you can achieve the wrong answer to such an exciting question.
By the way, even if all the bands are drawn clearly, again, no one can give a full guarantee that the result is correct. The fact is that the tests have an expiration date that could already have expired at the time of use, and factory defects can also get caught, which is absolutely possible in the case of expensive and cheap options.
What do the doctor's say?
Still, the woman was faced with the fact that the second strip on the test is pale, what should I do? Of course, one of the most effective options will be to make an appointment with a gynecologist, who will give the correct answer to the question of pregnancy. Even if, according to the result, fetal development is present , intake cannot be avoided. There’s no way, without a doctor.
Some doctors say that sometimes in the case when the second strip is weakly manifested on the test, the woman is pregnant, but ectopic. From this it follows that a visit to a doctor is almost inevitable, because a woman should be completely convinced that everything is in order and there is no reason for concern.
Gynecologists also recommends conducting a rapid check for pregnancy only after three days of delay. Then the option can be practically excluded when the second weak strip on the test is confusing. If you check before the specified time, then even during pregnancy, the result may be negative (or doubtful) due to a lack of hormones in the body of a woman.
What does the test respond to?
This is a rather complex mechanism, enclosed in one thin plastic or paper strip. It is impregnated with a special reagent, which gives a reaction in the presence of hCG (human choriogonadotropin) in the body.
There are two types of express checks. These are highly sensitive tests - they determine the presence of pregnancy a week after the conception, and the usual ones that can show the correct result only on the third day of delay.
The reason that the second strip on the test is barely visible can be an insufficient amount of hCG in the body. However, a blood test in this case can already give a completely reliable result. Another reason may be the use of the test without following the rules and instructions or improper storage of tests by the seller.
How to conduct an express check?
It should be remembered that a test strip can give a reaction to hormonal failure of the female body, sometimes even to a fairly serious disease of the genital area. The emotional background should also be in order, without the presence of a manic desire to become pregnant or, conversely, fear of this fact. In such cases, even if the test showed a second strip (weak), a woman can perceive and understand this differently from what she really is.
Thus, if there is no certainty, then you can repeat the procedure again. If during the analysis errors on the verification are excluded, then a more sensitive test should be purchased. Having picked up a suitable option, to make it better in the morning, then the concentration of hCG is most increased and definable. Just before this, you should not drink a lot of liquid at night, this contributes to a distortion of the result.
It should be remembered that the stripes in the presence of pregnancy become clear and equally bright, according to the attached instructions, only on the fifth day of the delay. Accordingly, if during the second check, the fuzzy second strip on the test still appears, then, most likely, the woman will soon become a happy mother.
The mechanism of the test
You should know that the amount of a specific hormone secreted in large quantities during the development of pregnancy in men or women in the usual state is from 0 to 5 units. After the fetus has been implanted in the uterus, the amount of hCG hormone increases sharply and increases approximately twice in a period of 48 hours.
To detect its presence in the body, you should donate blood for analysis or use home diagnostics to determine pregnancy using urine. The reagent applied to the strip, in contact with this hormone, is colored. It is worth noting that after one day of delay, the amount of hCG in the urine reaches a sufficient level so that it can be detected. The second strip will be painted.
Even if the second strip on the test is barely visible, the fact of its presence indicates that chorionic gonadotropin is already present in the body, only its concentration is still too low. Drinking water may affect this before testing (in large quantities). It is also possible that the period for which the diagnosis was carried out is very small.
Do I need to double-check the result?
Of course yes. Better to do some tests. It is only important to know that they are not held in a row. Repeated diagnostics should be performed the next morning. Indeed, every two days there is an increase in the level of the hormone of pregnancy almost twice, and, accordingly, the result will be more accurate.
You should be aware that sometimes a strip appears when in contact with urine that does not contain hCG. But there is a difference: in this case, the color will be gray, not pink or bright red, and when the strip dries, the reagent will simply disappear, or rather discolour.
In addition, it must be remembered that when re-testing, if there is no dynamics, and the second strip is light on the test even after a week, this may indicate a woman’s health problems, therefore, in this case, it is better to consult a doctor.
What other reasons could there be?
It so happens that the second strip on the test is barely visible, not at all due to pregnancy. A weak test area can be when a tumor or cyst develops in the uterine cavity. Also, this fact may indicate a violation of the development of the fetus, that is, when it does not grow in the uterine cavity. This is called an ectopic pregnancy.
If during an abortion a woman was not completely removed the embryonic tissue, then this fact may affect the result of home diagnosis. After a miscarriage, the second strip is barely visible on which, for several weeks, will show an incorrect result.
Drugs that help eliminate infertility, impaired kidney or heart function can also affect the appearance of a second pale strip. Another interesting fact: the manifestation of such a strip may indicate that a woman is waiting for a boy, since in this case the level of hCG is much lower than during pregnancy with a girl.
In any case, a trip to the gynecologist is inevitable, and you should not neglect this. After all, you need to make sure that everything is in order, and if there are problems, start taking measures to eliminate them.