Get Health Access | What You Can Learn From Different Types of Genetic Testing | Are you interested in getting a genetic test? If you’re wondering what you can find out from different kinds of genetic testing, keep reading.
Many decide to get genetic testing to determine the risk of developing different diseases amongst other reasons. If you’re wondering if this could be a solution for you, keep reading to learn more about what you can find out from genetic testing.
Diagnostic and Carrier Testing
One of the main reasons people choose to do a genetic test is to confirm a diagnosis of a certain disease. Some may do this if they are expierinceing related symptoms, or have a family member with a disease like cystic fibrosis or Huntington’s disease. These diseases are caused by genetic changes, such as mutated genes.
If you have a family history of a disease or disorder or are in an ethnic group that has a high risk of a genetic disorder, you may choose to get a genetic test. Many individuals with these related risks choose to have genetic testing before having children. An expanded carrier screening test can detect genes associated with a number of genetic disorders that can help find out if you or your partner are carriers for these mutations.
Prenatal, Newborn and Preimplantation Screening
Prenatal testing can be done if you’re pregnant. This test can detect abnormalties in the baby’s genes, such as downs syndrome. This test is traditionally done by examining markers in the blood or through invasive testing, which is referred to as amniocentesis.
Modern testing can look at a baby’s DNA by blood testing the mother, which is called cell-free DNA testing. Newborn screening is a very common form of genetic testing. All newborns in the United States are required to be tested for certain metabolic and genetic abnormalties that can cause certain conditions.
This testing is important because it can detect certain disorders, such as sickle cell disease and congenital hypothyroidism. If detected, care and treatment can begin immediately.
Preimplantation genetic testing may be used for those who are trying to convince through in vitro fertilization. In this testing, embryos are screened for any genetic abnormalties. Those without abnormalties are implanted into the uterus in hopes of developing a pregnancy.
Pharmacogenetics, Presymptomatic and Predictive Testing
Pharmacogenetics testing is used for those with health conditions and diseases, as it may help to determine what kind of medication and what dosages would be most beneficial. Presymptomatic and predictive testing are used for those with a family history of a disease and can help to determine if someone is at risk for these diseases. This helps individuals know if they are at risk before they develop symptoms.
You can get screened for specific diseases by ordering tests from companies like Umbrella Scientific.
What You Can Learn From Genetic Testing
As you can see, there are many different kinds of genetic testing, and they all serve different purposes. If you could benefit from one of these results, consider getting screened for genetic testing.
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