DHEA Sulfate Test Price in Pakistan: Rs 1,820 at Marham Lab

DHEAS stands for dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate. MedlinePlus explains that it is a steroid hormone made mostly in the adrenal glands, two small glands above your kidneys, with smaller amounts made in the testicles and ovaries. It is a type of androgen, a male sex hormone, though it is found in both men and women. At Marham Lab a DHEA sulfate test costs Rs 1,820, reduced from Rs 2,600.

What DHEAS Actually Does

MedlinePlus explains that DHEAS plays an important role in making the male sex hormone testosterone and the female sex hormone estrogen. It helps with the development of male sexual characteristics at puberty and with reproduction in both sexes.

It adds a detail that matters when you read your result: DHEAS levels peak around puberty and then get lower as you age. A falling level over the years is the expected pattern rather than a disease.

MedlinePlus states that if your DHEAS levels are not normal, it may mean there is a problem with your adrenal glands or with your sex hormones.

Why Women Are Tested

This is the commonest route to the test in Pakistan, and it is usually about symptoms that are visible rather than symptoms that are felt.

MedlinePlus lists the symptoms of high DHEAS in women and girls.

• Excess body and facial hair growth
• Deepening of voice
• Menstrual irregularities
• Acne
• Becoming very muscular
• Hair loss at the top of the head

It also notes that MedlinePlus lists looking for the cause of the development of masculine features in women and girls, including excess body and facial hair growth and deepening of voice, among the main uses of the test.

MedlinePlus states that men may not have any symptoms of high levels of DHEAS, which is why the test is ordered far more often in women.

What a High Result Can Mean

MedlinePlus lists the causes of high DHEAS.

PCOS is the one most women reading this page will be investigating. It is worth knowing that DHEAS is not the only androgen looked at. CAH is assessed with [17-OH progesterone](/labs/tests/17-oh-progesterone-test-price), and the ovarian androgens with [total](/labs/tests/testosterone-test-price) and [free testosterone](/labs/tests/free-testosterone-test-price). MedlinePlus states that a DHEAS test is often done along with other sex hormone tests, naming testosterone tests for men and estrogen tests for women.

The practical value of DHEAS is that it points at the adrenal glands specifically, because that is where most of it is made. That helps a doctor separate an adrenal cause from an ovarian one.

What a Low Result Can Mean

MedlinePlus gives two conditions: Addison disease, a disorder in which the adrenal glands cannot make enough of certain hormones, and hypopituitarism, where the pituitary gland does not make enough of one or more of its hormones.

It also separates the symptoms by cause, which is useful.

If low DHEAS is due to an adrenal gland disorder, MedlinePlus lists unexplained weight loss, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, dehydration, and a craving for salt. The salt craving is an unusual and genuinely useful clue worth mentioning to your doctor if you have it.

If low DHEAS is related to ageing, MedlinePlus lists decreased sex drive, erectile dysfunction in men, and thinning of vaginal tissues in women.

About DHEA Supplements

Read this before buying anything off a shelf, because these are sold widely and cheaply here.

MedlinePlus states that over the counter DHEA sulfate supplements are available and are sometimes promoted as an anti ageing therapy. It then says plainly that there is no reliable evidence to support these anti ageing claims, and that in fact these supplements may cause serious side effects.

It advises talking to your provider if you have questions about DHEA supplements. If you are already taking one, tell the doctor who ordered this test, because it will affect the result.

Who Else Gets Tested

MedlinePlus lists the other uses of the test.

• Finding out whether your adrenal glands are working well
• Diagnosing tumours of the adrenal glands
• Diagnosing disorders of the testicles or ovaries
• Finding the cause of early or late puberty in boys

It adds that baby girls may need testing if they have external genitals that do not look clearly male or female, and that boys may need the test if they have signs of early puberty.

Reading Your Result

MedlinePlus says that to understand the results, your provider will consider your symptoms, age, sex, medical history and the results of other blood tests.

That list is the point. DHEAS is read as part of a hormone picture, alongside the other androgens and, depending on the question, estrogen or testosterone. Read the figure against the range printed on your own report and take it back to the doctor who ordered it.

How to Prepare

MedlinePlus states you do not need any special preparations for a DHEA sulfate test. No fasting is required and there is no cycle day to keep to, which makes this one of the easier hormone tests to book.

Tell your provider about any DHEA supplement you take, and about every other medicine, before the sample is drawn.

What Happens During the Test

A trained phlebotomist takes a small blood sample from a vein in your arm using a small needle. MedlinePlus notes it usually takes less than five minutes and that you may feel a little sting as the needle goes in or out. There is very little risk beyond slight pain or bruising, which settles quickly. In Lahore the sample can be collected at your home at no extra cost. The report is ready the next day.

اردو میں

ڈی ایچ ای اے ایس ایک اسٹیرائیڈ ہارمون ہے جو زیادہ تر گردوں کے اوپر موجود ایڈرینل غدود بناتے ہیں۔ تھوڑی مقدار بیضہ دانیوں اور خصیوں میں بھی بنتی ہے۔ یہ ایک مردانہ ہارمون کی قسم ہے، لیکن مردوں اور عورتوں دونوں میں پایا جاتا ہے۔

یہ ہارمون ٹیسٹوسٹیرون اور ایسٹروجن بنانے میں کردار ادا کرتا ہے۔ ایک بات یاد رکھیں، اس کی مقدار بلوغت کے زمانے میں سب سے زیادہ ہوتی ہے اور عمر بڑھنے کے ساتھ کم ہوتی چلی جاتی ہے۔ یہ قدرتی بات ہے، بیماری نہیں۔

خواتین میں یہ ٹیسٹ عام طور پر ان علامات پر کروایا جاتا ہے۔ چہرے اور جسم پر غیر معمولی بال، آواز بھاری ہونا، ماہواری بے قاعدہ ہونا، کیل مہاسے، جسم کا زیادہ مضبوط ہو جانا، اور سر کے اوپر سے بال گرنا۔ مردوں میں اس ہارمون کے بڑھنے کی اکثر کوئی علامت ظاہر نہیں ہوتی، اسی لیے یہ ٹیسٹ خواتین میں زیادہ کروایا جاتا ہے۔

مقدار زیادہ ہونے کی سب سے عام وجہ پی سی او ایس ہے، جو خواتین میں بانجھ پن کی بڑی وجوہات میں شامل ہے۔ اس کے علاوہ ایڈرینل غدود کی موروثی بیماری اور ایڈرینل غدود کی رسولی بھی وجہ ہو سکتی ہے۔ مقدار کم ہونے کی وجوہات میں ایڈیسن بیماری اور پٹیوٹری غدود کی کمزوری شامل ہیں۔

ایک بہت ضروری بات۔ بازار میں ڈی ایچ ای اے کے سپلیمنٹ ملتے ہیں جنہیں عمر روکنے والی دوا کہہ کر بیچا جاتا ہے۔ عالمی طبی معلومات کے مطابق ان دعووں کا کوئی قابل اعتماد ثبوت موجود نہیں، اور یہ سپلیمنٹ سنگین مضر اثرات پیدا کر سکتے ہیں۔ اگر آپ کوئی ایسا سپلیمنٹ لے رہے ہیں تو ڈاکٹر کو ضرور بتائیں، کیونکہ اس سے رپورٹ پر فرق پڑتا ہے۔

ٹیسٹ سے پہلے کوئی خاص تیاری نہیں چاہیے، نہ بھوکا رہنا ہے اور نہ ماہواری کے کسی مخصوص دن کا انتظار۔ مرہم لیب میں اس ٹیسٹ کی قیمت اٹھارہ سو بیس روپے ہے اور لاہور میں گھر سے نمونہ لینے کی سہولت مفت ہے۔

Final Thoughts

DHEAS earns its place by pointing at the adrenal glands rather than the ovaries, which is exactly the distinction a doctor needs when a woman has excess hair growth, acne and irregular periods. It is read alongside the other androgens rather than alone, it needs no fasting and no particular cycle day, and the one thing worth refusing on the way is the supplement version, which MedlinePlus says has no reliable evidence behind its anti ageing claims and may cause serious side effects.