Irregular menstruation, decreased libido, frequent hair and skin problems, infertility - this is how the increased prolactin content in women manifests itself.
What kind of hormone is this?
It is produced by the anterior pituitary gland. Prolactin stimulates the development and growth of mammary glands in young girls and controls the production of milk during lactation in women. During pregnancy, sleep, stress and in the presence of certain diseases (liver or lungs), increased secretion of prolactin is observed. The hormone is involved in the regulation of water-salt metabolism, prolongs the phase of the corpus luteum and, during lactation, actively suppresses hormones that stimulate ovulation. 30 ng / ml or 600 mU / l is the normal level of prolactin in the blood. In certain cases, it can increase, thereby causing hyperprolactinemia.
If prolactin is elevated in women
Symptoms of this disorder in the body are obvious:
- Infertility.
- Hirsutism - hair begins to grow in the paralosa, on the white line of the abdomen and face.
- An obvious violation of the menstrual cycle.
- Significant decrease in libido.
- Galactorrhea - the release of milk with mild pressure.
- Acne
- Visual impairment. The pituitary tumor is the reason that prolactin is elevated in women.
- Symptoms of secondary osteoporosis as a result of a decrease in bone density.
- Obesity as a result of increased appetite.
Causes
- Physiological. The content of this hormone in the blood can be affected by pregnancy, increased physical activity, lactation, intimacy. With some surgical interventions (frequent curettage of the uterus), prolactin is increased in women. Symptoms of the physiological causes of an increase in the level of this hormone in the blood are described above.
- Iatrogenic. Medications are often the cause of hyperprolactinemia. Among them: estrogen in high dosage, oral contraceptives, antidepressants, antihypertensive drugs, antipsychotics.
- Pathological. Some diseases of the body also provoke an increased content of the hormone. For example, liver failure, thyroid ailments, radiation, cirrhosis, pituitary tumor and compression, tuberculosis, polycystic ovary syndrome. Elevated prolactin is often observed in people suffering from chronic lack of sleep, frequent stressful conditions.
Effects
Violation of the level of prolactin in the blood makes conception impossible. Its increased content in the body inhibits the synthesis of luteinizing and follicle-stimulating hormones responsible for ovulation.
Diagnostics
If prolactin is elevated in women, the symptoms are similar to the above, then the doctor must conduct a thorough examination and find out a family and life history. The doctor will ask the patient about past thyroid diseases, operations on the pituitary gland, chest and ovaries. In addition, he will clarify the presence of insomnia and depression, pathological fractures. For an accurate diagnosis carry out:
- ultrasound examination of the liver, thyroid gland, kidneys, mammary glands, ovaries;
- X-ray and MRI of the skull in order to identify pathologies of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, the same procedures for skeleton bones;
- blood chemistry;
- analysis for prolactin.
Treatment
If there is no pituitary tumor, then doctors use conservative treatment. The most commonly used drugs are Bromocriptine and Dostinex. Remember that if prolactin is elevated in women, the symptoms are similar to the above, then only a qualified specialist can diagnose and treat it. Be healthy!