Prolactin is produced by the pituitary gland for the growth and development of the mammary glands, as well as for the production of milk when feeding the baby. It also affects the reproductive capacity of both women and men. And with the increase of this hormone, the whole sexual system suffers.
Prolactin - the causes of increased levels of the hormone in the blood
- One of the reasons why prolactin rises in norm is pregnancy. If the doctor needs to understand why the high prolactin in the analysis results - first of all, he will ask the woman about a possible pregnancy or hold a test for her presence.
- Physiologically elevated prolactin remains the entire period of breastfeeding.
- Increase the level of prolactin can and improperly selected hormonal contraceptives, drugs that are used to treat peptic ulcer, hypertension, tranquilizers and antidepressants.
- An increased level of prolactin can be when using narcotic drugs.
- Even stress or irritation of the nipples during sex increases the level of prolactin, and this should be taken into account in the analysis.
Why else can prolactin be increased - the causes
There are a number of diseases in which the level of prolactin rises. These include:
- lesions of the hypothalamus (with its tumors, tuberculosis, vascular circulatory disorders, after radiation therapy of the tumor);
- diseases of the pituitary gland (with its cysts, tumors, especially prolactinoma);
- diseases of other organs and systems ( polycystic ovary , hypothyroidism, renal failure, cirrhosis of the liver, chronic prostatitis in men, insufficiency of the adrenal cortex, estrogen producing tumors, chest injuries).
It is necessary to conduct a full diagnosis and find out the reasons why prolactin is increased, because it depends on it, how to treat the increase in the hormone and the disease that caused it. But there is idiopathic hyperprolactinemia, when the causes of increased prolactin can not be detected.