What factors affect prolactin levels?
A number of different factors can cause an increase or decrease in prolactin levels. Some of them are normal body functions such as pregnancy, and some are caused by temporary conditions such as breast stimulation or exercise. In some cases, it has been shown that the use of certain drugs or the presence of various health conditions increases the levels of prolactin in both men and women. Abnormally low prolactin levels do not cause problems in patients who are currently not pregnant or breastfeeding.
In healthy adults, prolactin levels are affected by whether a woman is pregnant or breastfeeding. Although the pituitary gland of both men and women releases prolactin, blood levels are usually low - between 2 and 18 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml) in men and 2 and 29 ng/ml in women. Women who are breastfeeding can have significantly higher levels, with normal levels between 10 and 209 ng/ml. In otherwise healthy women, breast stimulation may temporarily increase prolactin, and in healthy men and women, exercise or stress can increase the production of this hormthat.
Some health problems also cause elevated prolactin levels in both men and women. The hormone is secreted by the pituitary gland in the brain and the tumor that pushes against this gland or that is formed inside the gland can cause more prolactin to secrete. It was also known that the problems with the kidneys or thyroids increase the levels of prolactin.
Increased prolactin levels can also be caused by certain drugs. Some H2 blockers, antidepressants and estrogen -containing drugs may cause prolactin to increase. This effect can also have soothing such as trifluoperazine. Medicines that reduce prolactin do not cause patients who are not pregnant or breastfeeding, as normal prolactin levels are generally quite low.
You can perform a simple blood test to determine the patient's prolactin levels. Doctors often test prolactin more than once to find out howThe levels are fluctuating over time. If prolactin levels are found to be high, other tests can be performed to determine the reason. In some cases, high prolactin levels may indicate a serious or even life -threatening condition.