Prolactin encourages milk production inside the breasts.
Prolactin is the name given to a hormone secreted by the pituitary gland . This hormone is released by lactotroph cells , which are found in the adenohypophysis (the anterior lobe of the aforementioned gland).
The level of prolactin in the body depends on various issues. It is common for the presence of this hormone to be linked to stress and rest , among other factors that affect the body.
Prolactin plays a very important role in synthesizing progesterone in the corpus luteum and promoting the generation of milk inside the breasts. In men , prolactin is related to functions of the testicles, seminal vesicles and prostate.
prolactin level
Due to different and varied circumstances, there are many people who, on occasion, have to undergo a blood test to find out what level of prolactin they have. Specifically, those who must undergo such a test are the following:
- Those who suffer from infertility or impotence problems.
- When sexual desire has significantly decreased.
- We cannot forget that it is also necessary for those women who have irregular menstrual cycles or who have even seen how they have disappeared to know their prolactin level.
- Those who have alterations in breast milk production are required to undergo this blood test.
Normal levels of prolactin in the blood are considered to be between two and twenty-five nanograms per milliliter in the case of women who are not pregnant; between ten and three hundred nanograms per milliliter in women who are expecting a child; and between two and eighteen nanograms per milliliter in the case of men.
The level of prolactin can be measured by a blood test.
Its increase
When the prolactin level rises excessively, this increase may be due to different factors. Hypothyroidism , disorders in the hypothalamus , a tumor in the pituitary gland , a prolactinoma or even the effects generated by certain drugs (such as tranquilizers and antidepressants) can lead to a rise in prolactin in the blood.
In addition to these, there is another series of medications that also manage to significantly raise prolactin levels, which is also known scientifically by the acronym PRL . This would be the case of estrogens, risperidone, phenothiazines, butyrophenones and methylpoda, among others.
However, we must not forget that this increase can also occur temporarily due to the frequency of eating foods that are very rich in protein, having undergone a breast examination, or having carried out exercise. very recently or even after having experienced very intense stimulation of the breasts.
Performing a prolactin test, therefore, can help diagnose various diseases , including disorders linked to infertility, headaches and vision problems.