Throughout this text we will understand what prolactin is, what it is for in men and women and if it is serious to have high prolactin. This hormone is important in our body and whether it is high or low is a sign of some disorders or changes in our lives, so there will be cases in which we will need medical help.
Hyperprolactin or high blood prolactin is common in some women and also in men. A priori there is no need to be alarmed, since it will be the doctor who analyzes our case individually. In the following sections we will learn more about this hormone that makes an appearance in men and women.
It is not considered a serious disorder, so we must be calm, but it is advisable to have regular check-ups and clear up any doubts quickly, since the causes are various and the symptoms sometimes do not even manifest themselves. In fact, they can sometimes be confused with a number of other disorders, with loss of body hair being one of the common symptoms.
What is it?
In a nutshell, high prolactin or hyperprolactin is a hormonal disorder that causes the affected person to have very high levels of this hormone in the blood. The causes and symptoms are the most varied and curious.
This hormone is also known as luteotropin and is generated in the pituitary gland and has a specific function, especially in women, and that when we are pregnant we can generate milk in the breasts. This hormone will be at high levels during pregnancy, postpartum and lactation.
It works in the following way: when the baby sucks on the nipple, the hypothalamus blocks the secretion of dopamine and inhibits the action of prolactin, increasing the levels of this hormone in the blood while our child is feeding. By the time the baby stops, the amount of hormone secretion is reduced. This serves to create milk for the next feeding.
It is not a medical emergency, nor should we be very alert. Only our doctor will be able to give instructions on how to proceed from now on, and that can only be done by evaluating each case individually and personally.
Something curious is that the symptoms are not always reflected, so we only realize these high levels of prolactin in the blood when we perform a blood test or medical test that involves blood extraction.
Causes
There are several causes that give rise to these high levels of hormone in the blood, but not all the profiles always coincide with the causes, nor with the symptoms that we will see below in another section. That is why it is of vital importance that we find a committed doctor who is willing to study our case in a personalized way.
- Anorexy.
- Diseases of the hypothalamus.
- hypothyroidism
- Polycystic ovary syndrome.
- Renal problems.
- Medications for anxiety.
- Liver diseases.
- Menopause.
- High blood pressure.
- gastric ulcers
- Heartburn.
- For taking drugs derived from opium.
- Birth control pills.
Symptoms
The symptoms of high prolactin are not always obvious. Moreover, there are those who see that they have high levels of this hormone in the blood and do not develop any of the symptoms that we say below. We are going to separate it into men and women so that the symptoms are clearer, since having high prolactin does not affect equally.
Men
- Erectile dysfunction.
- Problems during the sexual act to maintain the erection.
- Breast growth, better known as gynecomastia.
- Loss of muscle mass.
- Body hair loss.
Women
- Vaginal dryness and pain during sexual intercourse.
- Irregular menstruation or even absence of it.
- Production of breast milk without being pregnant or lactating.
- Acne.
- Growth of body and facial hair.
Common symptoms
- infertility
- Vision problems.
- Mild headaches.
- Lack of sexual appetite.
- Low bone density.
- Low pituitary production of other essential hormones.
Diagnosis and treatment
The diagnosis of this type of situation is usually done by a specialist, but as we say it is not a critical or urgent situation, although it depends a lot on each case, situation and the health of the patient.
To make the diagnosis and see the levels of prolactin in the blood, a simple blood test is enough and there the values and the level of the thyroid hormone in the blood are checked. Depending on the levels, conclusions are drawn, for example, through this test thyroid problems are also ruled out, as well as that the cause of hyperprolactin is related to the thyroid.
The main thing is to rule out pregnancy, as many people do not know that they are pregnant, but notice strange changes in their body. If pregnancy is ruled out, the next imminent step is to perform an MRI of the brain and more specifically of the pituitary gland.
As for the treatment, it will be the doctor who decides how to act, but there are several options, from oral medications that help lower prolactin, such as surgery to remove the tumor and radiation to shrink the tumor.
Tips to download it
There are a series of recommendations and tips to lower prolactin in the blood naturally, but these are tips that we should consult with a specialist, since our health could be affected. For example, consuming red meat , and an excess of this consumption together with little physical activity can lead to cholesterol, overweight, hypertension, etc.
Apart from the medication and other medical remedies that we have mentioned, there are also other options such as the ones that we are going to give below:
- Take nuts such as walnuts, almonds and peanuts.
- Choose foods rich in protein such as red meat, oily fish, dairy, soy, etc.
- Always green leafy vegetables.
- Preference over red fruits.
- Take nutritional yeast.
- Seafood such as prawns and prawns.
- Reduce intense exercise.
- Lower stress and anxiety levels.
- Visit an endocrinologist.
- Gynecological reviews.
- Beware of medication changes.
- Try to sleep and rest well.
- Improve nutrition.
- Promote good lifestyle habits.
