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One of the questions doctors and gynecologists ask is about the relationship between prolactin and infertility. Prolactin is a hormone that the thyroid gland secretes. Does it really influence infertility?
Knowing the link between prolactin and infertility has made it possible to find a common cause of infertility. It’s a scientifically proven fact that excess prolactin can cause infertility.
During pregnancy, it’s normal for prolactin levels to rise in women. However, the problem occurs when a woman isn’t pregnant. Hyperprolactinemia (excessive prolactin increase) inhibits ovulation and causes infertility.
Prolactin is a hormone that the thyroid secretes. Its primary function is to stimulate breast milk production. During pregnancy, prolactin levels increase. Additionally, breasts grow and prepare to breastfeed the baby.
Excessive prolactin production outside of pregnancy creates alterations in the menstrual cycle. Ovaries decrease their activity and make normal progesterone and estrogen levels more complicated. These conditions cause sterility because of problems ovulating. As a result, they cause infertility.
It’s possible that women who suffer from hyperprolactinemia even secrete milk from their breasts, even if they aren’t pregnant.
In practice, this disease can also affect men. Prolactin is also present in men. Too much of this hormone can cause sterility in men because it makes them produce less sperm.
The good news is that you can treat infertility from prolactin in time. You can correct having too much of this hormone so it reduces to normal levels. To start a corrective treatment, it’s necessary to know what causes this condition.
There are three reasons why hyperprolactinemia may appear:
Usually very obvious symptoms appear that you’ll notice. The body sends signals, and it’s important to listen to them. Also, don’t underestimate them.
If you notice these symptoms, you need to immediately consult a doctor. This can prevent serious problems, especially if you plan to start a family.
Diagnosing hyperprolactinemia isn’t hard. If your doctor thinks you have it, he’ll perform a blood test. If the test shows high prolactin levels, you’ll need to do more tests to determine what causes it.
First, he’ll make sure that you aren’t pregnant. Sometimes your doctor will do an MRI to check for hypothyroidism or polycystic ovarian syndrome.
Obviously, the treatment will depend on the cause. Generally, when you control the cause, the hormone levels will return to normal.
If you notice that the relationship between prolactin and infertility persists over time, you’ll need to go to the doctor. You need to find out a new treatment as soon as possible. Fortunately, there are several methods that offer solutions.