Many patients have heard of the "happy hormone". In medicine, this substance is called serotonin. It affects the mental state of a person. Serotonin deficiency leads to a persistent decrease in mood, and subsequently to chronic depression. By the level of this hormone, one can judge not only the mental, but also the somatic he alth of a person. Doctors rarely prescribe a serotonin test for patients. This study is mainly used to diagnose severe oncological diseases. What are normal levels of serotonin? And what is the reason for the increase or decrease in the hormone? We will answer these questions in the article.
What is this
Serotonin is a hormone that is produced primarily in the intestinal mucosa. About 5% of this substance is produced by the pineal gland (pineal gland) of the brain. Serotonin is also known as"happiness hormone" or "joy hormone". It has the following effects on the body:
- Promotes a good mood.
- Increases physical activity.
- Decreases sensitivity to pain in high doses.
- Increases intestinal peristalsis.
- Has an anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory effect.
- Accelerating blood clotting.
- Reduces the risk of vein blockage by blood clots.
- Enhances uterine contractions during childbirth.
This hormone directly affects mental he alth and mood. The biosynthesis of serotonin is significantly increased in sunlight. Therefore, when the weather is clear, a person's mood improves. The same process can explain the appearance of depression in the winter season.
How the study is done
How to get tested for serotonin? For research, blood is taken from a vein in the arm. The amount of hormone in serum is determined by liquid chromatography. This is one of the most accurate and efficient ways.
Analysis for serotonin does not apply to widespread research. It is rarely prescribed. Therefore, you can only take the test in large laboratories and diagnostic centers. Not every medical institution has special equipment and reagents for research.
Serotonin test results are usually available three business days after blood sampling. decryptiontest must be shown to the attending physician. Only a specialist can correctly interpret the study data.
How to prepare for the test
In order for the study to show reliable results, the following rules for preparing for serotonin analysis must be observed:
- This test is recommended in the morning after fasting for 8-14 hours. If the analysis is taken during the day, then the last meal is allowed 4 hours before the study.
- One day before blood sampling, you need to exclude foods containing serotonin from the diet. These include pastries with vanilla sugar, sweets, bananas, pineapples, tea and coffee. You must also stop drinking alcohol.
- Stress and exercise should be avoided three days before the test. These factors can affect serotonin levels.
- 20 minutes before taking the biomaterial, you should try to maintain complete physical and emotional rest.
10-14 days before the test, you should also stop taking medication. If it is impossible to interrupt the course of treatment, then you need to warn the doctor about the use of drugs.
Indications
An analysis of the hormone serotonin is prescribed for suspected of the following pathologies:
- abdominal cancers;
- intestinal obstruction;
- diseases of the heart valves;
- malignant neoplasms of the endocrine glands;
- leukemia.
This study is recommended by doctors for causeless weight loss. inexplicable lossweight may be a sign of cancer.
This test is also used in psychiatric practice. Doctors prescribe a serotonin test for depression and suspected schizophrenia. These mental disorders are accompanied by a decrease in the level of the "hormone of joy".
Normal performance
Serotonin levels are most commonly measured in ng/mL (nanograms per milliliter). The norm is from 50 to 220 ng/ml.
Some laboratories use micromoles per liter (µmol/l) as the unit of measure. To recalculate the indicators, you need to multiply the level of serotonin in ng / ml by a factor of 0.00568. The reference values \u200b\u200bare 0.22 - 2.05 μmol / l.
False indicators
In some cases, a blood test for serotonin can give false results. A decrease in the concentration of the hormone is noted during the menstrual period, as well as in patients suffering from obesity and migraine. Serotonin levels rise during ovulation, when taking estrogen drugs and antidepressants.
However, these factors have little effect on the performance of the hormone. Usually, deviations in the level of serotonin from the norm indicate serious pathologies.
Increased rate
A significant increase in the concentration of serotonin is observed in carcinoid tumors of the digestive tract. An excessive concentration of the hormone in the serum is diagnosed in the later stages of oncological diseases, when the patient develops metastases. Carcinoid tumors are more common in older people. They arelocalized in the middle and lower intestines.
Very high serotonin levels are one of the hallmarks of medullary thyroid cancer. This is a rare neoplasm that has hormonal activity. With such a pathology, the results of the analysis may exceed the norm by 5-10 times.
Serotonin slightly increases with cysts in the gastrointestinal tract, blockage of the intestines, as well as in the acute period of myocardial infarction. Also, a slight increase in the hormone is observed during the course of treatment with drugs for depression.
What to do if the serotonin test is significantly higher than normal? A high concentration of the hormone can only indirectly indicate the presence of hormonally active tumors. However, this test cannot be used to judge the location and size of the neoplasm. Therefore, for a more accurate diagnosis, additional examinations are needed: MRI or CT, ultrasound, biopsy and histological analyzes.
Low hormone levels
A decrease in the concentration of serotonin is noted in the following pathologies:
- genetic disorders (phenylketonuria, Down's disease);
- depression;
- schizophrenia;
- parkinsonism;
- leukemia;
- vitamin B6 deficiency;
- liver disease.
The severity of depression can be judged by the degree of decrease in serotonin. The lower the level of the "hormone of joy", the more pronounced mood disorders.
How to increase the hormone
Whatwhat to do if the serotonin levels are below normal? If a decrease in the concentration of the hormone is caused by severe somatic or mental illness, then a long course of treatment is necessary.
Is it possible to increase the level of the hormone yourself? This is only possible with mild forms of depression. To improve your mood, doctors recommend following these recommendations:
- Include more bananas, cheese, red meat, pasta, fish and seafood in your diet. These types of food contain tryptophan. This is the name of the amino acid that is involved in the biosynthesis of serotonin.
- Sunlight affects the production of serotonin. Therefore, during clear weather, you need to be outdoors more often.
- You should try to maintain sufficient physical activity. Sports and walking increase hormone synthesis.
There are also drugs that increase serotonin levels. These include many types of antidepressants. However, these medications should not be taken on their own. They are strictly prescription drugs that can only be prescribed by a psychiatrist. Serotonin antidepressants are used to treat severe forms of depression.
It is important to remember that an excess of the hormone is extremely harmful to the body. This can lead to a life-threatening condition called serotonin syndrome. This pathology is accompanied by agitation, fever, hallucinations, anxiety, tremor. Most often, this condition occurs due to an overdose or violationrules for taking antidepressants. Therefore, self-medication with such drugs is absolutely unacceptable.
