The work of most body systems depends on hormonal balance. The slightest deviation from the norm instantly affects the state of he alth and can manifest itself as a minimum of malaise, a maximum - endocrine infertility of the male and female population of the planet. To diagnose endocrine infertility, doctors prescribe a blood test for the hormone prolactin. How to pass the analysis correctly, you will learn from this article.
Indications for conduction
Female patients are prescribed this procedure due to menstrual disorders (frequent delays not related to pregnancy), lack of milk during breastfeeding, and also due to suspected endocrine infertility. When do men take prolactin? In case of testicular insufficiency, oligospermia, azospermia or gynecomastia (enlargement of the mammary glands). In addition, there are situations when both women and men donate prolactin. These indications include: galactorrhea (excretion of milk or similar fluid from the nipples of the mammary glands, not associated with lactation or pregnancy); diagnosis of deviations in the functioning of the pituitary gland; suspected pituitary tumor (visual disturbances or headacheschronic nature); after removal of a tumor from the pituitary gland for the purpose of hormone replacement therapy.
So, when is prolactin taken and how to do it right?
The hormonal background is extremely sensitive to the effects of the external environment on a person, to any internal experiences. That is why you will have to prepare in advance for the delivery of the analysis. So, a day before delivery:
- do not visit saunas, baths;
- do not drink alcohol and fatty foods;
- avoid intense sports activities;
- protect nipples from irritation;
- do not have sex.
Try to get a good night's sleep (about 10-12 hours), do not smoke an hour before the procedure. You need to come to the clinic hungry in order to get an accurate analysis for prolactin. When to submit? The best time is the first 2-3 hours immediately after waking up. For men, there are no specific guidelines for when to get tested. However, women should be tested on the 5th-7th, or a little later, on the 18th-22nd day of the cycle.
How is the analysis done?
In the blood test, the method of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay is used, along with additional examinations of its forms. Hormone production is regulated by thyroliberin and dopamine receptor blockers. Therefore, samples with these substances are also used in the analysis process. Thus, the secretion of prolactin is assessed and various pathologies and diseases are detected.
Pregnancy
Thisa special period, the indications of prolactin in women differ by an order of magnitude. Therefore, such analyzes are evaluated according to other criteria. Here a special role is played by the gestational age, lactation period, phase of the menstrual cycle. Breastfeeding involves an increase in the level of prolactin in the blood of a woman. A large amount of the hormone is released into the blood in the first two trimesters of pregnancy. If the mother refuses to breastfeed, then the level of prolactin returns to normal four weeks after birth. So, now you know when prolactin is taken. Stay he althy!
