The correct diagnosis sometimes depends entirely on the examination. Moreover, a multilateral thorough study is necessary, because a correctly established cause of certain disorders is the key to successful treatment. Therefore, doctors so often refer their patients to laboratory tests, since only they can show a comprehensive picture of the internal state of human he alth. In addition to the well-known general urine and blood tests, there are countless other studies. Among them, for example, the analysis of FSH.
Study Purpose
Follicle-stimulating hormone, or FSH, is part of a group of substances that ensure the normal functioning of the gonads and enable reproduction in both males and females. Along with luteinizing hormone, or LH, and prolactin, FSH helps to form sexual characteristics, and also contributes to a regular changemenstrual cycle, ovulation and sperm maturation. All this in the end together allows the eggs to be fertilized. What is the FSH hormone in the blood of women and its norms are of interest to many.
Where are hormones produced?
Hormones LH and FSH are produced by the anterior lobe of the adenohypophysis and belong to the gonadotropic group. If the level of hormones in the blood exceeds the norm, the body stops their synthesis, and, conversely, with a deficiency, their production increases.
FGS analysis is carried out as part of the diagnosis of the following conditions:
- Infertility in people of both sexes.
- Failures in the functioning of the pituitary gland.
- Complications of menstrual irregularities.
- Disturbances in the functioning of the ovaries or testicles.
- Sperm underdevelopment.
- Substantially delayed or early puberty in children.
What else defines analysis?
Among other things, the analysis of FSH (what it is in women, we explained) makes it possible to determine the reserve of ovulation in patients with ovarian failure. Depending on the age and condition of the patients, its level may change throughout life. Pregnancy, menopause, or having a menstrual cycle can significantly affect the levels of this hormone.
Indications
Mostly, women need to check their FSH levels. However, if infertility, pituitary pathologies or gonadal insufficiency are suspected, this study can be prescribed to patients of both sexes. childrenthis analysis is prescribed if puberty occurs too late or, on the contrary, too early.
Signs of early premature maturation of the reproductive system in children are:
1. Breast augmentation and the onset of menstruation in girls.
2. Enlargement of the genitals in boys.
3. Abnormal vegetation in the genital area.
Such signs are a cause for concern, as they may indicate pathologies in the body of a more serious nature, for example, disorders in the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, gonads, etc.
What is an FSH test for men?
In the body of a man, FSH provides the functions that contribute to successful fertilization. The hormone is responsible for the production of sperm, as well as the development of the seminiferous tubules and testicles. The main indications for testing in males are:
- Decreased libido.
- Violation of potency.
- Infertility.
- Late puberty in adolescence.
Infertility
The main reason for taking an FSH test for women is infertility, the cause of which will help to identify the analysis. A deficiency or excess of a hormone in a woman's blood can be the reason for the inability to become pregnant and bear a child. In this case, corrective therapy will be required, which will normalize the hormone levels and allow the woman to conceive and give birth to a child.
Menstrual bleeding of scanty volume and also rare, and alsotheir complete absence is also a reason for passing such an analysis. It is necessary even during menopause. This also includes bleeding between cycles.
For girls in adolescence, analysis is prescribed in cases where they have premature physical and sexual development, or vice versa, a delay in it. The study will help determine the cause of such disorders and prescribe adequate therapy.
Preparing for analysis
Preparing for a blood donation for the level of follicle-stimulating hormone FSH is no different from any other analysis. Before taking blood, you should exclude stress and intense physical activity, stop smoking and alcoholic beverages. Blood is taken strictly on an empty stomach, so it is better to postpone breakfast for a while after the procedure. Before taking blood, you must inform the laboratory assistant about the drugs you are taking.
The procedure for taking material for analysis is simple. It involves taking blood in three test tubes within half an hour. The level of FSH in women tends to fluctuate depending on the period from the beginning of the menstrual cycle, so the test is prescribed for certain days. In the standard version, blood is donated one week after the start of a new cycle during the follicular phase. These restrictions do not apply to men, since the synthesis of hormones occurs continuously in their body.
After blood sampling, a study of the material obtained is carried out. Thus, it is possible to assess the degree of hormonal disorders in the patient's body.
If the level of FSH exceeds the normal value, then we are talking about a primary disease of the gonads. A low level indicates a secondary pathology, the cause of which, most likely, was a malfunction of the hypothalamus or pituitary gland.
If infertility is suspected, in addition to the FSH analysis, blood is also donated for LH. Such an analysis helps to determine the reason why it is impossible to conceive a child, evaluate the work of the pituitary gland and the reproductive function of the patient, or identify a prerequisite for impaired puberty in children or adolescents.
Norma
It has already been mentioned above that the level of FSH in women is unstable and varies depending on the phase from the beginning of the cycle:
- In the follicular period - 1, 3-9, 9 honey/ml.
- In the ovulatory period - 6, 16-17, 2 mIU/ml.
- In the luteal period - 1, 1 - 9, 2 honey/ml.
For men
Male normal FSH levels depend on age:
- Children under one year old - 3.5 honey/ml.
- Up to five years - 1.45 IU/ml or more.
- Up to ten years - 3.03 IU/ml and more.
- Teenagers from 11 to 14 years old - 0.35-6.3 IU/ml.
- Up to 20 years - 0.5 - 9.98 IU/ml.
- In adulthood, the value of 0.95-12 mU/ml is considered the norm. We consider the decoding of the analysis for FSH and normal values.
Deviations from the norm
The results of a blood test for FSH levels allow you to identify the primary or secondary disease. Andif in the first case, ovarian insufficiency is associated with their underdevelopment, then in the second case, there is a malfunction in the pituitary gland or hypothalamus.
In primary deficiency, LH and FSH levels are higher than normal and indicate the following:
- Impaired development of the ovaries, including failure in the synthesis of steroid hormones, chromosomal abnormalities such as Shereshevsky-Turner and Kallman syndromes.
- Premature ovarian failure due to radiation, chemotherapy and autoimmune diseases.
- Anovulation. Represents the complete absence of ovulation. The cause may be endocrine pathologies, oncological formations in the ovaries, polycystic disease and adrenal disease.
Elevated hormone levels in men indicate primary testicular failure, which can be caused by:
- Effect of adverse effects such as viruses, infections, chemotherapy, trauma, autoimmune diseases, mumps, radiation, etc.
- Defects such as chromosomal abnormalities such as Klinefelter's syndrome. Testing for FSH and LH is now increasingly being done.
In children
With an increase in FSH levels in a child, we can talk about early puberty. Abnormally high levels of LH and FSH may indicate the development of secondary sexual characteristics. In boys, this pathology is less common than in girls.
Precocious puberty may indicate the presence of the following pathologies:
- Testicular tumor.
- Cysts orneoplasms in the ovaries.
- Hormone-secreting tumors.
- Disturbance in the functioning of the central nervous system.
Slow puberty is also a reason to prescribe an analysis for FSH as part of a comprehensive examination. The following pathologies can become the causes of delayed puberty:
- Oncological diseases.
- Failure of the ovaries or testicles.
- Chronic infectious diseases.
- Klinefetel syndrome in boys and Shereshevsky-Turner syndrome in girls, which are the result of chromosomal abnormalities.
- Abnormally low body weight up to anorexia.
- Hormone deficiency.
The intake of a certain group of medications can affect the level of FSH in the direction of increasing or decreasing. The level of the hormone increases after taking drugs based on cimetidine, clomiphene, levodopa and digitalis. A decrease in the level can cause oral contraceptives and phenothiazines. Increased hormone levels are also characteristic of people who smoke.
Thus, a blood test for FSH allows you to determine the presence of many pathologies in the reproductive system of both women and men. Delaying the delivery of an analysis if you suspect an existing pathology is definitely not worth it.
