What are the dangers of high prolactin?

A large number of women often report that they have irregular menstruation, and even experience amenorrhea at a young age. Many of them do not quite understand the cause of this and do not pay too much attention to it. In fact, female friends must pay great attention to this physiological phenomenon. This is actually a physiological disorder caused by high prolactin. Although such symptoms will not be life-threatening, it is recommended that female patients must go to a professional hospital to find a professional doctor for examination and treatment as soon as possible. So what is high prolactin and what are the dangers of high prolactin?

Hyperprolactinemia refers to a syndrome caused by internal and external environmental factors, characterized by elevated PRL (≥25ng/ml), amenorrhea, galactorrhea, anovulation and infertility. In the past 20 years, great progress has been made in the physiological and biochemical research on PRL. The progress of PRL radioimmunoassay, cranial CT and MRI diagnostic techniques has improved the diagnostic level of HPRL, and its incidence has also tended to increase. At the same time, the advent of the anti-prolactin drug bromocriptine and the development of transsphenoidal microsurgery have brought new prospects for the diagnosis and treatment of HPRL.

The secretion of prolactin is affected by many factors. What are the dangers of high prolactin? In addition, drugs such as progesterone, dexamethasone, cortisol, intense physical activity, trauma and other acute stress situations can cause increased prolactin secretion. If the level of prolactin in the blood is too high, it is called hyperprolactinemia. These people often have symptoms such as breast tenderness, galactorrhea, infrequent menstruation or even amenorrhea. Therefore, it is sometimes called galactorrhea-amenorrhea syndrome. Among patients with hyperprolactinemia, about 1/4 are caused by pituitary tumors, and some may be caused by hypothalamic and pituitary dysfunction, hypothyroidism, renal insufficiency, malignant tumors in other parts of the body, chest wall injury and drug effects.

Increased prolactin can significantly inhibit the normal secretion of pituitary gonadotropins (such as follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone), affecting the normal development of follicles, ovulation function and pregnancy function. The decrease in the secretion of follicle-stimulating hormone will directly lead to the developmental disorder of the ovarian follicles, which will become weak or incomplete (B-ultrasound observation will show follicles with a diameter of less than 18 mm or smaller), and ultimately conception will not occur. The insufficient secretion of progesterone (luteinizing hormone) will cause the corpus luteum to have imperfect function, making it difficult to maintain the fertilized follicles to continue implanting and developing (if the basal body temperature is tested, it will show a low-temperature phase below 36.8°C), making it difficult to get pregnant, and even if conception occurs, miscarriage is very likely to occur.

There are still many dangers of high prolactin, so we have a certain understanding of the dangers of high prolactin. In fact, high prolactin can be treated, and there are a variety of treatments to choose from. The most fundamental treatment method is drug treatment, and there is also a method to promote ovulation treatment, and then surgical treatment. However, it is recommended that female patients who have not given birth should not undergo surgical treatment. Female patients must go to the hospital for examination and treatment, so that they can receive symptomatic treatment and recover as soon as possible.