Unknown Facts to Know About Prolactin Test
Prolactin or PRL test is helpful for measuring prolactin hormone in the blood. Pituitary gland will make this hormone and located at the bottom of the brain. If you need to perform prolactin blood test then continue reading blog as it reveals some interesting facts.
Symptoms abnormal prolactin
The pregnant women or those who give birth recently have higher prolactin level for the production of breast milk. However, there is a chance to get high level of prolactin for men and non-pregnant women as well.
Doctor will recommend prolactin test if you are facing the following symptoms:
Women
- Breast tenderness
- Discharge of breast milk during nursing or pregnancy
- Infertility
- No or irregular periods
Men
- Production of breast milk (very rare)
- Breast enlargement or tenderness
- Erection difficulty
- Lower sex drive
Both
- Vision problems
- Unexplained headaches
Abnormal prolactin causes
Both non-pregnant women and men have small amount of prolactin in the blood. If you have high level, it is probably because of the following:
- Chest irritation or injury (for instance tight bra, shingles and scars)
- Drugs for treating high blood pressure, psychosis and depression
- Anorexia (eating disorder)
- Certain diseases which affect hypothalamus (brain part which controls pituitary gland)
- Prolactinoma (benign tumor in the gland secreting excessive prolactin)
Even PCOS, liver failure and kidney disease can impact the ability of the body for the removal of prolactin. You can search with ‘prolactin test near me’ to find a clinic where you can perform the test.
How doctor carries out the test?
There is no necessity of any preparations for prolactin test. The nurse or phlebotomist will collect the specimen of blood by inserting a needle in the arm. It will feel just like a sting. You may also feel slight bruising and moderate pain afterwards. Some days after, the result will deliver where you can check the range.
Usually the normal range of prolactin in the blood is:
- Pregnant women- 10-209 ng/mL
- Non pregnant women- 2-29 ng/mL
- Men- 2-18 ng/mL
High prolactin levels
It never means that the patient has any problem if the level comes out higher than normal. The level can heighten up when the patient has lots of stress and consume something just before blood test. Even normal range relies on the lab from where you have performed the test.
When the level is extremely high, it means that you develop prolactinoma. The tumor isn’t cancerous and able to treat with the help of medicine. Sometimes, it becomes necessary to perform an MRI.
Low prolactin levels
In case the prolactin level is under usual range then it clearly means that pituitary gland is not able to function properly. It refers to as hypopituitarism. But low level of prolactin never deems any medical attention.
Many drugs drop down the prolactin level. It includes:
- Ergot alkaloid derivatives (for severe headaches)
- Levodopa(for Parkinson’s disease)
- Dopamine (Intrepid), that gives to shocked people
Treatment
No every case of higher prolactin needs treatment. It relies on diagnosis. In case the prolactinoma is slight or impossible to detect then no treatment will recommend to the patients. Sometimes, doctor will prescribe medicine for lower prolactin level. When the patient has prolactinoma, the doctor’s aim is to give medication for reducing tumor’s size along prolactin amount.
There are many clinics where you can get prolactin blood test in the UK. However, you must choose a clinic where you get the facility to consult with a doctor afterwards to analyze the report. By this way you can get the treatment if needed on time.