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What are Hyperprolactinemia Symptoms?
In this article, we will find out about the health problems that crop up when one of our body’s hormones that is the prolactin hormone secretes in more amounts.
Prolactin is one of the hormones that is secreted in the brain by the master gland in our body that is the pituitary gland. But its excess secretion is when health disorders may start to creeps in. this demands you to visit the doctors and check out why the problem is occurring, what is the severity of hyperprolactinemia that you are suffering from right now and how can you go about curing this disorder.
Here we will learn about what are hyperprolactinemia symptoms, how it occurs, and how they can be treated. This serves as a quick hand guide for anyone suffering from the disorder.
What is hyperprolactinemia and how does it occur?
Hyperprolactinemia is a disorder that occurs due to the excess secretion of the prolactin hormone. You know this as we have already stated this in the top section of our article.
You see prolactin is a type of hormone that is found in both sexes. Although the hormone is present more in significant amounts in females it is also present in males. The excess secretion of any hormone can bring about complications and it seems that prolactin hormone is no exception to this.
Causes of hyperprolactinemia
The major cause of hyperprolactinemia disorder may occur from a dysfunction in the working of the pituitary gland. You see it is the pituitary hormone that is secreted from the pituitary gland that controls the secretion of various other hormones in our body including the prolactin hormone.
Doctors say that it is the most common case that you are suffering from hyperprolactinemia due to a benign tumor formation in the pituitary gland.
This tumor is not life-threatening but it can cause problems such as hyperprolactinemia. Doctors say that while tumor formation on the gland itself is the major cause there can be some other causes as well.
These include-
Hypothyroidism
Cirrhosis of liver
Use of some drugs like antidepressants such as Anafranil, Norpramin
Use of some antipsychotic pills like Haldol, Risperdal
H2 acid blockers like Tagamet
High levels of estrogen
Antihypertensive pills like Verelan, Calan,
Doctors say that apart from these there might be a problem with the hypothalamus section of your brain that may cause the hyperprolactinemia disorder. Remember that the hypothalamus section works in between the pituitary and the central nervous system.
Symptoms of prolactinoma
Now we come to one of the most important sections of the article where we will be finding out about the most important query that is what are hyperprolactinemia symptoms.
Remember that the prolactin hormone is present in both males and females. It is one of the more important hormones in the female body and therefore its problem can result in the occurrences of different types of symptoms in the male versus the female body.
What symptoms occur due to hyperprolactinemia in the female body?
Remember that the prolactin hormonal secretion goes up when the females are expecting a child or when pregnant. The levels of prolactin hormone may also go up higher when the lady is breastfeeding a child.
You may experience higher levels of prolactin before childbirth during the gestation period or up to a few months post-childbirth when you are milking your infant.
It is for females that the symptoms or the complications that these symptoms can have looked to be far more severe. This includes-
Missed periods, irregular periods.
Excess milk production or milk discharge from the nipples of the penis even while not being pregnant or breastfeeding a child.
Painful intercourse or dryness in the vagina.
Formation of acne on the face.
Excess body hair or growth of facial hair.
Difficulties in getting pregnant.
What symptoms occur due to hyperprolactinemia in males?
Within males, prolactin is not the main hormone that defines the set of feminine traits but it does have its presence in the male body too. when you are having excess amounts of prolactin hormone or you are suffering from prolactinoma you may suffer from-
Erectile dysfunction or the lack of a hard penis erection.
Reduction in body and facial hair.
Reduction in muscles.
Enlargement of breasts which is also visible but rarely.
Remember that due to the rise of the prolactin hormone production and secretion your body is bound to suffer from loss of male characteristic features. The rise of prolactin hormone or the which we call the feminine hormone may also lead you to less secretion and efficacy of the testosterone hormone. This can further degrade to low count of sperm cells in semen and reduced health of the sperms and even reduction in motility of sperms or even large amount of sperm cell immature death.
Common symptoms of hyperprolactinemia occurring in both sexes
Despite having unrelated symptoms in the male and the female body, there is a common trait of symptoms that seem to be occurring in both sexes. This includes-
Lowering of bone density
Reduction in the other hormonal levels that the pituitary gland secretes
Having a general disinterest or any interest as such to have sex
Frequent headaches.
Visual problems
and infertility
As the prolactin hormone has more functions to do in the female body than the males, it is the females who can understand the hyperprolactinemia symptoms at a lower or less severe stage. The symptoms that occur within the females are also significant at least visually appealing.
In males though, the symptoms are not very well visually appealing at least in the earlier or less severe stages. It is only recognizable in the more severe stages.
Complications arising out of hyperprolactinemia
Now that you know about what are hyperprolactinemia symptoms it is also important for you to understand that some of the symptoms can grow up to have complications in your life.
Some of the most concerning ones include-
Osteoporosis
The excess levels of prolactin hormone in your body can mean that the chief hormones in the sexes that is estrogen in the females and testosterone in the males will reduce significantly. This may increase the chances of osteoporosis.
Complications with getting pregnant
When you are naturally pregnant the levels of estrogen hormone are high. But when not, a high level of prolactin hormone can reduce the levels of estrogen hormone and this may result in getting pregnant. This is because of the symptom that females may experience irregular or missed periods.
Loss of vision
Higher levels of prolactin hormone may increase pressure in the ocular nerves and lead to disturbances with vision or even complete loss of vision.