What causes high prolactin?

In fact, high prolactin levels in women can have adverse effects on their health, so it is important to understand the causes so that they can be treated correctly. For example, common nerve stimulation, some drug effects, and primary hypothyroidism can all cause this symptom.

1. Nerve stimulation : Irritation of certain parts of the skin, especially the chest, including severe pain caused by peripheral nerve damage, can be transmitted to the hypothalamus through nerves and cause an increase in prolactin. Such as chest surgery, burns, shingles on the chest and back, etc.

2. Pituitary disorders : mainly various tumors in the pituitary area. In addition, some cases of empty sella syndrome and hyperpituitarism can also cause galactorrhea and amenorrhea.

3. Drug factors : the use of some drugs. The secretion of prolactin is affected by many factors. In addition, some medications, strenuous physical activity, trauma and other acute conditions can cause increased secretion of prolactin.

Some drugs can also cause an increase in prolactin, resulting in excessive prolactin secretion and causing amenorrhea and galactorrhea. Oral contraceptives can cause increased prolactin secretion from the pituitary gland and decreased gonadotropin, leading to amenorrhea and galactorrhea. This is why some people who take oral contraceptives cannot get pregnant immediately.

4. Hypothalamic disorders : Diseases of the hypothalamus and adjacent parts, such as encephalitis, craniopharyngeal tumor, pineal tumor, partial hypothalamic infarction, pseudotumor cerebri, pituitary stalk transection, etc., can cause a decrease in prolactin-inhibiting factor produced by the hypothalamus, or an increase in prolactin-releasing factor and thyroid-stimulating hormone-releasing factor. The former can cause prolactin to be produced blindly due to the loss of inhibition, while the latter two directly promote the increase of prolactin production.

5. Some other reasons can also lead to increased prolactin . Diseases such as primary hypothyroidism, idiopathic amenorrhea and galactorrhea syndrome, primary hyperthyroidism, renal insufficiency, bronchial cancer, etc. can also cause increased prolactin.

One of the main causes of female infertility and hyperprolactinemia is pituitary tumors. This is because the tumor is composed of prolactin-secreting cells, which are out of control and secrete prolactin without restraint. At the same time, prolactin can also increase due to reasons such as compression of the pituitary stalk.