What are the causes of physiological hyperprolactinemia?

Hyperprolactinemia is caused by various reasons that lead to abnormal increase of serum prolactin (PRL) to greater than 1.14nmol/L (25μg/L). Possible symptoms include menstrual disorders, infertility, galactorrhea, and sexual dysfunction. Physiological hyperprolactinemia is a more common type. What are the causes of this type? Let's learn about it together.

What are the causes of physiological hyperprolactinemia?

(1) Nighttime and sleep (2 a.m. to 6 a.m.).

(2) Women in the late ovulation phase and luteal phase.

(3) Pregnancy: At 8 weeks of pregnancy, the PRL level in the blood is 20 μg/L. In the late pregnancy, it increases by more than 10 times compared to the early pregnancy, reaching 200 μg/L.

(4) Lactation: Massage and nipple sucking can cause acute, short-term or persistent increased secretion. The basal PRL of breastfeeding women drops to normal 6 to 12 weeks after delivery and increases during breastfeeding.

(5) Postpartum period: The PRL level may increase in breastfeeding women 3 to 4 weeks after delivery, and both the basal and breastfeeding-stimulated PRL levels decrease 3 to 6 months after delivery.

(6) Hypoglycemia.

(7) Exercise and stress stimulation: Prolactin (PRL) is the largest stress hormone in the human body. Any physical stress state can cause a sharp increase in PRL.

(8) Sexual intercourse: It increases significantly during orgasm.

(9) Others: Dehydration, stress, and breast stimulation can also cause an increase in PRL.

The increase in prolactin caused by the above factors is a normal physiological reaction. It will recover on its own within a short period of time or with the end of pregnancy and lactation, and no treatment is required.