Patient's question:
I feel like my menstruation hasn't been very regular recently, sometimes more and sometimes less. My medical friend said it's okay to do an endocrine check-up at the hospital. Now that my period has passed for 2 days, I don't know when to go for the check-up. I really want to ask the doctor when to check the endocrine on the nth day of menstruation?Doctor's answer:
90% of women have experienced endocrine disorders, such as spots on the face, abnormal leukorrhea, and irregular menstruation. In fact, endocrine disorders are disruptions in female sex hormone balance, and typically, endocrine tests involve blood tests to determine whether female sex hormone secretion is within relatively normal levels. Sex hormone levels are influenced by the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and ovaries. The hypothalamus acts as the "highest command center," releasing a certain amount of hormones (such as GnRH, which stimulates the production of sex hormones) and issuing commands to the lower level (the pituitary gland). The pituitary gland also sends signals to regulate the lower glands. For the ovaries, these signals are the pituitary gland's secretion of Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Luteinizing Hormone (LH), and during lactation, prolactin is also produced. Therefore, an endocrine test essentially assesses whether the secretion of these hormones (including LH, FSH, prolactin, progesterone, and estrogen) is normal. On a female endocrine test report, we can see several key indicators: LH (Luteinizing Hormone), FSH (Follicle-Stimulating Hormone), PRL (Prolactin), PROG (Progesterone), and E2 (Estrogen).LH and FSH primarily promote follicular development and ovulation. Elevated levels of these hormones may lead to amenorrhea or infertility. Excessive prolactin can indicate a pituitary tumor or hypothyroidism. Low progesterone levels suggest hypofunction of the pituitary gland and ovaries, leading to absent menstruation or ovulation, and abnormal pregnancy. Both ovarian tumors and pregnancy may result in elevated estrogen levels. If estrogen levels are low, it could be due to developmental disorders, hypofunction of the pituitary gland, or ovarian failure.