Patient's question:
I feel that my menstruation hasn't been very normal recently, sometimes it's more and sometimes it's less. My medical friend said it's okay to do an endocrine check-up in the hospital. Now that my menstruation has passed for 2 days, I don't know when to check. 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, the gonadotropin-releasing hormone) to issue commands to the lower level (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 examines whether the secretion levels of these hormones (including Luteinizing Hormone, Follicle-Stimulating Hormone, Prolactin, Progesterone, and Estrogen) are 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). Luteinizing Hormone and Follicle-Stimulating Hormone primarily promote follicular development and ovulation. Elevated levels of these hormones may lead to menstrual cessation or infertility. Excessive prolactin could indicate a pituitary tumor or hypothyroidism. Low levels of progesterone suggest hypofunction of the pituitary gland and ovaries, leading to amenorrhea, abnormal ovulation, or pregnancy issues. Elevated estrogen levels may be caused by ovarian tumors or pregnancy, while low levels could result from developmental disorders, hypofunction of the pituitary gland, or ovarian failure.