Want to know the reproductive status of your health? If yes, the LH test is right for you!
An LH test measures how much luteinizing hormone a person has in their blood and their roles in male as well as female reproductive systems.
Let's take a glimpse of LH!!
Luteinizing hormone (LH) is a sex hormone which is involved in many bodily processes like pregnancy, puberty, and ovulation. This hormone is made in the pituitary gland of the brain and affects how a persons reproductive organs work. In females, it affects the ovaries and in males, it affects the testes.
This article is all about the LH tests which further discuss high, low, and normal LH levels, as well as how they relate to pregnancy.
So, First We Have To Know About LH Test
An LH test is a type of blood test that measures a persons LH levels on the reproductive system. This hormone is involved in the following bodily processes-
- Puberty: High LH levels may cause early puberty while low levels may delay puberty.
- Menstruation: LH along with+ another sex hormone called follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) controls menstrual cycles.
- Ovulation: An increase in LH triggers the release of an egg from an ovary.
- Progesterone Release: An increase in LH triggers ovulation and the cell structure that is left after ovulation releases progesterone. Progesterone is needed to maintain a pregnancy.
- Sperm Production: LH triggers Testosterone hormone which is needed for sperm production.
Now, What Is An LH Test Used For?
- LH tests diagnose fertility problems in both males and females.
- Increasing LH levels just before ovulation, signaling the most fertile period of a females menstrual cycle.
- When a woman goes through menopause, LH tests can help a doctor diagnose her menstrual changes or problems.
- This test also helps a doctor to determine why a teenager may have started puberty early or late.
- Also measuring LH levels can help determine whether there is a problem with the pituitary gland.
- Moreover, this test also diagnoses low testosterone level in a male.
What Next? LH Ranges and what they mean!!
The normal range of LH varies between males and females.
In the case of Men
- The normal range is 1.24 - 7.8 IU/L.
- If LH levels are below the normal range, it may lead to low testosterone.
- If LH levels are too high, LH may not be triggering testosterone production in the way that it should.
In the case of Women
For females, the normal range depends on their menstrual cycle, such as:
- Follicular phase: 1.68 - 15 IU/L
- Mid-cycle peak: 21.9 - 56.6 IU/L
- Luteal phase: 0.61 - 16.3 IU/L
- For females who have gone through menopause, the range is 14.2 - 52.3 IU/L.
Note: High LH levels may also indicate a polycystic ovary syndrome. And low LH levels may cause the pituitary disorder.Testing LH has the potential to indicate a number of fertility-related disorders. As your LH level, by itself, isn't enough to make a diagnosis, so you may get other tests, too!
