What kind of hormone is lh

Polycystic ovary syndrome is a common condition in women associated with high levels of luteinising hormone and reduced fertility.

In this condition, an imbalance between luteinising hormone and follicle stimulating hormone can stimulate inappropriate production of testosterone.

As a result of this, the testes are small and do not secrete adequate levels of testosterone to support sperm production. Turner syndrome is a female-only disorder caused by a partial or full deletion of an X chromosome so that women have XO, rather than XX.

In affected patients, ovarian function is impaired and therefore luteinising hormone production increases to try to stimulate ovarian function. Too little luteinising hormone will also result in infertility in both men and women, as a critical level of luteinising hormone is required to support testicular or ovarian function.

In women, a lack of luteinising hormone means that ovulation does not occur and menstrual periods may not occur regularly.

An example of a condition which can be caused by too little luteinising hormone is amenorrhoea. About Contact Events News. Search Search. You and Your Hormones. Students Teachers Patients Browse. Both men and women may need testing if they have symptoms of a pituitary disorder. These include some of the symptoms listed above, as well as:. Your child may need an LH test if he or she is does not seem to be starting puberty at the right age either too early or too late.

A health care professional will take a blood sample from a vein in your arm, using a small needle. After the needle is inserted, a small amount of blood will be collected into a test tube or vial. You may feel a little sting when the needle goes in or out.

This usually takes less than five minutes. If you are a woman that has not gone through menopause, your provider may want to schedule your test at a specific time during your menstrual cycle. There is very little risk to having a blood test.

You may have slight pain or bruising at the spot where the needle was put in, but most symptoms go away quickly. If you are a man, low LH levels may mean you have a disorder of the pituitary gland or the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that controls the pituitary gland and other important body functions.

In children, high LH levels, along with high levels of follicle-stimulating hormone, may mean puberty is about to start or has already started. If this is happening before age 9 in a girl or before age 10 in a boy precocious puberty , it may be a sign of:. Low LH and follicle-stimulating hormone levels in children may mean be a sign of delayed puberty.

Delayed puberty may be caused by:. Learn more about laboratory tests, reference ranges, and understanding results. There is an at-home test that measures LH levels in urine. The kit is designed to detect the rise in LH that happens just before ovulation. This test may help you figure out when you will be ovulating and have the best chances of getting pregnant. But you should not use this test to prevent pregnancy. It is not reliable for that purpose.

The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health. What is a luteinizing hormone LH levels test? To administer an LH blood test, a health professional will draw a small amount of blood from you, most likely from your arm. The sample will then be analyzed for LH levels.

To draw blood, a health professional will wrap your upper arm with an elastic band to make your veins easier to see. A tube attached to the needle will collect a small sample of your blood.

The process is short and mostly painless. Your doctor may request that you have samples of blood drawn each day for several days. Because the amount of LH in the blood varies with your menstrual cycle, a few samples may be necessary to get an accurate measurement of your LH levels. The needle site may bruise afterwards, but if you put pressure on it with a bandage, you can reduce this possibility. Phlebitis , while rare, may occur when blood is drawn.

This is when the vein becomes inflamed after blood is taken. If it occurs, your healthcare provider will likely have you apply a warm compress to the vein throughout the day. If you have any kind of bleeding disorder, make sure to tell your doctor to avoid complications from having blood drawn.

Your doctor should give you exact directions to prepare for your blood test. You may be told to stop taking certain medications that can affect the results, so be sure to inform your doctor of all medications and supplements you take.

Your doctor will also want to know the date of your last period. As with many blood draws, you may be asked to avoid eating or drinking for up to eight hours leading up to the test. These substances can interfere with the results of your test. Your doctor can tell you when results of your test will be available and will discuss the meaning of your levels with you. While each result can vary based on your unique condition, some general interpretations of LH results can include the following.

This is known as primary ovarian failure. Some causes of primary ovarian failure can include:. In females, ovulation of mature follicles on the ovary is induced by a large burst of LH secretion known as the preovulatory LH surge. Residual cells within ovulated follicles proliferate to form corpora lutea, which secrete the steroid hormones progesterone and estradiol. Progesterone is necessary for maintenance of pregnancy, and, in most mammals, LH is required for continued development and function of corpora lutea.

The name luteinizing hormone derives from this effect of inducing luteinization of ovarian follicles. As its name implies, FSH stimulates the maturation of ovarian follicles. Administration of FSH to humans and animals induces "superovulation", or development of more than the usual number of mature follicles and hence, an increased number of mature gametes. FSH is also critical for sperm production.

It supports the function of Sertoli cells, which in turn support many aspects of sperm cell maturation. GnRH is a ten amino acid peptide that is synthesized and secreted from hypothalamic neurons and binds to receptors on gonadotrophs.

As depicted in the figure to the right, GnRH stimultes secretion of LH, which in turn stimulates gonadal secretion of the sex steroids testosterone, estrogen and progesterone.