Hormone Assay is the process of measuring hormones in the blood. It is important to measure the level of various hormones which help one in getting pregnant. Through the measurement, your doctor can also determine the cause of your infertility. Hormones such as Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), Luteinizing Hormone (HL), estrogen, progesterone etc. have a vital role in the process of ovulation. How these hormones affect the fertility potential of an individual is described below:
- Estrogen: Estrogen is one of the most potent estrogens. Measurement of Estrogen is done in order to monitor the ovulation induction in women. It is also used for diagnosing precocious puberty and amenorrhea.
- Luteinizing Hormone or LH: This is the hormone which protects the production of progesterone and estrogen and also the ovulation. LH in males triggers the testes to produce estrogens and androgens. Apart from diagnosing infertility, LH measurements are also used in evaluating other conditions like hypognadism and menopause.
- ollicle-stimulating Hormone or FSH: FSH in female prompts for ovarian follicular growth and generates follicular secretion of Estrogen. In the case of males, testes development and spermatogenesis are caused due to FS hormones. Apart from diagnosing infertility, measurement of FSH can also be useful for evaluating menopause.
- Prolactin: The role of prolactin hormone is vital in the secretion of milk and the ability to abolish gonadal function. It is important to include prolactin measurements to diagnose infertility.
- B-hcg: B-hcg level measurements help in diagnosing pregnancy, trophoblastic diseases such as hydatidiform moles, certain testicular tumors and choriocarcinoma.