LH TEST
The Luteinizing hormone (LH) is involved in many of the body’s processes, including pregnancy, puberty, and ovulation. The levels of this hormone increases or decreases at various points during these cycles.
A Luteinizing Hormone test measures how much luteinizing hormone a person has in their blood. This is a hormone that plays key roles in both male and female reproductive systems
An LH test is a type of blood test that measures a person’s LH levels.
This hormone is made in the pituitary gland of the brain. It is a sex hormone that affects how a person’s reproductive organs work. In females, LH affects the ovaries. In males, it affects the testes.
Reproductive health problems can affect a person’s LH levels.
LH is involved in the following bodily processes:
- Puberty - LH levels affect the onset of puberty. High LH levels may cause early puberty and low LH levels may delay puberty.
- Menstruation - LH works with another sex hormone called follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) to control menstrual cycles.
- Ovulation - An increase in LH, called an LH surge, triggers the release of an egg from an ovary.
- Progesterone release - An increase in LH triggers ovulation. The cell structure that is left after ovulation releases progesterone. Progesterone is needed to maintain a pregnancy.
- Testosterone production - LH binds to Leydig cells in the testes and triggers testosterone production. Testosterone levels affect sex drive.
- Sperm production - Testosterone, which LH levels affect, is needed for sperm production.
WHAT AN LH TEST IS USED FOR
Some of the various uses of LH tests are listed below:
Fertility problems - LH tests are used to help diagnose fertility problems in both males and females. If a couple is having difficulty with becoming pregnant, there may be a problem with:
- Sperm count
- The egg supply from the ovaries
A doctor can tell from a person’s LH levels whether a person is having problems with their sperm count or egg supply. Either issue could make it more difficult for a person to become pregnant.
Ovulation - People can find out how fertile they are on different days by measuring their LH level just before ovulation, which is the most fertile period of a female’s menstrual cycle. To be able to identify the fertile period, people can check their LH levels at home. They can do this using ovulation urine tests. These home tests can detect the surge in LH that happens 1–1.5 days before ovulation.
The best time to use Ovulation test kits (which contain several urine tests) is around the middle of the menstrual cycle, which is usually the period a female ovulates.
Having sex around the time of ovulation is a good idea if a couple wants to become pregnant.
Menstrual changes - A woman’s LH levels rise as she goes through menopause. An LH test can therefore help a doctor diagnose a person’s menstrual changes or problems.
Early or late puberty - LH test result can help a doctor determine why a child or teenager may have started puberty early or late. High LH levels may cause early puberty. Low LH levels may cause otherwise.
Pituitary gland problems - Measuring LH levels can help determine whether there is a problem with the pituitary gland. LH is made in the pituitary gland.
Low testosterone - LH tests can help a doctor diagnose low testosterone in a male.
Symptoms of low testosterone include:
- Low testosterone may cause reduced beard growth.
- Low sex drive
- Problems getting or maintaining an erection
- Reduced beard growth
- Extreme tiredness
- Depression
- Loss of muscle mass
- Being overweight
THE LH TEST PROCEDURE
Doctors use a simple blood test to measure a person’s LH levels. They will draw a sample of a person’s blood using a needle and send it to a laboratory for testing.
People can also measure their LH levels at home using a home ovulation test. This is a urine test that involves adding a few drops of urine to a test strip.
UNDERSTANDING THE TEST RESULTS
The normal range of LH varies between males, females, and children. LH test results are measured in international units per liter (IU/L).
The following information is a guide to what high, low, and normal LH levels mean.
Normal ranges in women
For females, the normal range depends on where they are, in their menstrual cycle,
As follows:
- The follicular phase, or the beginning of the cycle: 1.68–15 IU/L
- The mid-cycle peak, around the middle of the cycle: 21.9–56.6 IU/L
- The luteal phase, which is the end of the cycle: 0.61–16.3 IU/L
For menopausal females, the normal range is 14.2–52.3 IU/L.
When a person is not ovulating and her LH levels are higher than normal, she may be experiencing menopause. High LH levels could also indicate a pituitary disorder or polycystic ovary syndrome.
Conversely, if the LH levels are lower than normal, it may indicate:
- Malnutrition
- Anorexia
- Stress
- A pituitary disorder
Normal ranges in men
The normal range for males is 1.24–7.8 IU/L.
If the LH levels are below the normal range, it may indicate a pituitary gland problem. Their pituitary gland may not be making enough LH, which may lead to low testosterone.
If LH levels are too high, the testes may not be responding to LH properly. LH may not be triggering testosterone production in the way that it should.
Normal ranges in children
For girls who are yet to go through puberty (aged around 1–10 years), the normal range is 0.03–3.9 IU/L.
