Galactorrhoea

Excessive or spontaneous milk flow; persistent secretion of milk irrespective of nursing.


The excessive production of milk.


Unusually copious secretion of breast milk when a mother is feeding her baby. It is also used to describe secretion of milk after the mother has stopped breast feeding. The condition is occasionally seen in women without babies and in men. In the women it may not be due to disease, but in many of them, and in all of the men, the cause is a disorder of the thyroid or pituitary glands, kidney or liver failure or certain rare tumours such as a prolactinoma. It is also a side-effect of certain drugs.


Galactorrhoea is a condition where a woman who is not pregnant or breastfeeding, or in very rare instances, a man, produces breast milk spontaneously and persistently. The initiation of lactation, or milk production, is triggered by an increase in the hormone prolactin, which is produced by the pituitary gland. Galactorrhoea is typically caused by an overproduction of prolactin, which may be due to a pituitary tumor or another endocrine disorder such as hypothyroidism. Certain antipsychotic medications can also lead to this condition.


Bromocriptine is often used in treatment to inhibit the production of prolactin. However, it may also be necessary to address the underlying cause of the disorder as part of the treatment plan.


 


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