Menopause

Diagnosing Menopause

Before menopause, the female body produces the hormones estrogen and progesterone in the ovaries. Estrogen works to regulate a woman’s monthly menstrual cycle and secondary sexual characteristics (such as breast development and function), and also prepares the body for fertilization and reproduction. Progesterone is released each month during menstruation to prepare the uterus for possible pregnancy and to prepare the breasts for lactation (milk production). As a woman reaches menopause, typically around 50 years old, her body produces less and less estrogen and progesterone.

This loss of estrogen and progesterone usually results in irregular periods and other symptoms such as hot flashes, vaginal changes, sleep disturbances, etc. At this time, a woman’s physician will usually test her follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) level. FSH is a hormone that is secreted by the body’s pituitary gland to stimulate growth of ova (female reproductive eggs). As the ovaries produce less estrogen, the pituitary gland increases production of FSH to try to stimulate the ovaries into producing more estrogen.

While FSH levels can help determine a woman’s stage of menopause, FSH levels do tend to fluctuate from month-to-month during peri-menopause. Women who take oral contraceptive pills will have to temporarily stop taking them so that their FSH levels can be measured accurately. In addition, as a woman nears menopause, the walls of her vagina will become thinner and dryer. At this time, the physician may take a sample of the vaginal wall when performing a Pap smear. However, it is also important for a woman to keep track of her menstrual periods when they begin to become irregular to help her physician know