Menopause is something every woman has to go through. However, they all experience it differently. In order to understand menopause causes and diagnosis, therefore, you need to accept that there is no one set thing, other than an eventual permanent cessation of menstruation. Some women experience no symptoms during menopause, while others experience so many that their quality of life is significantly reduced.
Learn About What Causes Menopause And Diagnosis
First, you have to understand what menopause is. This is the period during which women stop menstruating. It is a normal transition in life and essentially means that women can no longer conceive naturally. It happens in the ovaries, rather than in the uterus. Once the ovaries stop the production of hormones, menopause has started. This can happen naturally, but also artificially through surgery or chemotherapy, for instance.
Menopause, therefore, can by physiological or natural, meaning it is simply part of aging. It signals that a woman is no longer able to bear children. The brain produces FSH (follicle stimulating hormone), which stimulates the growth of eggs. With age, the eggs that remain become FSH resistant, which signals the brain to produce more of it. At the same time, however, production of estrogen decrease significantly. This is what actually causes the symptoms of menopause.
Menopause can also be induced. In this case, it is more important to understand menopause causes and diagnosis. A woman may, for instance, have her ovaries surgically removed. Her ovarian function may also be disrupted due to radiotherapy or chemotherapy.
Menopause Problems
Every woman experiences menopause in different ways, with symptoms ranging anywhere from mild to severe. Sometimes, these symptoms can really affect someone's quality of life, whereas others are barely noticeable. Vaginal dryness, mood changes, and hot flushes are the most common symptoms. However, there are actually many others. Firstly, there are hot flushes, palpitations, night sweats, and headaches. Secondly, women experience pain during intercourse (dyspareunia), vaginal dryness, burning during urination, urinary incontinence, vaginitis, thinning of the skin, postmenopausal bleeding, and breast changes. A lot of women also experience significant psychological problems, including lethargy, depression, irritability, loss of concentration, poor libido, and insomnia.
More worrying is the fact that some perimenopausal and postmenopausal women can develop osteoporosis. This is when rapid bone loss occurs. It is painless, but does increase the risk of fractures. Some women also develop ischemic cardiovascular disease. In fact, in premonopausal women, those who smoke have a much higher chance of developing heart disease. Within ten years of menopause, however, smoking and non-smoking women are at equally great risk of developing it.
In terms of diagnosis, it is usually done retrospectively. If a woman has not menstruated for a full year, she is classed as being in menopause. Physicians sometimes to measure levels of estradiol and FSH. They may also test for the thyroid stimulating hormone, to ensure it is actually menopause and not thyroid disease. A cardiovascular risk assessment may also be carried out, as well as a DEXA scan to assess for osteoporosis.