Tag: FSH

When a woman first starts to experience the symptoms of menopause, it isn’t something that will be obvious right away. At least in most cases, the effect is more of a slow, insidious and painful realization that something is very wrong. Here are the real tests to find out if a women is in menopause or may have something quite different.

In order to find out for certain that you are going through the menopause, you will of course have to visit your doctor and have some tests performed. Just because a woman has the symptoms of menopause such as night sweats, irritability, headaches, or irregular periods, doesn’t mean conclusively that she has started. The first test is a blood test to find out the level of FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) in the blood, which if is above 30 IU per liter then a positive sign may be at hand. Of course there are other possible diagnoses, such as carcinoid syndrome, pheochromocytoma, or even hypothyroidism. If any misdiagnosis of these is made, serious health issues can be the result.

When a woman has hot flashes, this is due to the drastic changes in hormone levels in the body. These can cause changes in the endocrine system, which helps to regulate what’s called the -vasomotor- system. Vasomotor refers to the muscles that control vasodilation, dilation of the interior of the blood vessels. The endocrine system, once made unstable, can also effect the mood, sleep patterns, and libido of a woman.

Although levels of estrogen may be at work here, studies have not found a direct link between hot flashes and lower blood levels of estrogen. Researchers believe that other factors are the cause, such as the estrogen working in conjunction with noradrenergenic stimulation (increase in norepinephrine) which triggers wide variations in heat regulation in the body. The main product created when norepinephrine breakdown is the chemical 3-methoxy-4-hydrooxyphenolglycol. Levels of this chemical were found in higher concentrations in women that reported frequent hot flashes, as opposed to women that had none.

So what does it all mean? If you are having hot flashes, as well as other symptoms of menopause, see your doctor right away so tests can be done. Ruling out other diseases is only the first part of the equation, after that you may want to find some relief for your symptoms that can get you back to feeling normal again.

There are many symptoms of menopause and also many cures for these symptoms. Learn as much as you can about them, and you can take positive steps to find relief for yourself.

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Maybe youve realized that excess weight seems to accumulate around your waistline and linger, in spite of your balanced way of life. Even hours of work out in a health and fitness center appears to have little influence. Your bone tissues, muscle tissue and knees and lower back begin to hurt. You experience a gradual reduction of vitality, experiencing tired after your normal house work and daily tasks. All of a sudden, you may notice the first indications of menopausal flashes – unexpected heat spikes that leave you tossing and turning from night sweats.Once you begin to note the signals and symptoms of menopause, you may merely have accepted them as part of the growing old process. The reality is, though, youre not simply getting older – your bodily hormones have fallen out of balance. As you approach menopause, your body manages to lose the ability to manage vital hormones – such as estrogen, progesterone and even the male hormone testosterone – all essential for quality function and optimal health in ladies.

Most women do not understand the whole process of the change of life. Though the particular phrase “menopause” is often used as a cover assertion talking about all the stages of menopause change, menopause technically isnt attained until menstrual cycles have totally ended for Twelve months. Nearly all women enter the menopause between the ages of 45 and fifty-five normally, because their bodies approach the end of fertility and ovulation ceases. However, some females experience earlier menopause, resulting from surgeries such as complete hysterectomies and total oopherectomies (the removal of the ovaries). Furthermore, about 1% of females in the country experience earlier change of life on setting prior to the age of forty because of autoimmune problems, cancers treatments, thyroid issues, as well as other medical reasons. When you enter menopause, your own ovaries yield less and less estrogen. Since estrogen is vital to a lot of life-sustaining functions, the body looks for additional places to produce necessary estrogen from. Fat cells can generate estrogen, so the human body reprograms on its own to convert calories into extra fat to help increase estrogen levels.

The most unusual characteristic of this menopausal weight gain is the fact that the fat cells all around the stomach and abdomen are the tissues that expand. A number of researchers think that hormone such as FSH energize the fat tissues to produce more estrogen’s which results in more and more enlargement as the ovaries fail. Few females will go through the menopausal transition without having incurring at least moderate weight gain. Up to 90% of women will certainly encounter some amount of excess fat gain between the ages of forty five and 55 as they enter menopause, and on average they will likely acquire between 12 and 20 pounds during this time of time.

Because the 800 Calorie HCG diet increases metabolism and burns belly fat it is ideal for women who have gained weight during the menopause.

During perimenopause many these eleven body systems require special care and support.

Immune functions -Supporting the immune functions buffers against the possible weakening effects of long-term grief on immunity. Women may experience this long-term grief reaction strongly or more subtly as a response to a perceived loss in menstruation or in response to the approach of menopause. Furthermore, it is important to support immune functions because of the possibility that estrogen may make a women’s immune responses so sensitive that they attack her own body tissues.

Pituitary – The pituitary assists in stimulating all the glands of the body and releases FSH and LH. FSH and LH act directly on the ovaries to promote the development and enlargement of the follicles. In the post-menopausal years, the pituitary is responsible for secreting higher levels of FSH and LH. This post-menopausal increased production of FSH and LH results in more consistently elevated brain levels of these two hormones. Some think that these elevated brain levels of FSH and LH acting as neurotransmitters in the brain may be the mechanisms for the increased intuitiveness and awareness of post- menopausal women.

Adrenal glands – In the menopausal years the adrenal glands are important for balanced energy production and for the production of small amounts of testosterone from a precursor hormone called adrostenedione. The secretion of these small amounts of androgens (testosterone being one hormone from this class of hormones) help maintain the female sex drive, build bone and muscle strength and increase vaginal lubrication and elasticity. Androgens promote general well-being for the rest of a womens life. The production of testosterone is thought by some to facilitate the developing assertiveness in post-menopausal women.

Pancreas – is responsible for the production of balanced sugar levels that may become unbalanced by loss of estrogen. Frequent and rapid changes in blood sugar may play havoc with emotional responses.

Nervous system – The nervous system may need extra support in order to cope with and compensate for the effects of all the hormonal revamping that occurs in menopause.

Brain functions – Memory, concentration, and attention functions may become unbalanced by the changes in hormone levels.

Liver – During the perimenopausal years it is important that the liver is strong and healthy so that it can metabolize and break down estrogen and its by-products. The liver is responsible for transforming the main type of estrogen, called estradiol, into other forms of estrogen. Estradiol in too high amounts or for too prolonged a period of time may be carcinogenic. The liver prevents excessive build-up of estradiol in the blood circulation by inactivating it. When the liver is healthy the conversion of estradiol occurs efficiently.

Digestive processes – Poorly functioning digestion stimulates the growth of certain types of bacteria in the intestinal tract. These bacteria chemically change the breakdown products of estrogen into forms that can be reabsorbed back into the body. This elevates the levels of estrone and estradiol in the bloodstream. These elevated levels of estrone and estradiol may be carcinogenic to certain sensitive tissue such as breast, ovarian, and uterine tissue.