The Menopause Tests You Should Be Aware Of
Menopause - Symptoms - Nutritional - Supplements - Information - Womens Health - Natural Products
Menopause tests are very important for all women as you start
to notice some menopause symptoms.
Menopause is the transition through a midlife to the
rest of our life. The signs and symptoms of menopause are temporary,
but what we do during this transition can affect our health for the
rest of our life.
How we handle this transition in our lives may
affect our risk of diseases such as breast cancer, endometrial
cancer, ovarian cancer, osteoporosis, high blood pressure and heart
disease. It is important to perform some menopause tests when you start to experience the signs and symptoms of
menopause. There are many symptoms of menopause, including:
- Irregular periods and/or heavy periods
Hot flashes and night sweats
Mood swings and irritability
Depression
Vaginal dryness
Decreased sex drive
Urinary incontinence and/or recurrent urinary infections
Insomnia
- Memory problems
What Are Some Specific Menopause Tests?
Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Test or FSH Test As we know, menopause occurs when our ovaries stop
producing sufficient estrogen and progesterone. At this point
ovulation can no longer occur and we are not able to conceive. The substance called Follicle-Stimulating Hormone or
FSH is secreted from the anterior pituitary gland. FSH stimulates
the production of ovarian follicles (eggs) and estradiol during the
first half of our menstrual cycle. FSH is always present in the body, but our pituitary
gland produces more of this hormone when our ovaries slow down the
production of eggs. High levels of FSH are associated with low estrogen
levels; thus a positive FSH level test can help a woman identify
that her menstrual period changes indicate menopause. The FSH test is a blood test done by your doctor to
check the level of FSH. This is a qualitative test which tells you
whether or not you have elevated FSH levels, not if you definitely
are in peri menopause or menopause. Because the FSH test is not the definitive test
telling you that you are menopausal, it is a good idea to have your
doctor do blood tests to check your levels of estrogen,
progesterone, testosterone and other hormones. Estradiol Test The Estradiol test measures the amount of estradiol
in the blood. Estradiol, the most important estrogen in the body, is
a steroid hormone that is mainly synthesized and secreted from the
placenta, ovarian follicle and adrenal cortex. It is responsible for
the growth of the uterus, fallopian tubes and vagina. It also promotes breast development, maturation of
our external genitalia, deposition of body fat and termination of
linear growth. Estradiol stimulates the proliferation of the
endometrium in the first half of our menstrual cycle. The Estradiol test is used to evaluate ovarian,
placental or adrenal function particularly when certain types of
ovarian tumor are suspected. Luteinizing Hormone Test or LH Blood Test The LH Blood Test measures the amount of luteinizing
hormone. LH is a protein hormone secreted by the anterior pituitary
gland. An LH surge at mid-cycle causes ovulation and then for the
next week or so the LH maintains the corpus luteum which synthesizes
progesterone. This test is performed when a disorder associated
with abnormal levels of LH is suspected.
Learn more about tests for women's sexual health and and find out about women and heart disease testing....
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