Nov/100
Menopause Test – Follicle Stimulating Hormone Also Known As FSH
The onset of menopause is brought on for a woman is irregular or missed periods or spotting during menstruation time. This is usually what a woman will worry about. While it is not a disease and is the beginning of menopause, for a woman it can be very distressing. When menopause starts to occurs the ovaries do not get the signal to release the eggs from the ovaries.
Menopause Test
There are tests that can be carried out which determine whether a woman is entering into menopause or whether it is any other underlying problem connected with the reproductive system such as fibroids, endometriosis, or even cancer. This test is known as FSH which means Follicle Stimulating Hormone test. This test is a blood test. This test measures the amount of this in your blood. If the blood test reveals that the levels have risen above 30 or 40 mIU/mL that is usually accepted that you are entering into the menopause stage. Your ovaries are what produce the hormone known as Estrogen. Estrogen is a hormone that helps you function as a normal woman.
When a woman enters into menopause, the levels of estrogen hormone decline and then sometimes it declines rapidly which causes different symptoms for a woman in the age between mid forties or early fifties. What actually happens is that the estrogen hormone starts declining and your levels of FSH increase.
All women don’t have to wait until they arrive in their mid forties to experience the need to check and do test to determine if it is menopause. There are many other reasons that will attribute to affect them. Surgical menopause is induced due to medical reasons. A TAH & BSO also known as Total Abdominal Hysterectomy which removal of the woman’s uterus is done leaving the ovaries intact.
The BSO which is known as Oopherectomy includes that removal of both or one ovary depending on the medical circumstances of the woman and the recommendation of the surgeon. There are some women who will have one of her ovaries left which will still function. If this happens then the woman will not go into total menopause although she won’t have a regular period. The period ceases permanently.
Aug/100
Surgical Menopause
As you may know, menopause is the one day that follows 12 successive months without menstruation. After this day, a woman is considered post-menopausal. Surgical menopause occurs when a still menstruating woman undergoes a surgical procedure that results in the removal of both of her ovaries. Usually this procedure takes place alongside a hysterectomy. Because both her ovaries have been removed, a woman can no longer menstruate, hence the term surgical menopause.
The problem with this procedure is that the removal of the ovaries also directly affects the levels of estrogen, progesterone, and androgens in the body. The sudden drop of sex hormones experienced by these women result in perimenopause type symptoms while the body adjusts to the unexpected loss of estrogen and progesterone.
Reported symptoms include crashing fatigue, depression, hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, palpitations, vaginal dryness, and disinterest in sex. While they sound like standard perimenopause symptoms, some women claim that the symptoms experienced following surgical menopause are more intense than with perimenopause. Perhaps it is because of the sudden onslaught of symptoms, whereas during perimenopause symptoms tend to come gradually.
How can women cope?
The first thing a woman who has undergone surgical menopause needs is rest. Usually the symptoms begin while women are still trying to recover from their surgery. They need to heal their bodies and deal with these new symptoms at the same time.
Some doctors recommend taking estrogen pills so as to help the body make the adjustment, but it is often not recommended for women who are at high risk for cardiovascular diseases, which sadly surgical menopause puts women at risk for. It is recommended that women try to find alternative remedies or therapies.
Women are also asked to try perimenopause techniques for dealing with their symptoms such as ice packs for their hot flashes or night sweats, change in diet, and calming exercises.
What else should women look out for?
Apart from the fact that women who’ve undergone this procedure are at a higher risk for cardiovascular diseases, they are also more likely to suffer from osteoporosis. This is also due to the sudden removal of the sex hormones. Women should take calcium pills as part of their daily vitamins, and should be wary about taking up high impact sports.