Female Menopause - Menopausal Symptoms

No one knows exactly why women experience the female menopause, just as we don't know why young girls experience puberty. Hot flashes after the menopause usually brings the patient to the office seeking relief. What causes hot flashes isn't exactly known, but seems to be related to elevated pituitary hormones trying to stimulate the ovaries, which are unable to produce more estrogen. There are different stages of the menopause, which are sometimes categorizes as: Early or Premenopause, Perimenopause, and Postmenopause. it may take some women several years to progress from adequate estrogen to complete estrogen lack.

If you are experiencing menopausal symptoms (hot flashes, insomnia, night sweats, memory loss, irritability, etc.) or menopausal signs (vaginal dryness, bone loss) your hormone status should probably be assessed by blood tests, which usually include serum FSH, Estradiol, and Testosterone. If you are menopausal, you should also have your bone density initially checked for your risk of osteoporosis by a central DEXA Scan, which is available at our office.