Menopause is a very researched subject, as scientists are trying to find out the origin of it. A new concept was developed recently, that is that menopause originates in the brain.
Menopause refers to the time when menstruation stops. A woman is not considered menopausal until she has not had a period for 12 consecutive months, according to the North American Menopausal Society. Menopause comes with symptoms due to hormonal fluctuations, like hot flashes, trouble sleeping, vaginal dryness, mood swings, depression.
There are real biochemical changes in a woman's body occurring during menopause. Researchers are beginning to understand how those changes start to occur, which is the first step in trying to come up with more effective treatments.
It is well known that the menopause symptoms are causes by the hormonal imbalance. The ovaries don't produce enough sex hormones estrogen and progesterone, and this is how all the menopausal problems start. But new researches suggest that menopause symptoms, at least some of them, are not only ovarian, they also start in the brain.
The idea behind this statement is that hypothalamus and the pituitary gland stop reacting normally to estrogen in some women when they reach menopause.
The pituitary gland is a small gland that lies at the base of the brain. It is sometimes called the master gland of the body because all the other endocrine glands depend on its secretions for stimulation. The hypothalamus is also located in the lower part of the brain and its role is to regulate and control the pituitary gland to release hormones. Researchers suggest that at menopause these glands are not working properly, developing a reduced sensitivity to estrogen.
All these findings may lead to further researches that will help doctors establish what type of menopause a woman might have and help prescribe non estrogen medication to reduce the menopause symptoms that a woman experience as she enters this stage of life.
Menopause refers to the time when menstruation stops. A woman is not considered menopausal until she has not had a period for 12 consecutive months, according to the North American Menopausal Society. Menopause comes with symptoms due to hormonal fluctuations, like hot flashes, trouble sleeping, vaginal dryness, mood swings, depression.
There are real biochemical changes in a woman's body occurring during menopause. Researchers are beginning to understand how those changes start to occur, which is the first step in trying to come up with more effective treatments.
It is well known that the menopause symptoms are causes by the hormonal imbalance. The ovaries don't produce enough sex hormones estrogen and progesterone, and this is how all the menopausal problems start. But new researches suggest that menopause symptoms, at least some of them, are not only ovarian, they also start in the brain.
The idea behind this statement is that hypothalamus and the pituitary gland stop reacting normally to estrogen in some women when they reach menopause.
The pituitary gland is a small gland that lies at the base of the brain. It is sometimes called the master gland of the body because all the other endocrine glands depend on its secretions for stimulation. The hypothalamus is also located in the lower part of the brain and its role is to regulate and control the pituitary gland to release hormones. Researchers suggest that at menopause these glands are not working properly, developing a reduced sensitivity to estrogen.
All these findings may lead to further researches that will help doctors establish what type of menopause a woman might have and help prescribe non estrogen medication to reduce the menopause symptoms that a woman experience as she enters this stage of life.
About the Author:
Besides menopause, the author is involved in several women health topics, including unplanned pregnancy.
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