Menopause refers to the natural culmination of a woman's reproductive cycle. Hormonal changes account for the symptoms experienced during menopause. Menopause typically occurs in a woman between the ages of 45 and 55 as a normal part of the aging process. However, menopause may occur in some women as a result of surgery to the reproductive organs or from damage to the ovaries.
Estradiol and Estrogen
According to the "New York Times" Health Guide, estradiol is the most important form of estrogen found in the body. The ovaries and the adrenal cortex make and release most of the estradiol found in the body. Estradiol promotes breast development and is also responsible for helping to form the outer genitals, uterus, fallopian tubes and vagina. The doctor may order estradiol level tests to determine if menopause has taken place. Lower-than-normal estradiol levels indicate poor or absent ovarian function.
The Cleveland Clinic reports that the ovaries stop releasing eggs and stop producing most of their estrogen during menopause. Estrogen levels re-stabilize after the completion of menopause, notes the Hormone Foundation.
Progesterone
The ovaries produce the hormone progesterone along with estrogen, and both of these hormones regulate menstruation and ovulation, reports the Cleveland Clinic. According to Lab Tests Online, progesterone levels usually start to elevate when the ovary releases an egg. The levels rise for several days and then either continue to rise with early pregnancy or fall to initiate menstruation. Progesterone levels that do not rise and fall on a monthly basis indicate an absence in ovulation or an absence in menstrual periods. Therefore, women experience low levels of progesterone during menopause.
Follicle Stimulating Hormone
Follicle stimulating hormone, or FSH, causes the growth and maturation of ovarian follicles, and it can induce fertility in women who have enough eggs left in their ovaries to respond, reports the Hormone Foundation. During menopause, FSH levels dramatically rise in an attempt to stimulate the ovaries to produce more eggs. However, no amount of stimulation from the hormone can force them to work, notes the Cleveland Clinic. FSH levels, along with the symptoms experienced, can help the doctor accurately confirm the presence of menopause.
