Menopause (cont.)
IN THIS ARTICLE
- Menopause Overview
- Menopause Causes
- Menopause Symptoms
- When to Seek Medical Care
- Exams and Tests
- Menopause Treatment
- Self-Care at Home
- Medications
- Other Therapy
- Next Steps
- Prevention
- For More Information
- Web Links
- Synonyms and Keywords
- Authors and Editors
- Pictures of Menopause and Perimenopause - Slideshow

- Viewer Comments: Menopause - Symptoms Experienced
Menopause Causes
Menopause occurs due to a complex series of hormonal changes. Associated with the menopause is a decline in the number of functioning eggs within the ovaries. At the time of birth, most females have about 1-3 million eggs, which are gradually lost throughout a woman's life. By the time of a girl's first menstrual period, she has an average of about 400,000 eggs. By the time of menopause, a woman may have fewer than 10,000 eggs. A small percentage of these eggs are lost through normal ovulation (the monthly cycle). Most eggs die off through a process called atresia (the degeneration and subsequent resorption of immature ovarian follicles - fluid filled cysts that contain the eggs).
- Normally, FSH, or follicle-stimulating hormone (a
reproductive hormone), is the substance responsible for the growth of ovarian follicles (eggs) during the first half of a woman's menstrual cycle.
As menopause approaches, the remaining eggs become more resistant to FSH, and
the ovaries dramatically reduce their production of
estrogen.
- Estrogen affects many parts of the body, including the blood vessels, heart, bone, breasts, uterus, urinary system, skin, and brain. Loss of estrogen is believed to be the cause of many of the symptoms associated with menopause. At the time of menopause, the ovaries also decrease their production of testosterone-a hormone involved in the libido, or sexual drive.
Next: Menopause Symptoms »
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Menopause - Symptoms Experienced
What symptoms did you experience with approaching menopause?
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Menopause »
Menopause is a universal and irreversible part of the overall aging process involving a woman's reproductive system, after which she no longer menstruates.
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