What To Do About Menopause in Beaver Dam WI? - The Endocrine System

The endocrine system in Beaver Dam WI is all about hormones. Do you know how many hormones are in the body? There are over 50 hormones in the human body. That is a lot of hormones to regulate. Now when most people hear the word hormones, they think of reproductive hormones. These hormones are in charge of processes such as puberty, pregnancy, and menopause. This article is going to focus on menopause and the 4 most often associated hormones, but don’t miss the opportunity to learn about some of the other hormones in the body at our wellness class.

Stages of Menopause in Beaver Dam WI

There are different stages to menopause. You first have perimenopause. This is when your menstrual cycles become less frequent and you start to develop those irritating menopause symptoms such as hot flashes and mood swings, but only occasionally. Next is menopause. In order to be considered in the menopause stage, you must not have had your menstrual cycle for a full year. After that year, you transition into the post-menopausal stage. Typically your menopause symptoms should start to subside. However, many women still struggle with menopause symptoms way past the time their menstrual cycle has ended. Let’s dive deeper into the hormones that cause menopause and ways to handle menopause symptoms.

Hormones to Know

Estrogen and Progesterone are the two most commonly known hormones when it comes to discussing menopause. It is the drop in these two hormones that cause the symptoms of menopause. First, Progesterone: The main purpose of progesterone is to prepare the lining of the uterus for a fertilized egg to implant and grow. During Menopause, Progesterone levels will decrease but typically stabilizes in the post-menopause stage. Next, Estrogen: It is mainly estrogen that is the problem. Estrogen has more duties. In addition to regulating the menstrual cycle, it affects the reproductive tract, the urinary tract, the heart and blood vessels, bones, breasts, skin, hair, mucous membranes, pelvic muscles, and the brain. Our estrogen continues to decrease throughout a woman's life cycle and puts us at risk for developing other disorders such as osteoporosis, heart disease, and breast cancer.

Another hormone we don’t think of for women is Testosterone. In women, testosterone is responsible for various health aspects, like reproduction, mood and cognition, and physical development. All women have testosterone in the body which should be balanced out with estrogen and progesterone. When estrogen and progesterone levels start to drop in menopause, testosterone levels can increase due to this imbalance.

Many of us are familiar with the symptoms of menopause. They are frustrating and can be difficult to control. Therefore, women talk about them. We have all heard about hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, sleep problems, weight gain, and slowed metabolism. They can seem like they control us, but while we can’t eliminate the symptoms there are things we can do to try to reduce their effects.

Hot flashes are a sudden rise in body temperature that can cause a woman to sweat or feel like she took a prompt tropical vacation. While hot flashes seem random, they often have triggers. Triggers for hot flashes include sugary foods, sweet fruit such as bananas and grapes, caffeine, alcohol, spicy hot foods, stress, and hot places such as hot tubs and saunas. Avoiding these triggers can minimize symptoms, but if they continue to be a problem, don’t ignore them or assume that they are a normal part of aging. Hot flashes can also be a symptom of thyroid dysfunction. If you are experiencing hot flashes, it is good to get your thyroid levels checked.

The fourth hormone we are discussing is Cortisol. As your estrogen levels start to decline in menopause, this can allow cortisol levels to rise in the body. Cortisol is a hormone that is produced in your adrenal glands. It is the primary stress hormone and increases sugars in the bloodstream, enhances your brain’s use of glucose, and increases the availability of substances that repair tissues. Adrenal fatigue can occur when the body can no longer secrete levels of cortisol that the body needs, and the Adrenal glands, essentially get tired. Hot Flashes can also come from the imbalance in Cortisol, your “stress hormone”.