subject: Fsh Levels And Menopause - A Rapid Response To Your Symptoms [print this page] A new test is available for women who experience symptoms that could indicate the onset of menopause or could also be the symptoms of a health problem. The physical discomforts and emotional strain of menopause can be frustrating enough without wondering if that is really causing your symptoms is menopause or if it is something worse. This test checks the FSH levels in a women's body.
What is FSH?
The pituitary gland creates and secretes a hormone called follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). FSH regulates the growth and development of the body and also stimulates ovulation. When levels of FSH increase, this encourages the egg follicles to leave the ovaries and enter the fallopian tubes in order to be fertilized. At this point, FSH levels decrease and levels of estrogen rise. This is why FSH levels and menopause are linked.
FSH Levels and Menopause
Since levels of FSH drop during ovulation, during menopause when ovulation does not occur, there will be no drop in these levels. Menopause marks the end of menstrual cycles for a woman and is distinguished by high levels of FSH, making a strong relationship between FSH levels and menopause.
Another key characteristic of menopause is in a rather noticeable reduction in the levels of estrogen. With these low estrogen levels, the body tries to tell the pituitary gland to make more FSH in order to trigger ovulation and increase estrogen. But even these high levels of FSH found at menopause are not enough to cause ovarian follicles to grow and to induce ovulation. The pituitary gland will continue to produce more FSH, making these levels unusually high. This is an indicator that the ovaries are failing and the woman is probably about to go through menopause.
The Test
FSH tests are commonly used today to find out if irregular menstruation is due to the onset of menopause, or if there are other factors at play in a woman's hormonal imbalance. An unusually high level of FSH can mean that the body is attempting to trigger ovulation, but is failing. These tests can make a distinction between primary ovarian failure, and secondary ovarian failure. Primary ovarian failure is caused by ovaries themselves failing such as at menopause. Secondary ovarian failure can be tied to some underlying condition of either the pituitary gland or the hypothalamus. Other conditions that can cause high levels of FSH besides menopause include infertility, an ovarian cyst, and polycystic ovarian syndrome.
Since there is such a strong connection between FSH levels and menopause, FSH tests are also very useful for younger women to test for and diagnose premature moneopause. FSH levels higher than 30 or 40 almost always indicate menopause.
