This article will try to clarify which hormonal alterations are the protagonists of the absolutely physiological phenomenon of menopause.
of a woman, the ovaries are glandular organs responsible for the synthesis of certain hormones and the maturation of egg cells destined for procreation.The endocrine function of the ovaries consists in the production of female sex hormones, such as estrogen and progesterone, and a small amount of androgens.
More precisely, the ovarian follicles cyclically brought to maturity support a large part of the hormonal production of the ovary.
In turn, the activity of these follicles is cyclically regulated by the pituitary (through the release of gonadotropins LH and FSH).
The pituitary, a small gland controlled by the central nervous system (hypothalamus), is capable of continuously modifying its activity in relation to the hormonal situation of the organism.
During the ovarian cycle there is the development of more follicles, with the production of large quantities of estrogen in the first half of the cycle; of these, only one reaches complete maturity and frees its egg cell a few hours after the estrogenic peak, which appears, approximately, in the middle of the cycle.
What remains of the follicle after ovulation undergoes a series of modifications that lead it to sustain, under the name of corpus luteum, the production of estrogen and especially progesterone in the second half of the cycle.
If fertilization does not take place, after a few days the corpus luteum begins to regress until it is exhausted.
At that point, a new group of follicles begins to develop and the cycle resumes.
, therefore, it can flush out any doubts: by performing a hormone dosage on a blood sample, the levels of the follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), sometimes associated with those of the luteinizing hormone (LH), which are both higher than normal in the phase of menopause.In the years preceding the menopause, the drop in estrogen is not as evident as one might think, indeed, in many cases hyperestrogenism is even observed; progesterone, on the other hand, gradually decreases.
In reality, things are not always that simple and premenopausal hormone levels can undergo large and unpredictable fluctuations. For this reason, the doctor will make his or her diagnosis based on the evaluation, in the general context, of the symptoms and the results of the blood tests.
Starting from premenopause, the ovaries undergo a slow decline, becoming smaller and smaller and atrophic; as one approaches the menopause the hormonal dosage becomes clearer, showing the absence of progesterone, a significant decrease in estrogen and a particular increase in FSH and LH levels.
The drop and fluctuation in estrogen levels are responsible for a whole series of physical and psychological changes that we could define as "symptoms of menopause" and which we will analyze better in future articles.
For further information: Symptoms of MenopauseHormones and Menopause: What Happens to the Ovaries After Menopause?
On the other hand, even after menopause, the ovaries continue to produce small amounts of androgens and estrogens, alongside those synthesized in the adipose tissue.
They do not, therefore, become useless organs and this word, even more so, should disappear from the vocabulary of menopause.
Among elephants, for example, it is precisely the no longer fertile specimens that lead the group, transmit their knowledge and take care of it.
