What Are The Hormonal Changes Linked To Menopause?
The biological development of women goes through a series of phases that outline different experiences in the maturation of the person, and one of the most important is menopause.
Although it is true that female physiological functions have not been studied in depth until the last century, we currently have very valuable information about what menopause means for women’s lives, both in terms of hormonal and physiologically as well as, in some aspects, psychologically.
One of the most important phenomena that we encounter during menopause are hormonal changes a phenomenon of great importance that defines the way in which this transition stage takes place.
Menopause is the physiological period in women’s lives consisting of the permanent cessation of menstruation, caused by a series of very profound hormonal changes.
This stage in women’s lives usually appears between the ages of 45 and 55 and constitutes a process of imbalances both at an organic and hormonal level and at a psychological and emotional level.
The menopause itself is made up of about twelve consecutive months in which the woman stops menstruating; However, at a popular level the term is conceived in its entirety as the set of natural processes that a woman goes through until she stops menstruating.
The most important hormonal changes have to do with the decline in the secretion of certain substances in the body among which estrogens, progesterone and testosterone stand out.
All these changes affect, as it could not be otherwise, the lives of the people who experience it, and although each woman experiences menopause in a specific way, there are a series of common experiences that usually occur.
Main hormonal changes in menopause
In order to learn more about this process that is so relevant in the lives of most women, below we present the selection specialized in the hormonal changes that occur during menopause.
1. Decrease in estrogen
Estrogens are sex hormones produced by the ovaries or placenta during pregnancy, and in addition to being the main cause of menopause, they have a wide variety of functions within the body.
The main function of estrogen is female sexual differentiation which is why this hormone is responsible for promoting the growth and development of the sexual organs, maintaining or changing the menstrual rhythm and maintaining blood flow and lubrication of the vagina.
That is why, due to the decrease in estrogen in the first stages of menopause, a series of effects occur in the body, which are the following:
1.1. Alteration of menstrual rhythms
The decrease in estrogen levels generates alteration and imbalance in menstrual rhythms during the first months of menstruation.
This causes the level of bleeding to be variable in each cycle and months with little ovulation alternate with months without any level of ovulation.
1.2. Temperature deregulation
Changes in body temperature They are one of the most prominent effects during menopause; This is why many women may feel hot flashes, palpitations or night sweats.
These types of symptoms affect on a physical level but also on an emotional and psychological level, often being associated with intense fatigue and tiredness and with feelings of discomfort, anguish or overwhelm.
1.3. Lack of lubrication
Lack of vaginal lubrication is also a classic effect of decreased estrogen which generates vaginal dryness.
This results in a wide variety of problems and discomforts in the sexual sphere, as well as a loss of sexual desire.
1.4. Risk of osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is an organic disorder characterized by a loss in bone density and also a decrease in normal bone tissue.
This has as a consequence a decrease in bone strength and a higher chance of injuries and bone breaks anywhere in the body.
2. Decrease in progesterone
Progesterone is another of the most important sex hormones that exist and its main function is to prepare and develop the lining of the uterus for the egg once it has been fertilized.
Progesterone is also responsible for helping pregnancy develop naturally and safe for the embryo and has a very prominent role in breastfeeding.
During the menstrual cycle, the function of progesterone is to condition the endometrium to facilitate the implantation of the embryo therein, and during pregnancy it helps it to occur safely.
2.1 Irregularity of menstrual cycles
Lack of progesterone can cause menstrual cycles to become more irregular heavier and longer during perimenopause (the months before cessation of placement).
This irregularity in cycles, especially in blood flow, can be balanced by artificially administering progesterone to the body.
3. Decreased testosterone
Testosterone is popularly known as a male hormone, but It is also present in the woman’s body
This hormone plays an important role in sexual health, libido or sexual desire and in the maintenance of bones and muscle mass.
The main effect of a drop in testosterone levels during menopause is a decrease in female libido. This change can also affect the person’s sexual life.
Now, there is debate about whether the drop in testosterone production is linked to menopause. or occurs in parallel due to the general aging process
