Saturday, March 5, 2011

Menopause And The Brain

By Liana Badea


New researches has been done on menopause and led to the conclusion that menopause starts in the brain.

Menopause refers to the time when menstruation stops. A woman is not considered menopausal until she has not had a period for 12 consecutive months, according to the North American Menopausal Society. Menopause comes with symptoms due to hormonal fluctuations, like hot flashes, trouble sleeping, vaginal dryness, mood swings, depression.

Menopause caught the attention of doctors, scientists and researchers, because of the multitude of real biochemical changes that take place in a woman's body when she stops menstruating. Beginning to understand how these changes happen is a big step in trying to find more effective treatment solutions.

It is a fact that menopausal symptoms are causes by the hormonal imbalance, which starts in the ovaries. But new researches suggest that some menopause symptoms are not ovarian, they begin in the brain.

That's because the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland stop reacting normally to estrogen in some women.

The pituitary gland is a small gland that lies at the base of the brain. It is sometimes called the master gland of the body because all the other endocrine glands depend on its secretions for stimulation. The hypothalamus is also located in the lower part of the brain and its role is to regulate and control the pituitary gland to release hormones. Researchers suggest that at menopause these glands are not working properly, developing a reduced sensitivity to estrogen.

These findings certainly lead the way to further research that will help doctors determine what type of menopause a woman will experience and prescribe her non estrogen medication to reduce menopausal symptoms, as she approaches this stage in her life.




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