Menopause

The onset of menopause may vary a great deal from one woman to the next, and the impact it has on each woman is very individual. This phase of life does not have the same pattern for all women. There is also no definite point in time when hormonal changes begin in the female body. Menopause does not start suddenly – it begins very gradually.

The changes are caused by the subtle interaction of the woman’s hormones. These work in our bodies as messengers that control and regulate our metabolic processes. Hormones are transported via our bloodstream to the particular target organs, binding to special cells also called receptors. This works according to the lock-and-key principle, which means that each hormone (key) fits with only one specific receptor (lock). Thus, only certain hormones can dock on specific cells of the target organ and trigger metabolic processes there.

In a woman, the female hormones estrogen and progesterone, among other hormones, control reproduction, follicular development, ovulation, and the formation and shedding of the endometrium. The production of sex hormones changes over the course of life, particularly from the age of 40 onwards. As the production of hormones in the ovaries declines, menopause begins.

This changes the duration, frequency and intensity of the menstrual periods, which become more irregular at first and then stop completely.