Menopause, Pituitary Gland And Hypothalamus

By Liana Badea


Menopause is a very researched subject, as scientists are trying to find out the origin of it. A new concept was developed recently, that is that menopause originates in the brain.

The North American Menopausal Society consider a woman menopausal when she didn't had her period for 12 consecutive months. The most frequent menopause symptoms are hot flashes, depression, anxiety, fatigue, mood swings,insomnia, joint pain, loss of sex drive, all caused by hormonal fluctuations.

Menopause is a very studied subject, as there are real changes in a female body at this stage in her life. Researchers and doctors are beginning to understand how these changes happen. This is an important step in trying to come up with 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.

The idea behind this statement is that hypothalamus and the pituitary gland stop reacting normally to estrogen in some women when they reach menopause.

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 may lead the way to further research that will ultimately help doctors predict the type of menopausal transition a woman might have, and help to design non-estrogen medications that could help reduce symptoms that women experience as they enter this phase of life.




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