Causes of Menopause

Menopause occurs due to a complex series of hormonal changes. Associated with the menopause is a decline in the number of functioning eggs within the ovaries. At the time of birth, most females have about 1 to 3 million eggs, which are gradually lost throughout a woman’s life. By the time of a girl’s first menstrual period, she has an average of about 400,000 eggs. By the time of menopause, a woman may have fewer than 10,000 eggs. A small percentage of these eggs are lost through normal ovulation (the monthly cycle).

Normally, FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone a reproductive hormone), is the substance responsible for the growth of ovarian eggs during the first half of a woman’s menstrual cycle. As menopause approaches, the remaining eggs become more resistant to FSH and the ovaries dramatically reduce their production of estrogen.

Estrogen affects many parts of the body, including the blood vessels, heart, bone, breasts, uterus, urinary system, skin, and brain. Loss of estrogen is believed to be the cause of many of the symptoms associated with menopause.