The Importance of Menopause Testing

The Importance of Menopause Testing

When women reach “that age,” their bodies change. The biggest change, commonly called “the change of life,” can introduce new symptoms, health concerns, and a lot of confusion. The confusion is about what is happening within the body and why these new symptoms are everyday issues all of a sudden. More detailed support can come from menopause testing and taking an in-depth look at how it can help you understand your body’s changes.

How is menopause diagnosed?

Every woman experienced menopause at some point in her later years. The actual timing can vary depending on genetics, lifestyle factors, etc. So, you would assume that there is a menopause diagnosis, right? That’s correct, sort of.

In most cases, women notice menopause setting in without an actual diagnosis from their GP. Menopause symptoms can be mild or severe, slow or sudden. The woman experiencing them is understandably the most qualified to notice them. 

Menopause is diagnosed by hormone level testing. The hormone levels will change from their normal testing range to a different range as the body shifts. This hormonal shift causes those first tangible signs of menopause. However, menopause symptoms themselves could appear before much hormonal shift has happened. It depends on each woman’s body chemistry.

What are the first signs of menopause?

First Signs Of Menopause

Curious about what the actual first symptoms of menopause will be? Most women will notice a change in their menstruation (light or missed periods) first. Either at the same time or a bit later, many women then tend to experience hot flashes.

Some women experience no menopause symptoms at all. But, 8 out of 10 women will have symptoms, which could mean they are entering or are already in menopause.

How does menopause testing work?

You can consider at-home menopause testing or go to your GP to have it done in a clinical setting. While the testing method will vary, the test will work the same.

A menopause test will assess the hormone levels in your body. These are oestrogen, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and the luteinising hormone (LH). Before menopause, these hormonal levels are going to be at different levels. For example, oestrogen is higher, and FSH and LH are lower.

During menopause, the ovaries stop responding to these hormones. As a result, the body produces more FSH and LH. Oestrogen levels will also start to drop gradually.

The test for menopause will detect those changes. The results will determine whether your hormonal levels are “normal” or “abnormal” compared to what they should be.

Is menopause testing conclusive?

As you know, menopause testing is done by assessing hormonal levels and determining if they are “normal” or “abnormal.” So, it provides accurate results to help you understand what’s happening in your body. Yet, menopause is not the only reason you may experience symptoms that lead you to consider menopause testing. Other conditions can mimic menopause.

What conditions are like menopause?

Many health conditions can mimic peri-menopause, menopause, and post-menopause symptoms. For example, thyroid disease and general emotional distress/anxiety can be misdiagnosed as menopause.

Other symptoms, such as poor concentration and memory loss, could be assumed as brain fog associated with menopause. However, it could be a sign of dementia or early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

Likewise, many women assume that menopause is the reason for having something like mood swings or dealing with depression. While this could be a symptom, it isn’t always the case. Many women aged 50 or over could have an onset of depression for the first time. While the timing would imply it’s caused by menopause, it isn’t the only option.

Important diagnoses could get overlooked or missed entirely in cases like these. It's as simple as the fact that menopause is the likely culprit. The emphasis here is, of course, on “likely.”

How can I know what I’m dealing with?

As you can guess, the fastest and best way to get an accurate idea of what’s going on in your body is to pursue menopause testing. Done from the comfort of your home, you can get results in less than five minutes. Whether “normal” or “abnormal,” you’ll have the starting information to help you figure out what’s next.

There are so many advantages to considering menopause testing. Maybe you’re interested in it to see if you are, in fact, going through “the change of life.” Or, you might be considering it because you want to ensure underlying health conditions are not causing your symptoms. Regardless, it’s a great stepping stone into an informed, healthy future.

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