Unraveling Perimenopause: What Happens To Your Ovaries During Menopause?

Perimenopause is the transitional period that women experience before entering menopause. It usually begins in the 40s or 50s, but in some cases, it can start as early as the 30s.¹ The changes that occur during perimenopause can cause the ovaries to stop producing estrogen entirely, leading to symptoms such as irregular periods, hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, and irritability.^2,3  

In addition to estrogen, other hormones also play an active role as a woman approaches menopause. In this blog, we'll briefly discuss them and explore what happens to the ovaries during menopause.

Changes To Ovaries During Menopause

As women age, the ovarian follicles (fluid-filled sac which has immature female eggs⁴) depletes in number. Additionally, the “granulosa cells” (a hormone producing cell⁶) of the ovaries also decreases, leading to lowered estradiol and inhibin levels.⁵ The decreased estrogen and inhibin levels can no longer regulate the levels of gonadotropins (hormone that trigger LH and FSH⁷). This leads to an increase in follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone production.⁵

Moreover, FSH levels are typically higher than LH levels due to the faster clearance of LH from the bloodstream. The decrease in estrogen levels influences the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis (the part of brain which triggers ovarian hormone), resulting in endometrial failure and irregular menstrual cycles until they eventually stop.⁵ 

Furthermore, menopause can also occur as a result of surgical procedures (such as a hysterectomy), as well as therapies for cancer and endometriosis.⁵

Timeline Of Perimenopausal And Menopausal Symptoms

As mentioned earlier, before entering menopause women go through a transition period known as “perimenopause.”  A typical perimenopausal phase can last anywhere from a few months to upto14 years.^8,9 

Now, let’s take a look at the changes a woman's body undergoes during this timeline:¹⁰

• When the perimenopause phase starts, the periods may be constant with an eventual decrease in progesterone levels. Along with it comes symptoms like breast tenderness, painful periods, etc.
• After the first perimenopausal phase, comes early menopause, where the estrogen levels plummet and cause symptoms like frequent hot flashes & night sweats, increased lower belly fat, vaginal dryness, etc.
• Once, first perimenopausal phase passes, the ovaries during menopause (late menopausal transition) may secrete fluctuating levels of estrogen. This could result in a missed period or a cycle lasting more than 60 days. These hormonal changes could cause more frequent, severe hot flashes & night sweats, increased lower belly fat, vaginal dryness and sleeplessness.

Manage Menopause With Confidence

When you reach a certain age ( mid 30s early 40s & 50s) and your period doesn’t come for up to 12 months, then, it’s likely that you’ve reached menopause.¹ However, perimenopause and its related symptoms (about which we’ve learned in the previous section), often help in tipping off the eventual occurance of menopause in women.

If you are experiencing “menopause-like”  symptoms while going through another hormonal-related health condition, there is no need to worry.

To proactively check your hormonal health status, simply order the kit online, collect your sample, schedule a return shipment, and leave the rest to our team of experts!

Parting Thoughts!

Menopause and even perimenopause is the period where you may experience symptoms which could impact your daily life. Anyhow, with prior diagnosis and timely management, you can have a better grasp on your reproductive health and get help in order to alleviate your symptoms.