If a woman is in her late 40s to her mid 50s and hasn't had a menstrual period in a year, it is more than likely she is fully menopausal. The Journal of Family Practice notes that the occurrence of amenorrhea, which is the term for missed or absent menstrual periods, is the best predictor that a woman will enter into menopause within the next 4 years.
Instructions
1. Realize that age in and of itself is a useful indicator of peri-menopause and forthcoming menopause. Most women have either completed or at least entered into the peri-menopausal transition by the age of 50, and almost all women have completed the process by the time they are 55.
2. Be aware that during peri-menopause, a woman's follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) level may indicate where she is in the transition process. However, keep in mind that the American College of Physicians, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Academy of Family Physicians, according to The Journal of Family Practice, do not address the diagnosis of menopause in their various recommendations. Some physicians do not put much stock in measuring FSH levels. The North American Menopause Society explains that FSH and estradiol (a type of estrogen) have limited value when it comes to confirming peri-menopause, because monthly fluctuations of FSH and estradiol can be extreme. Some physicians do not think the testing of FSH levels is very reliable.
3. Test your FSH and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels. Testing should be done twice, a month apart, to compensate for the fluctuations in FSH levels, according to Menopauseatoz.com. Home testing kits are available.
4. Determine whether you have high levels of FSH and luteinizing hormone (LH), which are characteristic of peri-menopause. The FSH and LH levels get high when estrogen and progesterone levels drop due to aging ovaries and the absence of ovulation.
5. If your FSH level is higher than 25, this may be an indication you are heading toward menopause. Prior to peri-menopause, FSH levels are between 5 and 25 mIU/ml. Once a woman has become fully menopausal, or hasn't had a menstrual period in 365 days, her FSH level will be 50 mIU/ml or higher.
Tags: American College, Family Practice, fully menopausal, hasn menstrual, hasn menstrual period, Journal Family