What Are Some Tests for Menopause?

The two hormones that can be tested to determine if a woman is entering into menopause are FSH (follicle stimulating hormones) and LH (lutenizing hormones). If you are a post-middle-aged woman and have gone a full year without a menstrual period, it is safe to say that you are in menopause and there really isn't any reason to test your FSH and LH levels. However, if you are a younger woman and are having menopausal symptoms (missed periods or hot flashes), testing your FSH and LH levels might be a good idea. It can determine if you are entering into premature menopause. Other medical conditions can cause menopausal symptoms. If a young woman's FSH and LH levels are low, she is not perimenopausal and her symptoms are indicative of some other medical issue.

High Levels of FSH and LH

• If a woman's FSH and LH levels are high, this indicates that she is in perimenopause and explains why she is symptomatic. FSH is produced by the pituitary gland. This hormone prompts the growth of ovarian follicles and supports the cells that nurture and grow a woman's egg or eggs. FSH stimulates the production of estrogen. When a woman's estrogen levels plummet as she heads toward menopause, her FSH level will soar as will her LH. These hormones rise as a woman ages, according to Menopause.org.

Ovaries are Failing

• If a woman has a FSH level between 5 and 25mIU/ml, this indicates that she is not yet perimenopausal or close to menopause; however, if her levels are higher than 25, this strongly suggests that she is menopausal. A reading of 50, according to Epigee.org, means that a woman is in full menopause. The FSH level reveals whether ovaries are beginning to fail, which occurs during perimenopause. A high FSH level is one of the first indications that a woman is nearing menopause because it shows that her body is trying to ovulate but isn't accomplishing ovulation. The ovaries are starting to shut down.

What Stage Are You In?

• If a woman wants to have baby and is middle-aged, testing her FSH and LH levels can reveal if her ovaries are still working. If they are, she can get pregnant. If they're failing, a pregnancy is going to be difficult to achieve.

The Brain and How It Reacts

• As menopause nears, a woman's brain realizes that she is low on estrogen. The brain signals the pituitary gland to make more FSH. An increased amount of FSH is released in an attempt to prompt the ovaries to produce more estrogen and to produce a good egg follicle. This is why FSH levels rise later in a woman's life.

Old Eggs

• Women are born with a certain number of eggs. These eggs age just as the woman does. Old eggs often aren't viable and even if they are viable they might not be of good quality. That is why older woman are more likely to have babies with birth defects. Regardless of how much FSH is released by the pituitary, if there aren't any viable follicles present in the woman's body, ovulation and pregnancy are not going to occur.

The Test

• Home FSH tests are available or you can ask your physician to perform the test. Keep in mind that the home tests may not be 100 percent reliable, according to Epigee.org. If you take the test and get an abnormal hormonal reading, the results could be related to something other than menopause. Because hormones fluctuate so much, the test should be repeated several times, a month or so apart. Ask your physician what she recommends.