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Article Series: Menopause
Menopause Symptoms and Relief
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Menopause Test Tips
What
does a home menopause test do and how does it do it? It
is a home-use test kit to measure Follicle Stimulating Hormone
(FSH) in your urine. This may help indicate if you are in
menopause or perimenopause. Menopause is the stage in your
life when menstruation stops for at least 12 months. The
time before actual menopause is called perimenopause and
could last for several years. You may reach menopause in
your early 40's or as late as your 60's. Follicle stimulating
hormone (FSH) is a hormone produced by your pituitary gland.
FSH levels increase temporarily each month to stimulate your
ovaries to produce eggs. When you enter menopause and your
ovaries stop working, your FSH levels also increase. A menopause
self test is a qualitative test that helps you find out whether
or not you have elevated FSH levels, not if you definitely
are in menopause or perimenopause.
You would want to use
this test if you want to know if your
symptoms, such as irregular periods, hot flashes, vaginal dryness,
or sleep problems are part of menopause. While many women may
have little or no trouble when going through the stages of
menopause, others may have moderate to severe discomfort and
may want treatment to alleviate their symptoms. This test may
help you be better informed about your current condition when
you see your doctor. These tests will accurately detect FSH
about 9 out of 10 times. This test does not detect menopause
or perimenopause. As you grow older, your FSH levels may rise
and fall during your menstrual cycle. While your hormone levels
are changing, your ovaries continue to release eggs and you
can still become pregnant. Your test will depend on whether
you used your first morning urine, drank large amounts of water
before the test, use, or recently stopped using, oral or patch
contraceptives, hormone replacement therapy, or estrogen supplements.
In
home self help test, you put a few drops of your urine
on a test device, put the end of the testing device in your
urine stream, or dip the test device into a cup of urine. Chemicals
in the test device react with FSH and produce a color. Read
the instructions with the test you buy to learn exactly what
to look for in this test. Some home menopause tests are identical
to the one your doctor uses. However, doctors would not use
this test by itself. Your doctor would use your medical history,
physical exam, and other laboratory tests to get a more thorough
assessment of your condition. A positive test indicates that
you may be in a stage of menopause. If you have a positive
test, or if you have any symptoms of menopause, you should
see your doctor. Do not stop taking contraceptives based on
the results of these tests because they are not foolproof and
you could become pregnant. If you have a negative test result,
but you have symptoms of menopause, you may be in perimenopause
or menopause. You should not assume that a negative test means
you have not reached menopause, there could be other reasons
for the negative result. You should always discuss your symptoms
and your test results with your doctor. Do not use these tests
to determine if you are fertile or can become pregnant. These
tests will not give you a reliable answer on your ability to
become pregnant.
These are great tests to use if you are heading into that
time of life and are not sure if you are still ovulating regularly.
By no means should you stop using birth control if you do not
wish to become pregnant. Many women still release an egg here
and there while going through menopause. Many women have reported
getting their surprise babies in their late 40’s as they were
going through menopause. If you plan to try one of these tests
then you should repeat it every 3-6 months to be sure your
situation has not changed. Menopause can last months, years,
or decades. Therefore, you will want to keep on top of your
changes when you first suspect that this might be the change.
Never assume that you are going through menopause or try self-diagnosing.
If your tests show that you could be going into the change
then contact your physician for a check up.
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by SolveYourProblem.com
: 2006
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