How does menstruation occur?

Menstruation is the result of complete interaction between hypothalamus, pituitary gland, ovaries, and the uterus lining. Hypothalamus is a part of the brain which controls many involuntary movements, endocrine glands, and body functions such as temperature, sleep and appetite. Pituitary gland is a small gland attached to the hypothalamus and secretes many hormones. The [...]

What is menstruation?

Menstruation is the periodic discharge from the vagina during the reproductive age. Normal menstruation consists of blood, secretions, and disintegrating uterus lining, or the womb. Although the interval of a typical menstrual cycle is mentioned as twenty-eight days, the normal duration can be from twenty to thirty days and lasts for [...]

When does menopause occur?

Majority of women experience menopause between the age of forty-five to fifty-five years. Factors that influence the age of menopause include:

Cigarette smoking: This has been identified as one of the major factors that affects the age of menopause. Women who smoke or have been smokers in the past are likely to experience [...]

What are the types of menopause?

There are two main types of menopause:

Natural menopause, which is due to decrease in the production of female sex hormones­estrogen and progesterone by the ovaries. It is a gradual process that is normally spread over several years.
Induced menopause, which is due to one of the several medical interventions. For example, surgical [...]

What is the role of estrogen and progesterone in the body?

Estrogen plays a very important role in your body and prepares it for feminine functions such as pregnancy and childbirth. Estrogen and progesterone together regulate the menstrual cycle and the changes that take place in the uterus in preparation for a pregnancy. About ninety per cent of the total estrogen in [...]