What happens during menopause

A look at the natural evolution of a woman's menstrual cycle helps us understand the complex processes that take place in the body during menopause.

An interplay of different hormones regulates the natural cycle, ensuring regular monthly bleeding and reproductive capacity. The female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone (the hormone of the corpus luteum), which are mainly produced in the ovaries, play a major role in a woman's cycle. Certain control hormones in the brain are also involved in regulating the secretion of sex hormones.

Hormone decline at menopause

At menopause, the egg supply comes to an end and the ovaries begin to cease functioning, leading to a drop in the production of female sex hormones. At the start of the menopause, the hormonal drop mainly concerns progesterone levels, which already fall before estrogen production in turn declines, as ovulation is increasingly absent. The result is an irregular menstrual cycle.

This drop in progesterone levels, combined with high estrogen levels, leads to other noticeable changes. There may be feelings of tension in the breasts or unpleasant swelling due to water retention.

As the menopause progresses, estrogen levels also decline, leading to a number of disorders throughout the body. The most common symptoms are hot flushes and sweating, sleep disorders, depressive moods, heart palpitations and dry skin (mucous membranes). To find out more, visit our Menopause Disorders section.