I want to know if it is menopause. Explains the cost of hormone testing and when to go for testing

During the 40s and 50s, a woman's body and mind go through major changes. This is a disorder caused by hormonal fluctuations called menopause, and various symptoms such as dizziness, hot flashes, fatigue, and irritability appear. This time, we will explain menopausal disorders in more detail and introduce a wide range of examination contents and costs. Whether you are already experiencing symptoms or approaching menopause, please use this as an opportunity to know your physical condition.

Find out in this article

• Basic knowledge of menopause
• menopausal examination
• menopausal drugs

What is menopause

Menopause is a general term for various physical and mental disorders caused by hormonal fluctuations in women in their 40s and late 50s. Menopause is defined as the 5 years before and after menopause, for a total of 10 years. During this period, the secretion of female hormones in the body fluctuates greatly and gradually decreases. Fluctuations and declines in the secretion of these female hormones are the cause of systemic disorders. In addition, there are large individual differences in the symptoms of menopause, and some people end menopause without feeling any symptoms, while others develop severe symptoms that interfere with their daily lives.

menopausal symptoms

The symptoms of menopause vary from physical symptoms to psychological ones that affect your mood and mind.

menopausal symptoms

• dizzy
• hot flashes
• Malaise
• palpitation
• Stiff shoulder
• lower back pain
• headache
• annoyed
• insomnia
• anxiety
• loss of motivation
• depression

Menopause can cause symptoms such as those listed above. As I mentioned in the previous chapter, symptoms vary greatly from person to person, so the symptoms that appear also vary from person to person. It is also difficult to predict in advance what kind of symptoms will appear.

Things to know before going for a hormone test

Hormone test will be one of the judgment materials whether it is menopause or not. In addition to age and symptoms, it is important to perform hormone tests. In addition, by quantifying one's physical condition in the form of an examination, it becomes a means of objectively grasping one's situation. Here are some things you should know before going for a hormone test.

When to go for a hormone test

Hormone tests are recommended to be performed regularly from around the age of 40, when menopause is approaching. Of course, you can take the test after symptoms appear, but if you take regular tests to understand the secretion of female hormones, you will have time to prepare. Since the severity and content of menopause symptoms cannot be predicted, it is possible to consult with a specialist and gather information if you are aware of the situation in advance, rather than being anxious when symptoms suddenly begin to appear. Also, as mentioned above, hormone levels fluctuate greatly during menopause and decrease, so it is important to know that hormone levels fluctuate in multiple tests.

What a hormone test tells you

Hormone tests for menopausal disorders often test the amount of the following hormones in the blood.

Types of hormones that can be tested

• Estrogen (E2)
• follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
• luteinizing hormone (LH)
• Prolactin (PRL)
• Thyroid hormone (FT4)
• thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)

Estrogen is one of the female hormones, and it is important for pregnancy and making the body look feminine. A drop or fluctuation in estrogen causes various menopausal symptoms.

Follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone are hormones that control the secretion of female hormones, and are called gonadotropins. As estrogen declines, these hormones rise and are used to determine whether the hormonal state is characteristic of menopause.

In addition, prolactin is a hormone that is normally involved in the production of breast milk, but if it is too high even after childbirth, it can suppress ovulation and cause amenorrhea.

Thyroid hormone is a hormone that activates the metabolism of the whole body. Thyroid-stimulating hormone regulates the amount of thyroid hormone released from the brain. Excess thyroid hormone causes palpitations, sweating, irritability, etc., while too little thyroid hormone causes symptoms similar to menopausal symptoms such as chills, stiff shoulders, fatigue and depression.

By measuring the blood levels of these hormones, it becomes one of the criteria for determining whether the current hormone status is close to menopause, the causes of other disorders that tend to occur during menopause, and treatment strategies .

Hormone test cost

The cost of a menopause test is around 5,000 yen. As the inspection items change, the cost may increase or decrease, but since basic inspections are covered by insurance, the cost rarely exceeds 10,000 yen. On the other hand, there are hospitals that conduct menopausal disorder examinations as free medical treatment. In that case, the burden will be larger than insurance coverage, but there is also an advantage that the examination and examination will be performed more carefully. The examination can be performed at the departments of gynecology, internal medicine, and endocrinology, so if you are worried about it, it is safe to call ahead to check whether it is covered by insurance and the cost.

Learn more about hormone testing

I have explained the hormone test for menopausal disorders, but I will also introduce how the test is performed and the flow. You can relax if you know the general contents in advance, rather than going to the examination while feeling nervous without knowing anything.

Hormone test flow

The general flow of hormone testing is as follows. Since this is just a general examination flow, the contents may be mixed up or the contents may be slightly different.

1. Questionnaire: We will ask you about your menstrual cycle and any problems you have in detail to understand your condition.
2. Measurement of height and weight, etc.: Confirm basic physical information.
3. Depending on the condition, a pelvic examination and examination: We may perform an examination to see if there are other diseases hidden.
4. Blood draws for hormone tests: You may have multiple tests to see if there are fluctuations in your hormone levels. Also, if you want to measure progesterone, you may need a test after ovulation. Diagnosis: The symptoms and causes are determined from the tests and checks done so far.
5. Lifestyle Advice and Medication Prescription: If you are diagnosed with menopause, you will be treated with lifestyle changes and medication, depending on your situation.

Although the medical examination is performed according to the flow described above, the hormone test is not necessarily performed at the first visit.

First of all, it often starts with improvement of lifestyle habits through interviews. If there is still no improvement, an examination will be performed and treatment with drugs will be performed.

Prescription when diagnosed with menopause

Medications prescribed when menopause is diagnosed include:

• Hormone replacement therapy (HRT): In order to adjust the fluctuations in female hormones that cause menopausal symptoms, female hormones are supplemented to improve symptoms.
• Kampo medicines (Kamishoyosan, Keishibukuryogan, Tokishakuyakusan, etc.): Kampo medicines mainly aim to gradually improve symptoms by adjusting the constitution, and there are various Kampo medicines for menopausal disorders. By taking the best herbal medicine according to individual symptoms, the symptoms will gradually soften.
• Placenta therapy: Placenta is a component obtained from the placenta of mammals and is expected to be effective in relieving various symptoms of menopause.

Also read the following articles
→ I want to know more about menopause and herbal medicine

It is also recommended to try from the simple kit

It is recommended that you first try a simple kit such as the Menopause Check (menopause) that is sold on canvas. It is a system that allows you to check the test results on your smartphone by purchasing a test kit and mailing the blood sample collected at home. It is very convenient because you don't have to make a reservation or schedule a hospital, and you can save the trouble of going to the hospital. You can buy it for about 20,000 yen. If you have a busy schedule and can't go to the hospital right away, or if you don't want to go to the hospital, but you're starting to feel unwell and want to check if you're in menopause, it's recommended.

Check out the canvas inspection kit here .

summary

This time, I have focused on the examination contents and costs of menopause.

Menopause examination and cost summary
• Hormone tests measure the amount of strogen, progesterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, prolactin, etc. in the blood.
• The inspection fee is around 5,000 yen if covered by insurance. (The number of hospitals offering free medical care is increasing.)
• In some cases, hormone testing is not performed at the first visit.
• It can be easily tested with a simple test kit.

Menopausal disorders examinations and treatments are covered by insurance, so please be assured that such high medical costs will not be incurred. The symptoms and severity of menopause are variable and unpredictable. If you feel uneasy about your physical condition or feel unwell, do not hesitate to consult a specialist.