The average age for menopause in modern women is approximately 50-52 years. By definition, a woman is menopausal if she has no menses for a period of 12 months and all other medical reasons have been excluded. Hormone levels fluctuate daily based on a variety of factors; they are a poor indicator of menopause and should not be used to diagnose menopause. In fact, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology have stated that there is no current role for blood testing in regards to menopause except to rule out any medical causes for irregular menses. Therefore, just because your blood hormone levels are normal does not exclude the possibility of menopause and the only way to accurately diagnose menopause is if you haven’t menstruated within the last 12 months.
An ultrasound to evaluate the endometrial lining is performed for anovulatory (not ovulating) women around the age of menopause or post-menopausal who are still having vaginal spotting or continuous vaginal bleeding. If a thickened endometrium, mass, or other lesion is discovered and the ovaries appear menopausal, further workup such as a biopsy or additional imaging will be required to evaluate the source of the bleeding.