Facing Menopause Early

Menopause Cause – Facing Menopause Early

For most women, it began in their late 40s or 50s, but there are a few who have had to deal with menopause early.
It’s considered early or premature menopause when menopause or perimenopause (the phase leading to menopause) begins in your 30s, early 40s, or for some extreme cases, in your 20s. The reasons on why some women have had to face menopause early are varied, but the most common and natural reason is premature ovarian failure (POF).
A woman is considered menopausal after a year of not having her menstrual cycle. This basically means that your ovaries have stopped producing eggs and that you’re infertile. The average age for the onset of menopause is 51. The years prior to that—which may be anything from two to six years (some shorter, some longer)—is considered perimenopause, when you begin to experience classic menopause causes.

Menopause Cause – Halt Menopause Early Symptoms

When you stop getting your periods and start getting menopause cause symptoms well before the average age for menopause, you most likely have POF. There is no second-guessing in diagnosing POF or premature menopause. Hormone tests, like Follicle-Stimulating Hormone and Luteinizing Hormone (which act synergistically in reproduction), estradiol, testosterone, and progesterone, are performed. If you are really at premature menopause or POF, you will test at post-menopausal hormone levels.
Though exhibiting symptoms similar to menopause cause, POF is still different in that you still have your eggs and you can still get your period, ovulate, and get pregnant. The exact cause for POF is not clear, but most point to problems in the ovaries’ follicles. There’s also autoimmune disorder, when your immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells (in this case, antibodies are attacking the reproductive system), and chromosomal irregularity. Sometimes, a woman with a family history of POF will also get the condition.

How do you treat POF? Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is one consideration, but do note that HRT also carries with it risks and uncertainty. You have to go into detail about the pros and cons with your doctor and he will tell you more about menopause cause.
There are other reasons why some women face menopause early: a surgical procedure that removed the ovaries (oophorectomy or total hysterectomy), radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and other medical conditions. Sometimes something as simple as family history—if your mom and grandmother had premature menopause, you most likely will, too—is to blame, though this is not a clear-cut case.

It is very hard to know with certainty if you are experiencing menopause early, but a quick consultation with your physician will quell all doubts and give you peace of mind.