What Is Early Menopause?


At what age are menopause symptoms considered "early menopause?" What's the difference between early menopause and premature ovarian failure (POF)?  When menopause symptoms begin early, it can be upsetting or even scary. Understanding the definition and possible causes can help you protect yourself against the health risks that come along with the hot flashes.

Causes
When women in their late thirties or early forties begin to have symptoms of perimenopause such as hot flashes or vaginal dryness, they often wonder whether this is an early menopause.

The precise definition of "early" can vary with regard to menopause, but the diagnosis is usually made when menopause occurs early enough that it can cause infertility, disabling symptoms, or raise the risk of disease.

While the average age of menopause in the United States is 51, the usual range is from 45 to 55. If you completely stop having periods before the age of 45, it is called an early menopause. If you stop menstruating even earlier—before the age of 40—it is called premature menopause.

There are several reasons you might experience early menopause, including:


  • Surgery: Surgery to remove the ovaries and fallopian tubes (salpingoophorecotmy) results in menopause. It's important to note that removing only one ovary does not usually cause menopause. Likewise, removing the uterus alone without the ovaries, does not result in menopause. Menses will cease, but the hormones generated by the ovaries will continue to be present. For example, you may still experience premenstrual symptoms and will not be at an increased risk of developing osteoporosis related to low estrogen levels.
  • Chemotherapy: Many cancer chemotherapy regimens result in menopause. This is not always permanent, especially when a woman is young when she receives these treatments.
  • Radiation: Radiation treatments to the abdomen and pelvic regions may result in menopause.
  • Inherited factors: Women may inherit the tendency to go through menopause at a young age from her parents, or she may inherit a syndrome which causes the ovaries to stop working early.
  • Lifestyle habits: Lifestyle habits may lead to or combine with other factors to increase the risk of early menopause. Women who smoke go through menopause, on average, two years earlier than women who do not smoke.
  • Nulliparity: There is some evidence that not having children results in earlier menopause.
  • Other factors: Although a direct correlation has not been shown, there is some association with early menopause in women who have a history of heart disease, pelvic surgery, exposure to toxic chemicals, depression treatment, epilepsy treatment or not giving birth.

Often, early menopause is due to a combination of the above factors rather than one single cause.

"Temporary" Menopause
Sometimes what seems like an early menopause is actually a temporary menopause where menses stop due to medical treatments or a medical condition. Temporary menopause can be caused by cancer treatments, very low body weight, intensive exercise, stress, or as a side effect of medication. Once the underlying cause of the temporary menopause is eliminated, the ovaries may return to normal function.

It's not uncommon for a woman who has gone through menopause during chemotherapy (especially if she very young) to resume menstruating (and have the ability to become pregnant) later in life.


Early vs. Premature Menopause?
As noted earlier, the difference between these terms is age. Premature menopause is when your periods stop—for any reason—before the age of 40. Early menopause refers to menopause that occurs before the age of 45.

Premature Ovarian Failure
Premature ovarian failure (POF), also called ovarian insufficiency or ovarian hypofunction, is when a woman's ovaries diminish in function before the age of 40. While premature menopause means that periods have stopped completely, in POF periods may continue irregularly for months or years. POF may be an inherited condition, or the ovaries may fail for no apparent reason.

Premature ovarian failure almost always results in infertility.

Symptoms
The symptoms of early menopause are essentially the same as those of menopause at a later age. But since the symptoms may or may not be due to menopause, and because women don't always realize that these symptoms mean they are losing ovarian function, it's a good idea to have your medical provider evaluate you if you are under 40 and experience any of the following:




Any of these symptoms could signal that your ovaries are beginning to produce lower amounts of hormones. But these symptoms are not always due to menopause, so sorting out the causes is an important step in staying healthy.

For today there is such product that solves the problems of women with menopause Femme Youth from Secrets of Sarah.
Dear women this product will help you get out of your situation.
In the world NO analogue to this product

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Could this drug be the key to stopping hot flushes for menopause sufferers?