Premature Symptoms of Menopause

Premature menopause

Premature menopause is a menopause that occurs before the age of 40. It can occur naturally. In some cases it is caused by ovarian surgery, cancer treatments and etc. Often symptoms of premature menopause are similar to those seen with menopause that develops later in life. These symptoms can include hot flashes, vaginal dryness, irregular periods, emotional problems, sleep problems, night sweats and etc. As a rule, menopause is confirmed when a woman hasn’t had her period for 12 months in a row.

But there are some cases when the presence of symptoms alone may not be enough to diagnose premature menopause with certainty. In these circumstances, a blood test that measures follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) is done. Normally your ovaries use this hormone to make estrogen. When the ovaries stop making estrogen, the levels of FSH rise. When FSH levels are higher than normal, it usually means that you’ve already reached menopause. It’s very important to underline that estrogen levels vary daily, so this test may need to be repeated for an accurate diagnosis to be made.

In addition, it’s necessary to have a test for levels of a type of estrogen called estradiol and luteinizing hormone (LH). When the ovaries fail, the levels of estradiol fall too. If the levels of estradiol are abnormally, it may be a sign of menopause. LH is a hormone that triggers ovulation. If you have higher-than-normal levels of LH, it means you’ve gone through menopause.

Some women have severe premature menopause symptoms. Besides women who have premature menopause tend to get weaker bones faster than women who enter menopause later in life. This fact raises their chances of getting osteoporosis and breaking a bone.

Premature menopause can be caused by chromosome defects, genetics, autoimmune diseases, surgery to remove ovaries, chemotherapy or radiation treatment. Defects in the chromosomes can cause premature menopause. Women with Turner’s syndrome are born without a second X chromosome or without part of the chromosome. Their ovaries don’t form normally. So as the result and early menopause can occur.

If you have the cases of premature menopause in your family history, then you are more likely to experience it yourself. If you suffer from an autoimmune disease, the immune system will mistakenly attack a part of the body’s own reproductive system. This hurts the ovaries and prevents them from making female hormones. This can happen in a few different diseases, including thyroid disease and rheumatoid arthritis.
Surgical removal of both ovaries (bilateral oophorectomy) puts a woman into menopause right away.
Women who have a hysterectomy but have their ovaries left in place will not have induced menopause because their ovaries will continue to make hormones. But these women no longer have their periods and cannot get pregnant. They might have such frustrating symptom of menopause as hot flashes because the surgery can sometimes disturb the blood supply to the ovaries. However in time, they may go through natural menopause a year or two earlier than expected.

Chemotherapy for cancer or pelvic radiation therapy for cancers of the reproductive system can cause ovarian damage and as the result a premature menopause. These treatments may cause women to stop getting their periods, have fertility problems, or lose their fertility at all. This process can happen in a short period of time or take several months. In the case of cancer treatment, the chances of going into menopause depend on the type of chemotherapy used and the age of the woman when she receives treatment. Besides it depends on how much chemotherapy was used.

Anyway, the younger a woman is, the less likely she will go into menopause. You should be careful with your health. And if you notice some unusual symptoms, you should consult your doctor right away.