Early Menopause:
A 2019 research review showed that around 3.7 percent of women experience either primary ovarian insufficiency or his response. Symptoms of premature and early menopause are like those you would experience if you reached menopause at the expected age. Menopausal symptoms can be more severe after surgery or cancer treatment, due to the sudden change in oestrogen levels.
Premature menopause, or premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), is defined as being menopause that happens before the age of 40. However, the most important test used to diagnose premature menopause is a blood test that measures follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). When your ovaries slow down their production of estrogen, your levels of FSH increase.
Even in women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations who undergo risk-reducing prophylactic bilateral oophorectomy before age 45 years, short-term estrogen replacement is an option [54]. The age of onset of estrogen deficiency appears to be an important determinant of long-term health [2]. We considered observational studies reporting outcomes for women who reached menopause before the age of 45 years and studies comparing health outcomes following induced compared with natural menopause at younger ages. In addition, we combined graphically some results from the Mayo Clinic Cohort Study of Oophorectomy and Aging pertaining to women who were younger than age 45 years at the time of oophorectomy [2]. If your healthcare provider has diagnosed you with premature menopause, it is important to be aware of risk factors for conditions affecting your heart, bone, and emotional health.
Researchers believe that prolonged exposure to estrogen protects the heart and bones. Once a full year has passed since your last period, you’re officially in the postmenopausal phase. Psychological counselling and support groups can provide support. If you feel very emotional, anxious or depressed after your diagnosis, it’s important to talk to someone. If you are under 45 years of age and have irregular periods, or they have stopped for more than 3 months, you should see your doctor.
Explore Mayo Clinic studies testing new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this condition. To review and summarize current evidence on the health consequences of premature menopause and blog. If you are taking hormonal contraception, you might not notice a change in your periods but you may have other symptoms. You can expect to experience this change around the same time your mother did. If you think you might be experiencing symptoms of early menopause, talk to your doctor. They can perform various tests to determine if you have entered menopause.
Smoking cigarettes is the only lifestyle factor that may cause early menopause. The other causes of menopause like health conditions, surgeries or treatment for cancer are unpreventable in most cases. Once the process of early menopause is underway, you can’t stop it.
If you are diagnosed with premature and early menopause, your doctor can refer you to different specialists. For example, an endocrinologist, gynaecologist, psychologist or psychiatrist. If you have POI and you are finding it hard to fall pregnant, you can explore different ways of having children. In addition, don’t hesitate to ask questions at any time during your appointment.
Most likely, you’ll experience some irregularity in your periods before they end. While menopause is defined as the cessation of a women’s period for a full year, early menopause indicates the end of this cycle at an earlier age than is experienced by most women, happening between the ages of 40 and 45. Declining estrogen levels as the ovaries slow its production are one factor in why this occurs. The scientists reported treating more than 30 women, ages 46 to 49, by injecting platelet-rich plasma (PRP) into their ovaries. PRP is sometimes used to promote tissue healing, but the treatment hasn’t been proven to be effective for any purpose.
Treatment until at least the natural age of menopause (around 52 years) is typically recommended. Your medical provider can review the risks and have a peek here benefits of hormone therapy that are specific to you. If you’re still unsure, you can seek the opinion of a certified menopause consultant.
Make your tax-deductible gift and be a part of the cutting-edge research and care that’s changing medicine. The compensation we receive from advertisers does not influence the recommendations or advice our editorial team provides in our articles or otherwise impact any of the editorial content on Forbes Health. A federal government website managed by the Office on Women’s Health in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room if you are experiencing a medical emergency. Estrogen increases ‘good’ HDL cholesterol and decreases ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol. Though the research might have potential for the future, it’s not a realistic treatment option right now.
Early menopause and premature menopause have many of the same causes and risk factors. Menopause starts for most people in their late 40s or early 50s. But in early or premature menopause, the drop in estrogen production and the end of menstrual periods comes much earlier. Premature menopause begins before the age of 40, and can sometimes happen in your 20s. “In working life, employers should consider making working conditions more flexible for women undergoing the menopausal transition to help them manage their symptoms,” they wrote in a journal news release.