Have you ever heard about early menopause? Women’s Area gathered everything you need to know about the subject and didn’t know about.
Surely, you’ve heard about early menopause. But, do you know what it really means?
Firstly, you need to know the difference between climacteric and menopause. So, let’s quickly get to the concepts:
- Climacteric: transition period between the reproductive and non-reproductive phase. It begins a few years before menopause, decreasing estrogen production, and is the beginning of the end of regular ovarian function.
- Menopause: is the end of a woman’s reproductive phase. At this point there is no more ovulation or menstruation in the woman’s life. Furthermore, it starts around the age of 50.
Therefore, when it comes to early menopause, it is when a woman enters menopause before the age of 32. It is basically ovarian failure in a young woman.
Premature ovarian failure is the temporary or permanent loss of hormone production that occurs after menarche and before the age of 40.
Cause of early menopause
Although there is no definitive study on the causes of early menopause, there are some associations made in many relevant studies. Basically, they are:
- Genetic abnormalities, for example, Turner syndrome;
- Autoimmune diseases, such as thyroiditis, vitiligo and myasthenia gravis;
- Metabolic disorders, such as Addison’s disease and diabetes;
- Viral infections, such as mumps;
- Chemotherapy for cancer treatment;
- Radiotherapy;
- Surgical removal of the ovaries;
- Surgical extraction of the uterus;
- Toxins, such as tobacco use, for example.
Symptoms of early menopause
Firstly, there are several symptoms that may indicate the problem. They are:
- Hot flashes. In short, they appear and last from 5 to 30 minutes, accompanied by intense sweating and discomfort;
- Night sweats;
- Menstrual irregularity, when the menstrual flow progressively decreases;
- Vaginal dryness, including causing discomfort during sexual intercourse;
- Decreased libido;
- Urinary incontinence;
- Headaches;
- Changes in skin and hair;
- Insomnia and tiredness;
- Memory loss;
- Weight gain;
- Loss of muscle strength;
- Loss of bone mass, including increasing the risk of osteoporosis;
- Nervousness and irritability;
- Mood changes;
- Tension, anxiety;
- Depression.
Diagnosis
Firstly, it is important to try to determine the cause of premature menopause, especially for women who want to become pregnant. Therefore, a physical examination is useful. However, additional tests are still necessary, such as hormone measurement and ovarian ultrasound, for example.
In addition, blood tests can be carried out to investigate the presence of antibodies that cause damage to the endocrine glands. Incidentally, for women under 30 years of age, a chromosome analysis is usually performed.
Treatment
Above all, hormone replacement is the most popular treatment. Basically, it is done through the use of medications based on the hormone estrogen. In short, it is responsible for regulating the menstrual cycle and preventing complications such as osteoporosis and heart disease.
Furthermore, it is important to regularly practice physical activity. Furthermore, a balanced diet is also welcome during treatment.
Of course, oral contraceptives can also be used. Therefore, if pregnancy is still a dream for the woman, in vitro fertilization is recommended. However, if a woman with early menopause does not wish to become pregnant, she can use birth control pills that contain estrogen and progestin.
Did you like this article? Then you might also like this: How long do menopause symptoms last?
Source: My Life MSD Your Health
Featured image: Daily Health Guide
