Menopause is a touchy subject for women. It signifies that they have come of age. However, menopause is a normal transition in life similar to puberty. Most women want to avoid or prolong it because they do not want to experience the symptoms that come with menopause such as the famous hot flashes and mood swings. Understanding menopause will help women prepare and accept this change.
Natural menopause begins after 40. Sometimes, however a woman will begin menopause earlier, but when she does that’s called premature menopause. There are a few reasons why this may occur.
Menopause heralds the cessation of the menstrual cycle and the end of a woman’s ability to conceive a child. A characteristic of this process is that the ovaries stop producing eggs and hormone production is drastically reduced.
What Causes Premature Menopause?
In premature menopause something happens in the woman to escalate the process. Sometimes this catalyst is related to hormone fluctuations. An example of this is premature ovarian failure.
Medical procedures may also put a woman into premature menopause. Endometriosis is one example of how this may happen. Endometriosis happens when uterine tissue grows unchecked and sometimes it spreads as far as the fallopian tubes and ovaries. This can be quite painful, and may also lead to excessive bleeding. A doctor may recommend a complete hysterectomy that includes ovary removal.
Radiation and chemotherapy may also lead to premature menopause. This is often referred to as induced menopause.
There are many reasons for the varying age when menopause actually strikes. Some of these include:
- Genetics
- Healthy lifestyle
- Exercise
- Hormonal balance
- Stress
- Smoking can trigger early menopause.
Symptoms Of Early Menopause
Premature menopause arrives with the same set of signs and symptoms as does natural menopause. However, the abrupt nature of onset may be shocking to a woman who is going through the process. Unlike most women, she may not have much warning at all about the profound changes happening in her body. In addition, rather than gradual changes that occur over years, her changes can happen seemingly overnight. Hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, painful sexual relationships and moodiness may all be present in premature menopause.
The symptoms of menopause are caused by the changing levels of sex hormones in the woman’s body, namely progesterone and estrogen.
The age in which menopause starts for a women varies and the symptoms a woman shows at the onset of menopause also varies.
No matter the age of onset, the symptoms of menopause are usually the same for women. It is the intensity or the severity of menopausal symptoms where women may differ.
Some of the symptoms of menopause include:
- Changes in menstruation, they may occur more frequently or they may irregular and occur very late. The pattern of menstruation varies from woman to woman.
- Hot flashes are the commonest of all the symptoms of menopause. It is the warm feeling all over the body, more obvious on chest and chest with perspiration.
- Vaginal problems due to thinning of the vaginal lining. The vaginal mucosa becomes dry and pains with intercourse.
- Bladder problems and increased risk of urinary tract infection.
- Sleep pattern changes.
- Decreased or increased sexual libido.
- Mood swings or changes.
- Changes in the body such as weight gain or weight loss.
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I have had diabetes since age 11. That is also when I started my period. At age 32, I had sudden ovarian failure (Drs. said due to the diabetes) and have been on HRT ever since. Periods had been maybe 2 times a year until then. After 32 and HRT they were gone for 15 yrs. NOW, for the past 4 months, I get a regular period with all the damn symptoms like clock-work between the 25th and the 31st of the month. I’m 47!!!! I’ve gained 20 lbs in the past 2 years prior to this recommencement of menstruation. Any thoughts?
I had a c-section birth of a child at the age of 31 1/2 years after that my menses became irregular and occurred after a period of 6 months. This delayed menses lasted for about 3 years and after that it permanently stopped at the age of 35 years. Now I am 39 years of age and I want to bear another child . Can you help with any suggestions.