Symptoms of early menopause are the same as those of common menopause, so problems such as vaginal dryness or hot flashes often occur. However, these symptoms start before age 45, unlike menopausal symptoms that are more common after age 50.
This type of early menopause happens mainly in women with a mother or sisters who have gone through the same problem of early menopause, but it can also arise due to other factors such as smoking, connection of the tubes, removal of the uterus and ovaries or use of treatments such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy, for example.
If you think you may be showing signs of early menopause, take our online test and find out what your risk is:
- 1. Irregular menstruation Yes No
- 2. No menstruation for 12 consecutive months Yes No
- 3. Heat waves that start suddenly and for no apparent reason Yes No
- 4. Intense night sweats that can disrupt sleep Yes No
- 5. Frequent tiredness Yes No
- 6. Mood swings like irritability, anxiety or sadness Yes No
- 7. Difficulty sleeping or poor sleep quality Yes No
- 8. Vaginal dryness Yes No
- 9. Hair loss Yes No
- 10. Decreased libido Yes No
Although they are the same as menopause, it is possible that they are felt with greater intensity due to the sudden interruption in the production of sex hormones.
How is the diagnosis
The diagnosis of early menopause must be made by the gynecologist, and it is usually made when there is no menstruation or when it is irregular, and through blood tests that allow the measurement of the hormones FSH, estradiol and prolactin, from a test blood test that assesses the possibility of pregnancy or a genetic test.
When there are no symptoms, premature aging of the ovaries is usually diagnosed only when the woman is trying to conceive and has difficulty, or when undergoing hormone treatments to assess her fertility.
In addition, premature aging of the ovaries can cause other problems besides decreasing the number of eggs, such as increased chances of miscarriage, poor quality of the eggs that remain or greater chances of genetic diseases, increased risk of developing heart disease or bone diseases such as osteoporosis, and a greater tendency to have depression or anxiety problems.
Causes of Early Menopause
The premature aging of the ovaries can lead to an early menopause, which can be caused by factors such as:
- Genetic changes on the X chromosome that can be diagnosed through a genetic test; Mother or grandmother with a history of early menopause; Autoimmune diseases; Enzymatic deficiencies such as Galactosemia, a genetic disease caused by the lack of the galactose enzyme, can lead to the onset of early menopause; Chemotherapy and overexposure to radiation as occurs in radiation therapy, or to certain toxins such as cigarettes or pesticides; Some infectious diseases such as Mumps, Shigella infection and malaria, can also rarely cause Early Menopause.
In addition, the removal of the ovaries through surgery in cases of ovarian tumor, inflammatory pelvic disease or endometriosis, for example, also causes early menopause in women, as there are no more ovaries to produce estrogen in the body.
Treatment for early menopause
Hormone replacement is the treatment of choice in cases of early menopause, and it is done through the use of drugs based on the hormone estrogen, responsible for regulating the menstrual cycle and preventing complications such as osteoporosis and heart disease, which are more frequent in women with early menopause.
In addition, it is important to regularly practice physical activity and eat a balanced diet, avoiding the consumption of sweets, fats and processed products such as bacon, sausage and frozen food, to avoid excessive weight gain, and to increase the consumption of whole foods, seeds and soy products in the diet, as they help with hormonal regulation.
See more tips on natural strategies for feeling better at menopause in the following video:
