Early menopause, what causes it and what is the effect?

Menopause is a phenomenon that stops the production of female reproductive hormones, which causes a woman to no longer experience menstrual cycles. In general, menopause occurs at the age of 45 to 55 years. A woman is said to have experienced premature menopause when menopause has occurred under the age of 40. Here are some facts related to early menopause in women.

Early menopause is different from early ovarian failure

Many argue that early menopause is caused by premature ovarian failure, but this is not the case. Despite having the same symptoms and effects, early menopause cannot be cured because the ovaries have stopped producing hormones normally. Meanwhile, early ovarian failure is caused by hormone deficiency and can be treated with estrogen hormone therapy.

What is the effect if a woman experiences premature menopause?

Even though it occurs earlier, early menopause still has the same effect as menopause at a later age. This is due to changes in the hormone estrogen, it's just that early menopause has occurred at a younger age. Here are some of the effects of premature menopause:

• Emotional disorders such as mood swings and depression
• Dry skin, eyes and mouth
• The vagina feels thinner and less flexible
• Decreased libido
• The body often feels hot and sweats
• Tiring easily
• Porous bones
• Cannot have children
• More prone to heart disease and stroke
• More prone to colon and ovarian cancer
• More prone to gum and tooth disease

Hormonal changes occur early

Menopause is usually characterized by hormonal changes during the transition period known as premenopause. This transition occurs over a period of several years, and ends one year before the last menstrual period. This phase begins near the age of 50, but it can occur more quickly and with less time in women who experience menopause prematurely or before the age of 40.

A shorter time will be experienced if the reproductive organs have been damaged or cannot produce hormones anymore. Women who have just undergone surgical removal of their reproductive organs will usually experience menopause immediately.

Early menopause can be caused by medical intervention

Several methods of treatment and medical interventions can directly affect ovarian activity, triggering early menopause. Here are some of these medical interventions:

• Chemotherapy - One of the side effects of chemotherapy is damage to the ovaries and can cause the ovaries to stop working. The effects of chemotherapy occur immediately or months later. The effect of chemotherapy on ovarian damage depends on the frequency of chemotherapy.
• Ovarian removal surgery ( oophorectomy ) - Women who undergo ovarian removal surgery will experience a very rapid decrease in hormones and experience menopause symptoms, one of which is loss of libido. In other words, surgery causes menopause directly.
• Surgical removal of the uterus (hysterectomy) - A hysterectomy will not cause immediate menopause because it can be performed without removing the ovaries, but will stop the menstrual cycle and prevent pregnancy. Women who undergo hysterectomy will experience menopause several years earlier.

Early menopause can be caused by a variety of health conditions

Here are some health conditions that can cause premature menopause:

• It only has one X chromosome (Turner syndrome) so that the ovaries are not fully formed and cause premature menopause.
• Heredity with a family history of early menopause.
• Autoimmune conditions can attack the ovaries and thus inhibit hormone production.

How do you diagnose early menopause?

Early menopause is diagnosed with a physical and blood examination to differentiate early menopause from pregnancy or thyroid disease. Diagnosis can also be made with an estradiol test, if the estradiol level is below 30 then this indicates you are in menopause.

The most important way of diagnosis is to detect FSH levels. This hormone works to stimulate the ovaries to produce estrogen. If the FSH level is high or above 40mIU per milliliter, this usually indicates that you are going through menopause.

Smoking can also lead to premature menopause

Smoking and secondhand smoke can trigger ovarian damage due to the anti-estrogen effect of cigarettes. The impact can cause disruption of the production of the hormone estrogen, prolonged exposure can lead to premature menopause.

How do you ease the effects of premature menopause?

After experiencing menopause, women will be more susceptible to various degenerative diseases, and a healthy lifestyle will help alleviate the effects after menopause. Here are some efforts that can improve the quality of life of a woman who has experienced menopause:

• Have physical activity and a balanced diet for bone and heart health.
• Get enough calcium and vitamin D to avoid osteoporosis. Calcium needed after menopause is around 1200mg per day and vitamin D is needed around 600-800 IU per day.
• Avoid secondhand smoke and if you do smoke, stop smoking.

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