Potential Causes of Early Menopause and Premature Ovarian Failure
August 4, 2010 by admin
Filed under Womens Health
If menopause occurs prior to a woman reaching 40 years old, then this is considered an early menopause. Both normal menopause and early menopause typically have a transitioning phase called perimenopause leading up to menopause. During this pre menopause or perimenopause phase, hormone production becomes erratic and ovulation slowly decreases. For women experiencing early menopause, this transitioning phase may happen at a very early age making it harder to conceive. Early menopause may occur as gradually as a normal menopause or it can happen suddenly due to an illness or surgery. Once early menopause is reached, it is no longer possible to conceive. Premature ovarian failure is a loss of ovarian function; it may be permanent or temporary.
Some potential causes of early menopause and premature ovarian failure are:
Genetics. If any of the women in your immediate family experienced early menopause this means that you are in a higher risk group. Genetics is thought to contribute about 10% to your chances of an early menopause.
Autoimmune Disorders. Autoimmune disorders have been shown to be related to both premature ovarian failure and early menopause. Although it’s not exactly known why this link exists, having an autoimmune disorder definitely impacts fertility. Diseases such as Graves Disease and Lupus and hyperthyroidism are all autoimmune disorders that interfere with healthy cell function, these disorders don’t allow the body to fight of disease which causes a host of health problems. These types of disorders are much more common in women than men. About 10% of women have hyperthyroidism, but it often goes undiagnosed because the symptoms are so subtle.
Surgery, medical conditions and treatment. When women undergo surgery to remove their uterus or ovaries, then this can bring on menopause suddenly at any age. When menopause happens suddenly due to surgery, then menopause signs may be more extreme than those experienced during normal menopause. Medical treatments such as chemotherapy may cause a complete or temporary loss of fertility.
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