Premature Menopause
What is Premature Menopause?
Premature Menopause is also misleadingly called as Premature Ovarian Failure (POF), which occurs before a woman reaches her 40s. But both terms are different in their effect on the women's fertility. While premature menopause is permanent, POF is temporary phase that can be cured with proper medication. Menopause is expected around the age of 40. But the premature menopause results in infertility before the expected time.
Usually, women are incapable of being pregnant during their 40s, but some women face the same problem at an early age during puberty. This is called as premature menopause in women.
Premature Menopause cases are mostly found in twins who have similar genetics. They experience menopause before 40s, but the transplantation rate also good among the twins to regain their fertility.
Premature menopause causes many severe effects on physical and psychological level. Thus, premature menopause remains a major concern for many women as it badly affects their health and productivity.
What are the Causes of Premature Menopause?
Premature menopause is caused due to natural or artificial changes in a woman's body. The major causes for premature menopause are:
- Chemotherapy used in cancer treatments can cause damages to the ovaries. This therapy includes radiation, which results in the failure of ovaries to produce hormones.
- The removal of ovaries also results in premature menopause in women. This removal is intended for the treatment of cancer.
- Women who undergo Hysterectomy may experience the symptoms of premature menopause.
- Family history and genetics also cause premature menopause.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Premature Menopause
Premature menopause is diagnosed by undergoing a blood test measuring the FSH and luteinizing hormone level. The increase in their level will indicate the beginning of menopause in a woman.
The test of measuring estrogen production can also help to identify premature menopause. The ovaries produce Estradiol, which is used to treat estrogen deficiency. Ovaries produce this Esraidiol during reproductive years. If the level is low, it signals menopause.
In Virto- Fertilization is a successful method to improve women's fertility who are suffering from premature menopause. About 10% of the women have become pregnant through the successful plantation of eggs.
However, premature menopause can not be reversed once it starts. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is the only way to lessen the severity of osteoporosis. It can decrease the risks of osteopenia. The symptoms of menopause like dryness in vagina and hot flashes can be painful if timely treatment is not provided.
There are chances for occurrence of heart diseases in premature menopause as in natural menopause. So HRT is very effective and useful in this case. Women who have undergone HRT can be pregnant. In this process, a woman has to accept eggs from the donor since she can no longer produce her own.
