6 medical causes of early menopause that every woman should know about

Genetic, thyroid conditions, cancer and other reasons of early menopause that you should know of.

The average age of menopause among Indian women is between 47 to 50 years of age. However, there are women who face menopause (absence of periods) early. When menopause sets in before the age of 40, it is termed as early menopause. This indicates that the woman will be facing infertility early and the steady production of estrogen will stop.

Estrogen is important for a woman s well-being in many ways it relaxes heart muscles, controls cholesterol, prevents bone density loss, etc. Early menopause makes a woman prone to these conditions and much more. This is one reason why one should learn the signs of early menopause and consult a doctor to delay its onset. However, it is also important to know what causes early menopause. We spoke to Dr Bandita Sinha, consultant gynaecologist, World of Woman, Navi Mumbai to know the causes:

1. Genetic: Sometimes the reason can be genetic where the condition is passed from mother to daughter. It is a general observation that if the mother experienced early menopause, her daughter may also do the same. So, if you know that your mother had it in her late thirties or early forties talk to your doctor and take necessary steps to counter the problems of early menopause.
2. Medical conditions: For women who suffer from conditions like cancer and face repeated cycles of chemotherapy and radiation might have their ovaries shrunk which could lead to early menopause. If a condition needs removal of the pair of ovaries it automatically sets early menopause for them.
3. Autoimmune diseases: Women suffering from autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or thyroid diseases where the body s immune system invades an organ and leads to inflammation throughout the body. This inflammation can affect the ovaries and it might cease to function as designed by nature.
4. Chromosomal defects: Some chromosomal defects can also be a reason for early menopause like Turner syndrome where the ovaries don t function properly due to a missing or incomplete sex chromosome, gonadal dysgenesis a congenital developmental disorder of the reproductive system that leads to development of ovaries that are not fully formed, Down s syndrome, etc. Apart from early menopause and infertility, these conditions also cause developmental delays during childhood.
5. Epilepsy: Women with epilepsy are more likely to experience premature ovarian failure, which leads to menopause. The journal Epilepsia found that the mean age of women who suffered from epilepsy faced premature ovarian failure at the age of 39 years [1].
6. Lifestyle factors: Other factors like obesity, PCOD, smoking, low BMI are also factors that influence the functioning of the ovaries and alter the hormonal changes to induce early menopause.

Reference:

[1]1: Klein P, Serje A, Pezzullo JC. Premature ovarian failure in women with epilepsy. Epilepsia. 2001 Dec;42(12):1584-9. PubMed PMID: 11879371.

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