Written By: Debjani Arora | Published : December 16, 2017 6:37 PM IST
Every stage of a woman s life is controlled by her hormones: her periods, pregnancy and menopause. The hormones play a crucial role in a woman s well-being. Hormonal disturbances though, can upset these processes and set her up for some kind of health crisis or psychological problems. Like experiencing an early or late menopause has its own consequences, which is again triggered due to hormones. On an average, the ideal age for an Indian woman to hit menopause is between 47 to 50 years, but these days many of them are experiencing early menopause due to a sedentary lifestyle and environmental factors. However, there are many women also experience late menopause where their periods don t stop beyond the 50s.
Here Dr Bandita Sinha, consultant gynaecologist, World of Women, Navi Mumbai, tells us the reasons that could make one face late menopause.
Genetic: This is something you don t have much control over. If late menopause runs in your family it might affect you too. If your grandmother or mother had experienced late menopause, prepare yourself to deal with your periods beyond the 50s. However, if you are menstruating by then and have an active sex life, do take contraceptive pills or ask your partner to take protection as you are still fertile and have chances of becoming pregnant. If you are not planning a pregnancy at that age, you should be ready with your contraceptive choices. Here are other ways to prevent an unwanted pregnancy.
Obesity: In women who are obese, fat tissues get collected around the abdomen and promote secretion of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. So if these hormones are secreted even after the 50s her cycles shifts, which is one reason behind the late onset of menopause. When there is excess of estrogen and progesterone in the body, a woman gets her periods and menstruation continues. This is why most overweight women suffer from late menopause. Here is what happens in your body when you get periods.
Thyroid problems: A dysfunctional thyroid gland or any other problems with this gland can lead to a range of hormonal disorders in women. This means thyroid dysfunction can also trigger changes in menstrual cycles. If a woman experiences thyroid disorder at an early age it can affect her cycles in the youth giving rise to delayed periods, prolonged periods, etc. These hormonal problems could be the reason for late menopause if the female reproductive hormones are secreted till late into the 50s.
Hormonal imbalances: High levels of estrogen in women due to hormonal imbalances could be a reason for the late onset of menopause. This imbalance happens when the body keeps secreting the hormone estrogen for long and a specific reason for the same is not known. However, high estrogen levels can be brought under control by proper dieting, exercising or opting for therapies suggested by doctors.
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