Premature menopause: symptoms
Premature menopause is accompanied by the definitive absence of menstruation (amenorrhea). Accompanying symptoms may occur, as they usually do during menopause. These include hot flashes, sweating, mood swings, sleep disturbances and vaginal dryness. If left untreated, other consequences of estrogen deficiency become apparent over time, such as dry skin and osteoporosis.
But when do we talk about premature menopause? Doctors speak of premature menopause when the function of the ovaries ceases before the age of 40. The affected women therefore have their last menstrual period (menopause) much earlier than normal: Menopause usually occurs around the age of 50.
Premature menopause: causes
How can it happen that some women enter menopause at the age of 30 or 35?
In some cases, premature menopause is medically induced: for example, removal of the ovaries (due to ovarian cancer, for example) abruptly puts a woman into menopause. Surgery on the ovaries, such as for endometriosis, and radiation and chemotherapy for cancer can also be the cause of early menopause.
Sometimes premature menopause is the result of:
- certain autoimmune diseases, such as thyroid dysfunction or systemic lupus erythematosus
- Viral diseases (such as inflammation of the ovaries as a result of mumps = mumps oophoritis)
- Metabolic disorders (such as galactosemia)
- Chromosomal abnormalities (such as Turner syndrome)
In addition, premature menopause sometimes runs in families, suggesting a genetic cause.
Premature menopause: diagnosis
This is followed by a physical and gynecological examination. Finally, a blood test with measurement of hormone levels provides certainty: For example, the concentration of estrogens and FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) is determined. Further examinations can help to determine the cause of premature menopause.
