Potential Causes of Perimenopause
There is nothing wrong with entering perimenopause -- it’s part of the natural cycle of a woman’s life. Although there are no definitive studies linking any one action or inaction to its onset, there are several factors that medical professionals believe may hasten its appearance at an earlier age.
These include:
1) Smoking – Some studies have shown that menopause begins one to two years earlier in smokers than non-smoking women. That would mean perimenopause arrives earlier.
2) Family history – We are all a product of the genes passed down through the centuries by our ancestors. If early-onset perimenopause symptoms run in the family, it’s more likely to occur in a relative who shares many of the same genes.
3) Cancer treatments – The cure is often worse than the disease in some instances, and that’s true of cancer. Chemotherapy and pelvic radiation treatments have been linked to early menopause, and thus are likely to start the perimenopausal symptoms earlier as well.
4) Hysterectomy – A procedure to remove the uterus and not the ovaries is not linked to menopause because the ovaries still produce estrogen. For unknown reasons, the surgery can cause menopause to begin earlier.