Welcome to the wonderful world of early menopause. You might think you’re too young even to mutter the “m” word, but think again. Early menopause (menopause that begins prior to age 40) can affect women as early as adolescence (although it may be more commonly seen in the 20s and 30s). The symptoms are the same as normal-onset menopause but may be unexpected and disconcerting to the women who experience them. There is no cure and no way to reverse early menopause, but there are therapies that can help control and reduce the associated symptoms.
If you experience the symptoms of early menopause, explain your concerns to your gynecologist or healthcare provider. Your doctor can examine you and determine if it's early menopause, as well as help devise a care plan to alleviate any discomfort you experience. Many symptoms can diminish with proper therapies and self-care, and your active participation in your health can ensure a successful transition through this phase.
Why Me?
Many young women affected by early menopause may wonder the cause of the condition. It might be alarming that your reproductive system has suddenly decided to reinvent itself.
The reason menopause happens is because the ovaries fail to produce estrogen, the hormone that controls the functions of the reproductive cycle. There are several reasons why this happens, and age is not always a factor.
The following scenarios can act as triggers for early menopause.
• Lifestyle: According to the Mayo Clinic, studies show that long-term or heavy smokers are likely to experience menopause symptoms an average of one to two years earlier in life than non-smokers. Smoking affects estrogen levels and may trigger early menopause. In addition, body mass index (BMI) may be a factor in early-onset menopause. Because estrogen is known to be stored in fat tissue, it is believed that women with very low BMIs may deplete their stores of estrogen more quickly and earlier in life than women with higher BMIs.
• Genetics: While genes may play only a small role in the onset of menopause, it is shown that women whose mothers experienced early menopause are up to six times more likely also to have an early onset. If there are no other known reasons for menopause occurring early in life, genetics should be considered a factor.
• Epilepsy: Premature ovarian failure (POF) is a common side effect of epilepsy and leads to early menopause in women who suffer from it. One study showed that up to 14 percent of women affected by epilepsy also experienced early menopause.
• Chromosome defects: There are certain chromosomal conditions that may lead to an elevated risk of early menopause. Turner syndrome is an example of this type of chromosome defect. It involves an incomplete chromosome present at birth. Turner syndrome patients have ovarian complications that often lead to early menopause.
• Autoimmune diseases: Ovaries may be affected and stop working properly as a side effect of certain autoimmune disorders. Thyroid disease and rheumatoid arthritis are examples of this type of autoimmune disease.
Possible Complications Associated with Early Menopause
When a woman begins menopause at least 10 years earlier than normal, she may still be in childbearing years. The early loss of reproductive capability can be emotionally traumatic and can affect a woman and her family for years into the future. But this is only one potential complication associated with early menopause. If you have experienced an early onset of menopause, you should be aware of the following additional conditions for which you may be at risk.
• Lack of estrogen to the tissues can affect cholesterol. Estrogen is known to decrease bad cholesterol (LDL) and increase good cholesterol (HDL). When estrogen decreases, this protection is no longer active. In addition, estrogen can protect bones and slow the process of thinning and/or osteoporosis. Lack of estrogen also removes this protection.
• Other potential risks that increase when estrogen depletes in early menopause include dementia, Parkinson’s-like conditions, heart disease, depression and premature death. Discuss any concerns or family history with such conditions with your doctor.
Hormone replacement therapy is often used to protect women from these risks by increasing maintaining healthy estrogen levels. If you have early menopause symptoms, speak with your doctor about associated risk factors and how you can protect yourself.
Possible Benefits of Early Menopause
While there are many risks associated with menopause (early or timely), there may also be some benefitsof an earlier onset. For example, lower estrogen levels may decrease breast cancer risks. Women who begin menopause later in life may be at a higher risk for breast cancer due to the prolonged existence of estrogen in the breast tissue.
While early menopause symptoms may be concerning, uncomfortable and in some cases, tragic, the condition typically is not life-threatening, and a proper treatment plan can help manage symptoms. If you are at elevated risk for any other associated conditions, you will need to discuss any concerns with your healthcare provider and consider hormone replacement therapy if appropriate.
Rest assured, menopause is a normal transition that all women eventually endure, and while an early onset may seem odd or inconvenient, you are not experiencing anything that all other women won’t experience as well at some time. Proper healthcare as well as self-care can ease the discomfort of this phase of life and can lead you into the next phase in good health.