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Early menopause or premature menopause is a particular stage in a woman’s life when they start experiencing the symptoms of menopause earlier than expected. What is menopause? Well, it’s a time in your life when your periods stop permanently. It can be hard to identify if a person is going through menopause or has gone through menopause, since you need to go 12 months consecutively. Naturally menopause can happen at the age of 51, but the average age for menopause for a woman can vary based on a lot of factors, like overall health, BMI (body mass index), ethnicity, and several others. 

Early menopause and premature menopause differ in two ways:

• When menopause happens before the age of 40, it’s called premature menopause. This happens to roughly 1 in 100 women. 
• When menopause happens before the age of 45, it’s called early menopause. This happens to 1 in 20 women. 

That said, you shouldn’t confuse primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) with premature menopause. This is when your periods stop prematurely, early or suddenly. However, this isn’t a permanent stop to your periods. There’s still a chance that they will come back. With menopause, however, your periods don’t come back. 

What are some signs of premature menopause?

The most prominent signs of premature menopause are changes in your menstrual cycles, energy fluctuations, and sudden and unexpected hot flashes. The symptoms of premature menopause that can happen are:

• Missed or irregular periods
• Hair thinning
• Night sweats or hot flashes
• Problems concentrating
• Low sex drive and vaginal dryness
• Incontinence
• Vaginal atrophy
• Fatigue, sleep disturbances, or insomnia
• Anxiety, mood changes, or low mood

While menopause is inevitable and happens to every woman. Some of these symptoms can be managed better with the right products. For instance, for hair thinning, women can consider taking Oral Spironolactone, which can prevent further hair thinning by working as an anti-androgen. It’s also important to understand that the symptoms of premature menopause can differ from those of perimenopause. That’s because symptoms in premature menopause are sudden and unexpected. This is common in cases when a woman’s ovaries are removed surgically. However, symptoms of perimenopause which are a lot like premature menopause occur gradually. For instance, if you’re experiencing mood swings or hot flashes, you should consider speaking to your doctor. 

What are the risk factors of premature menopause? 

Knowing what can cause premature menopause can play an instrumental role in determining if you’re at risk. Signs like genetic predisposition and autoimmune diseases are good indicators. Moreover, lifestyle choices like smoking can play a major role, too. Here are some of the major influences that have been identified through research: 

Genetics

If other women in your family have experienced premature menopause, you’re at a higher risk of experiencing it. Moreover, if you have a genetic predisposition for premature menopause you may also be at risk of other problems. One of them is cardiovascular disease. The Lancet notes that both early menopause and premature ovarian insufficiency are associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases, particularly cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. For decades researchers have studied how genetic backgrounds of premature menopause influence the average age at which women go through menopause. If a person has Turner Syndrome, they’re at a high risk of ovarian dysfunction, which may develop into POI due to ovarian problems.      

Environmental toxins and smoking

If a person smokes there’s a high chance they’re negatively impacting their reproductive health. This is even more critical in the years a person is going through menopause. Smoking damages the ovaries and it can cause premature menopause, too. It’s important you’re aware of the products you’re using, what you drink, what you eat, and what you’re applying to your body. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals can also have a negative impact on reproductive aging. This causes early menopause. 

Ovarian surgery or Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy – radiation treatments, and the alkylating agents associated with it can also cause premature menopause. Moreover, oophorectomy, a surgery in which one or both ovaries are removed can also cause it. Some studies have shown that a unilateral oophorectomy can decrease menopausal age by 2 years. 

Autoimmune disorders

If a person has an autoimmune disease there’s a higher chance of them going through POI or premature menopause. That is because ovaries are a high risk spot for autoimmune attacks which can create dysfunction in the future. 

Depression, low BMI, and chronic stress

Even though there are plenty of studies about the relation between weight gain and menopause, it’s interesting to note that having a BMI that’s too low can also be one of the risk factors for premature menopause. If a woman has a high BMI, she’s more likely to experience menopause later. Excessive stress can also be a huge reason menopause happens early. 

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