For many reasons, a woman can go through menopause before the normal age of 50. So what happens in the body?
there Menopause is a period characterized by Cessation of menstruation in women, Ovarian function and therefore the end of the reproductive period. It manifests itself through many symptoms viz breaking newsNight sweats, sleep disorders… for various reasonsIt happens sometimes early. Influencer Caroline Receiverold 36 years and has been treated for breast cancer since July 2023, for example announcing on Instagram in January 2024 that Hormone therapy That she was going to follow “Put In menopause for several years. Depending on the type of hormone therapy treatment, menopause may be reversible.
Definition: What is early menopause?
average, Menopause occurs around 50-51 years. When it happens earlier, Between 40 and 45 yearsExperts Speak”Early menopause“, which is characterized by “premature ovarian failure”. One in 100 women will be affected. “A diagnosis is made only when Period is absent for at least one year And will be confirmed by hormonal tests“, gynecologist, author Dr. Odile Bagot explains “Menopause, don’t panic!” (ed. Carey).
What are the causes of early menopause?
Can be induced by early menopause Ovarian surgery (removal of the ovaries), chemotherapy, hormone therapy, or radiotherapy. Certain pathologies may also be responsible for early menopause such as Autoimmune diseases : Lupus, Crohn’s Disease, Hypothyroidism, Celiac Disease, Gout… Finally, Genetic Also guilty, early menopause may in fact be Hereditary. In other words, a mother with an early menopause may have a daughter who will also have an earlier-than-average menopause. Genetic causes are not systematic.
What are the symptoms of early menopause?
The symptoms of menopause, whether early or not, are many and varied, but not all women experience them all:
- Absence of periods for a year, a period that may be preceded by cycle disorders.
- Insomnia or sleep disturbances
- breaking news
- Mood disturbances or irritability
- Decreased libido
- Vaginal dryness
What are the effects on the body?
Estrogen deficiency can have health effects such as: Bone fragility liable to fracture, and greater risk Cardiovascular diseases. Another consequence: increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. According to an American study published in 2017 in the journal Diabetologia, the risk of developing this metabolic disease is multiplied by 2.4 in postmenopausal women between the ages of 40 and 44. In early menopause a Effect on fertility. Women who go through menopause very early have “less time” to undertake the parental project, i.e. to conceive a child. A postmenopausal woman can no longer get pregnant.
Diagnosis: Hormonal evaluation to measure FSH levels
The diagnosis of early menopause is based on questioning the woman’s medical and family history, hormonal evaluation, and possibly ultrasound or laparoscopy. Hormonal evaluation confirms premature ovarian failure. In the case of early menopause, “Levels of follicle-stimulating hormone or FSH is then very high And that Estrogen is at its lowest level“, explains Dr Bagot.
Treatment for a woman experiencing early menopause is “basedHormone replacement therapy (HRT) is indicated in the absence of contraindicationsDr. Bagot explains. Most often, it is administered through the skin (gel or patch) combined with an oral progestin, except in the case of hysterectomy.“. This hormonal treatment makes it possible to avoid all the health problems associated with estrogen deficiency and to eliminate the symptoms of menopause.
Dr. Thanks Odile Bagot, gynecologist, author “Menopause, do not panic!” (Eds. Mango) and Mem Gyneco Blog.
