Understanding Early Menopause
For most women, menopause won’t occur until their late 40’s or early 50’s, but for some women menopause can occur dramatically earlier, sometimes even before the women had a chance to have children or even decide if they even wanted to have children. This early menopause is usually the result of a medical condition or a treatment for a medical condition. Any menopause that happens before the age of 40 is considered early menopause, this is regardless if it is due to a condition where it happens “naturally” or if it is brought on by surgery or treatment.
Premature ovarian failure can cause premature menopause, but it is not always permanent. It is not clearly known why some women suffer from premature ovarian failure but it seems to be related to auto immune disorders. In this condition, the ovaries stop producing eggs so pregnancy is no longer possible.
Surgical menopause is when the ovaries are removed because of some underlying medical condition such as endometriosis or cancer.
Harsh medical treatments such as chemotherapy can also bring on early menopause. This may cause a permanent or temporary loss of fertility depending on the length and strength of the treatment.
For women experiencing early signs of menopause, the symptoms can be more severe than with women going through menopause naturally, this is because the drop in estrogen is fast and hard. It’s also important to note that because this can happen so young and so unexpectedly, it can be emotionally hard as well, to say nothing of the physical difficulties if the condition is brought on by an underlying medical condition.
There are many online and neighborhood support groups available and I would encourage anyone having difficulty making this adjustment to seek one out. Sometimes it helps to just talk to other people who understand what you’re going through and to know that you’re not alone.