8 Risk Factors for an Early Menopause

Every woman must go through menopause at some stage in their life, but some, unfortunately, go through it a lot earlier than normal. Even if you haven’t started experiencing hot flashes yet, the following 8 risk factors could indicate that you’re in for “the change” earlier than expected.

 

1. You’ve Had Surgery on Your Uterus or Ovaries 

Unsurprisingly, removing both ovaries causes immediate surgical menopause because they’re responsible for the release of hormones. However, the removal of just one ovary can result in a decrease in the total productions of estrogen and progesterone. When women have hysterectomies (removal of the uterus), their ovaries are often left in place to prevent menopause – but this is sometimes not enough to stave it off.

2. Your Mom Went Through Menopause Early

According to the experts, the average age of menopause is 51, but for some women, it can start in their forties or before. There are some genetic or inherited risk factors for early menopause. For example, one National Institute of Health study found a significant link between lower levels of ovarian reserve, as marked by the follicle-stimulating hormone, in women whose mothers went through early menopause. In fact, if your mother had early menopause, you’re six times more likely to have the same experience.

3. You Smoke or Live with Someone Who Smokes

If you’re a smoker, then you already know that it’s not good for you. Smoking can lead women to transition to menopause up to two years earlier than expected. This is because of the anti-estrogen effects of nicotine. Researchers from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York, found that women who have smoked more than 100 cigarettes in their lives had a 26% greater chance of going through menopause before the age of 50. Furthermore, the study also revealed that women who were exposed to the toxins of second-hand smoke on a regular basis also had a higher rate of early menopause.
4. You Had Problems Getting Pregnant
If you were diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) while going through infertility treatment, you, unfortunately, will more than likely experience early menopause. DOR means that your ovaries have fewer follicles left that will become eggs, so it will be harder to conceive and you’ll have a quicker road to menopause. If you’re still in the middle of family building, time is of the essence.

5. You Were Treated for Cancer

Early menopause can be a side effect of radiation or chemotherapy for cancer. Cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and pelvic radiation, often damage ovarian tissue, resulting in premature ovarian failure, thus causing menopause. According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology, symptoms of menopause from cancer treatments can be worse than natural menopause because the decrease in hormones happens more quickly. Furthermore, if cancer treatments don’t cause menopause right away, the damage that has already been done will lead to menopause sooner than normal.
6. You Are Very Underweight
When it comes to early menopause, not weighing enough is a greater risk factor than being overweight. Estrogen is stored in fat tissue, so being overweight increases the likelihood of having a later onset of menopause since there’s more estrogen. Being thin means that there’s less fat, and thus less estrogen, and a higher likelihood of going through early menopause.

7. You Have an Autoimmune Condition

The very definition of autoimmune means that your body is attacking itself. Therefore, for women who suffer from conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or Addison’s disease, damage to their eggs by their own immune system is possible. Certain types of autoimmune diseases produce antibodies that might mistakenly attack ovarian tissue, resulting in premature ovarian failure. Some also cause harm to glands that produce hormones. According to the doctors, recent studies suggest that up to 20% of women with premature ovarian failure also have an autoimmune disease.
8. You’re Very Stressed
While stress alone doesn’t cause early menopause, it might help it along. Recent research from the University of California San Francisco has shown that stress might, in fact, play a part in when a woman enters menopause. The good thing is that stress, along with smoking and weight, can be controlled.

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The mother’s age at menopause is a key determinant of a daughter’s fertility.

Her mother’s early menopause at the age of 39 had held no real meaning for Asha when she was a teenager. If anything, it had meant the end of the mood swings and irritability that her mother constantly unleashed. Now aged 32 and ready to plan her own family, Asha got a rude shock when her gynaecologist diagnosed her long absent periods as pre-menopausal symptoms. Blood tests confirmed it, and showed that her egg reserves were rapidly depleting. An assessment of her family history helped the doctor diagnose hereditary infertility.

A mother’s age at menopause holds vital clues to the daughter’s fertility. Mothers who experience early menopause have daughters with compromised levels of the hormones needed for ovulation and egg reserve indication. Multiple studies have shown that the age of menopause can be inherited and a strong association has been observed in siblings, twins, mothers and daughters. Menopause seems accelerated in women whose mothers experienced early menopause or premature ovarian failure.

A woman’s natural reproductive journey progresses through puberty, fertility, reduced fertility or sub-fertility, transition towards menopause and, finally, menopause. Women who delay motherhood till the late 30s often face infertility. Diminished or rapidly depleting egg reserve is one of the causes of infertility among young females.

Young women are increasingly experiencing premature ovarian failure (POF), with the incidence of POF among women below 40 years of age at 1 per cent. This condition is characterised by early menopause or cessation of menstrual periods before the age of 40. Studies have identified a 20-year interval between the first decline in fertility and onset of menopause.

Two major tests Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) test and Antral Follicle count (AFC) are used to predict the age till which a woman can conceive. A study conducted in Copenhagen identified that in mothers who experienced menopause before 40 had daughters who recorded poor ovarian test results as compared to daughters whose mothers experienced menopause at a later age (55 years or above).

Maternal menopausal age not only has a link to lower AMH and AFC values but also affects the levels of Follicular Stimulating Hormone (FSH). Increased levels of FSH are indicative of an aging ovary. Ageing ovaries cannot produce mature eggs.

Advanced assisted reproductive methods like In Vitro Fertilisation and egg freezing have revolutionised infertility treatment. Innovations in medication patterns such as the introduction of self-applicatory hormone gels and self-injectable pens have made the traditional IVF procedure highly patient compliant. It has a success rate ranging between 35 and 40 per cent. Thus, despite the challenges of premature ovarian failure, IVF has been successful in increasing pregnancy rates.

ps- this is only for information, always consult you physician before having any particular food/ medication/exercise/other remedies.

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