In the United States, the typical age of women to experience menopause is 51. We can say that it is the average age of menopause to occur naturally. However, in some women, menopause occurs far before the actual age of menopause, mostly in their 40s. The take the place of menopause before the right time is known as ‘premature menopause.’ During premature menopause, a woman’s ovaries stop working spontaneously. Studies have revealed that women may encounter menopause before 30, but the chances are sporadic, about one in a thousand women.
The condition of premenopause is almost similar to regular menopause. For example, women deal with problems such as mood swings, hot flashes, night sweats, etc., during premenopause. However, a woman might have to experience more than just those symptoms during premenopause. Premenopausal women are most likely to have physical and emotional concerns. For example, a woman who wants to get pregnant but encounters premenopause will not conceive.
The most potential causes of premenopause include:
- Genetic factors
The most significant cause of premature menopause is genetic factors. Your age to experience menopause might be the result of the ages of your mother and grandmother at the time of their menopause. If any one of them encountered menopause before the average time, then you’re more likely to face it as well. Certain genetic conditions may cause premenopause in women. These may include:
- Conditions related to enzyme problems, e.g., congenital adrenal hyperplasia.
- Galactosaemia-A genetic condition in which the body is unable to make glucose out of carbohydrate galactose. Unconverted galactose can harm ovaries.
- Abnormality in chromosomes
Chromosomal abnormality can cause premenopause. The conditions marked by chromosomal abnormality include:
- Fragile X syndrome- a condition that may cause premenopause in women. It can be passed in the family.
- Turner’s syndrome is a condition in which women are born with incomplete chromosomes due to which their ovaries are malfunctioning. Women with Turner’s syndrome are very likely to experience premenopause.
- Pure gonadal dysgenesis- a condition that is very similar to Turner’s syndrome. Women with this condition have completely sexually dysfunctional ovaries.
- Epilepsy
Women with epilepsy may encounter ovarian failure before time, which leads to premenopause ultimately.
- Lifestyle factors
Certain lifestyle factors influence your menopausal routine. These include:
- Women who smoke can experience premenopause because of the anti-estrogen properties of tobacco.
- Women with a low BMI can become prey to premenopause because they are usually thin. Thin women have very low fats. Low fats mean low estrogen amounts, which ultimately leads to depletion of estrogen.
- Women who are lethargic and do not perform exercise tend to experience premenopause.
- Vegetarian women are very likely to experience premenopause.
- Autoimmune factors
Autoimmune conditions such as hypothyroidism, rheumatoid arthritis, erythematosus, systemic lupus, etc., can cause the ovaries to stop working.
- Viral infections
Women can experience premenopause as a result of certain viral infections. These viral infections may include mumps and cytomegalovirus.
Above are some causes of premenopause. However, there are times when the cause of premenopause in women remains undetermined.
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