Premature Menopause, Symptoms And Diagnosis

How Is Premature Menopause Diagnosed?

First, your doctor will most likely perform a physical exam and draw blood to rule out other conditions, such as pregnancy and thyroid disease. He or she may also order a test to measure your estradiol levels. Low levels of estradiol, a form of estrogen, can indicate that your ovaries are starting to fail. When estradiol levels are below 36, it may signal that you are in menopause.

However, the most important test used to diagnose premature menopause is a blood test that measures follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). FSH causes your ovaries to produce estrogen. When your ovaries slow down their production of estrogen, your levels of FSH increase. When your FSH levels rise above 30 or 40 mIU/mL, it usually indicates that you are in menopause.

What Types of Health Issues Affect Women Undergoing Premature Menopause?

Like all menopausal women, women in premature menopause experience lowered estrogen levels as the ovaries stop most of their production of this hormone. Low levels of estrogen can lead to changes in a woman's overall health and may increase her risk for certain medical conditions, such as osteoporosis. Other health risks associated with the loss of estrogen include increased risk for colon and ovarian cancer, periodontal (gum) disease and tooth loss and cataract formation.

However, compared with women who go through natural menopause, women undergoing premature menopause spend a greater portion of their lives without the protective benefits of their own estrogen. This puts them at an even greater risk for the above mentioned menopause-related health problems.

How Is Premature Menopause Treated?

The symptoms and health risks of premature menopause as well as the emotional issues that may result from it can be managed with the methods similar to those used for natural menopause. Women dealing with infertility that is brought on by premature menopause may want to discuss their options with their doctor or with a reproductive specialist.

Can Premature Menopause Be Reversed?

No. Premature menopause is the result of an underlying process. Once the process has started, it's unlikely to be reversed.

This article was originaly published in WebMD and i just wanted to published here beacause i think it provide a really usefull informations.

Zoom Into Perimenopause Changes

Menopause does not suddenly happen. It is preceded by a long period known as perimenopause. This period of menstrual irregularities preceding the termination of period and the years following the apparent arrest of the menstrual cycle.

Between 45 and 50 years menstrual abnormalities beginning to appear, this age varies depending on heredity and gynecological history.

Disturbances annunciator

This period preceding the end of your menstrual cycle and last from two to four years.

Corresponding to the declining production of female hormones, it is marked by menstrual irregularities

• Lengthening or shortening of the cycle;

• Change of abundance, frequency and duration of the the menstrual period.

Troubles before your menstrual period (or premenstrual syndrome congestif):

• Tension breasts swollen and painful (mastodynie);

• Abdominal bloating

• Instability of mood

• Insomnia

• Edema in the face, etc..

The uterus is a bit much bigger. The cervical mucus is abundant. These symptoms are related to the persistence or exaggeration of the secretion of estrogen and decrease (or disappearance) secretion of progesterone.

Perimenopause lasts four years on average and by definition continues during the 12 months following the latest menstrual period, in events that this don’t pose big problems, no treatment is necessary. However, if the troubles really hamper the quality of life, you should talk with your doctor. With him, the possibility of treatment can be addressed.

Menopause And Hormone During Women Life Stages

Puberty, perimenopause, menopause, post-menopause ... The women life is physiological marked with different changes. While hormones play an important place in our daily lives, what do you know exactly about these substances?

If you thought that only teenagers are governed by their hormones, know that this influence continues throughout your life too.

The four stages of hormonal life

The female body changes with age and many of these changes are directly related to hormones influence, this rate varies during different stages of life. The influence of hormones is dormant during childhood and they start between 9 and 13 years.

Puberty: The breasts begin to form (breast bud). The pubic hair appear and between one and four years later, come the first period that mark the entrance into puberty. This period ends with the complete maturation of genitals.

Perimenopause: This transition reflects the approach of menopause. The period become less regular and the first symptoms of menopause may appear (hot flashes, night sweats ...). This period is between 2 and 4 years before the latest rules and is still one year after stopping them.

Menopause: Entering menopause is marked by the latest rules. Nobody knows with certainty that this is the last after a year without menstruation.

Post-menopause: the period after menopause and continues until the end of life. Pregnancies are impossible.

But what are the mysterious conductors that punctuate the lives of women?

The secrets circuits of hormonal system

Without claiming to explain all the hormonal mechanisms of our body, i will present some highlights. In this hormonal system, several bodies take the spotlight.

The ovaries are two small oval bodies located on both sides of the uterus. At birth, they contain 700 000 follicles. Only 400 to 500 of them will be matured and bond actually an egg during the menstrual cycle. The maturation of these follicles is linked to the production of estrogen.

But the real conductor of this system lies in the head. At the base of the brain, the hypothalamus is a small gland, this is the key to the whole system. Stimulated by the central nervous system, stimulates the hypothalamus, pituitary hormones through Gn RH. In turn, the front part of the pituitary hormone follicular stimulation product (FSH) and the luteinizing hormone (LH). Acting together, these two hormones in turn stimulate the maturation of one of ovarian follicles, which will give an egg. As the maturation of the egg, the quantities of estrogen and progesterone increase. These hormones will cause the thickness of the uterine epithelium, which is preparing to welcome and nurture the fertilized egg after conception. The maximum rate of estrogen is reached a day before ovulation. It is the LH hormone that triggers ovulation around the 14th day. Caution, however, this can vary so contraceptive methods based on this schedule are not reliable. If there is no fertilization, the hormone levels fall, the uterine wall is necrosis, is off and the period are triggered while rebuilding the wall is being .

With the approach of perimenopause, the hormone levels fluctuate without following any rhythm. On the other hand, the pituitary gland release more FSH hormone to maintain the smooth functioning of ovaries, which themselves become resistant to this hormone. The period become unpredictable, both in pace and their volume. Your doctor can then prescribe you the FSH. But the rate of this hormone is very volatile during perimenopause. After the absence of your menstrual period for a year and with a high rate of FSH, it can diagnose menopause. Attention, less than a year after the last menstrual period, getting pregnant is always possible.

What Causes Early Menopause

Normal menopause is a gradual process that starts between the ages of 45 and 55. It is defined as occurring in women who have at least one ovary, and takes 5 to 10 years, though it can take up to 13 years. Early menopause, on the other hand, can start in the 30's or early 40's, in women who have at least one ovary.

Premature menopause has the advantage that the whole process is usually quicker than regular menopause. 1% of women will have finished their mid life transition by the age of 40. On the whole, 1 to 3 years is shaved off.

There are a number of things that can lead to premature menopause. Sometimes these things are a result of lifestyle choices, that include:

* poor nutrition
* heavy smoking
* heavy drinking
* chronic stress to the body - this can include excessive athletic training

However, sometimes factors outside of a woman's control lead to early menopause. For example, autoimmune disorders can affect menopause as well. Mumps and other serious viral infections can damage a woman's eggs. Given that menopause is associated with fewer primary follicles being able to develop and ovulate, it is easy to see why a woman with fewer follicles, or damaged eggs unable to develop into an ovulatory egg, is prone to an earlier menopause.

If a woman has undergone radiation therapy or chemotherapy, large numbers of eggs can be destroyed. With fewer eggs left, menopause will be earlier than in healthy women.

Some women are just born with fewer eggs. They will also experience premature menopause. When a woman's mother underwent menopause is a good guide to her own genetic predisposition.

Women who have had their ovaries removed before they experience a natural menopause will undergo what is called 'artificial menopause'. This is a very abrupt form of menopause, and hormone replacement therapy is usually recommended because the body has not had a chance to get used to the hormonal changes.

Women who have a hysterectomy, even with the preservation of their ovaries, may find themselves having menopausal symptoms. Any surgery to the pelvic area can disrupt blood flow and cause ovarian failure.

Ovarian failure does not necessarily mean that the ovaries have run out of eggs. There may be eggs present, but a woman's body does not respond to the hormonal signals they create.

Another ovarian disorder, called 'diminished ovarian reserve', is often a preamble of premature ovarian failure if it occurs in woman under the age of 40. In it, a woman may still have reasonably regular periods, but she begins to experience the symptoms of menopause.

How Long Does Perimenopause Period Last ?

The perimenopause is the period preceding menopause (the complete cessation of ovarian cycles).

"During this period, ranging from three to five years, beginning on average between 40 and 50 years, women are subjected to a hormonal upheaval. Indeed, their progesterone levels to gradually decreases and causes most of the time a series of symptoms such as hot flashes, weight gain, sleep disorder, and so on.

"During the perimenopause , period become irregular and menstrual cycle changes . Attention, however, it is not because some cycles jump there is no likelihood of fertilization. In other words, until menopause is not fully installed, getting pregnant is still possible.

In this serie of post i will try to answer the most common question about Menopause and subject related to it. So keep an eye on this blog for more informations.

Living With Your Menopause

The age at which occur perimenopause and menopause varies from woman to another. The intensity of these troubles is also different for each woman.

An history of hormones
Menopause marks the end of the activity of the ovaries. It corresponds to a cessation of sexual hormonal secretions (estrogen and progesterone), which leads to disruption of the body and not just at the genitals or breasts.
As you get older you may experience several troubles such as hot flashes, decreased libido, dry skin and genital tract, weight gain, fatigue, headaches, psychological fragility.

• Around 50 years
Fortunately, all women do not necessarily know all these inconveniences and intensity can be very variable. Menopause usually occurs around the fifties and settle gradually.
The phase that precedes menopause called pre or perimenopause is a period of transition.

• Perimenopause
It precedes the end of functioning ovaries (total and definitive rules) and is often a difficult period for women, the production of estrogen and progesterone begin to fall but erratically, the delicate hormonal balance is upset and inconvenience first appear.

• 3 years before menopause
Irregularity cycles, hot flashes, irritability, fatigue, weight gain and likely to gain belly, this is not uncommon.
More than one in two women can see their quality of life altered significantly during perimenopause. It lasts an average of three years but can also be much longer or shorter.

• Between 50 and 52 years
Like puberty, the age of perimenopause and menopause vary . The average age of menopause is between 50 and 52 years but can vary over a range of 10 years.
Heredity can play a role, a woman whose mother was very early menopause is likely to be early, too. As for smoking, it slightly ahead of one or two years the age of menopause.

Before Menopause, Perimenopause

Reflecting the cessation of hormones production by the ovaries, the onset of menopause is difficult to identify with precision because the cessation of ovarian activity takes place gradually. Menopause is preceded by a period, which lasts an average of 3 to 4 years, where the ovaries begin to function less well. They talk about perimenopause to characterize this phase of women's lives that appears to 47 years on average, but sometimes sooner.

During perimenopause, ovulations are less well, leading to a first time on a deficit of production of progesterone, while the secretion of estrogen is preserved. Excess on estrogen compared to progesterone can cause swelling of the breasts or abdomen or weight gain. The menstrual cycle also tend to become increasingly irregular over time.

When approaching your fifties, the production of estrogen drops to turn and vaginal dryness and hot flashes may occur.