Last Updated on October 5, 2023 by Neelam Singh
With the changing lifestyle, the incidence of early menopause may have seen an increase in numbers. Since menopause is a very important part of women’s health, early menopause can have serious impacts. To understand early menopause and various aspects of it, THIP Media spoke to Dr Anita Gupta, a renowned gynaecologist.
Dr Anita Gupta is working as an Associate Director of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Fortis La femme in New Delhi. With over 35 years of experience, she has clinical expertise in other fields like dysmenorrhea treatment, cervical cerclage, intrauterine insemination (IUD), etc.
Excerpts:
What is early menopause?
Dr Anita Gupta: In menopause, a woman’s ovaries stop functioning and producing hormones and eggs. Gradually, periods also stop. The average age for normal menopause is 51 years. We call it early menopause when someone has it before the age of 45 years. We have another category called premature menopause. In this, a woman gets menopause before the age of 40. It is not uncommon but we do see patients with either premature or early menopause.
What are the potential causes of early menopause?
Dr Anita Gupta: The age of 51 is now considered normal for menopause. A few years back, 45 years was thought to be the normal age for menopause. But with drastic changes in lifestyle, the age is getting changed. However, apart from lifestyle, few other factors like diet, and smoking can be the reason behind the increase in the cases of early menopause too. Smoking is a big risk factor, but lifestyle in my opinion doesn’t affect it so much.
Genetic predisposition, endocrinological problems, treatment for cancer in the pelvic area or surgery to remove ovaries can cause early menopause.
Are there any long-term health risks associated with early menopause?
Dr Anita Gupta: Females have a hormone called estrogen which is normally produced by the ovaries and is a very important hormone for a female body. Once a person reaches menopause, estrogen production reduces. As a result of this, they can get osteoporosis, heart disease, skin problems, hair problems, etc.
If you get your menopause at the right age, your body gradually gets to the menopausal phase, and still, you may get these issues sometimes. However, if you have early menopause, you have a higher chance of getting these problems in the future.
What are the signs and symptoms of early menopause and how do we diagnose it?
Dr Anita Gupta: Firstly, females will start experiencing menstrual irregularities. They may have only spotting during the menses. This is the first sign of menopause. So, when a patient comes to us for this, we do a physical check-up or an ultrasound in which we may feel that the ovaries are smaller than what they are expected to be. Then we do certain hormonal tests for the hormones called FSH and LH to confirm this. If we find that it is menopause, we repeat the tests after a month and that confirms the diagnosis. Apart from this, a female may experience hot flashes, night sweats, etc., which is not normal for a younger female. Therefore, if these symptoms are there along with irregular periods, it may be early menopause.
What is the treatment process for early menopause?
Dr Anita Gupta: In most of the patients with early or premature menopause, we probably have to give hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Although it is very safe these days as we have low-dose hormones, I don’t immediately jump to HRT as a treatment. I ask them to follow a healthier lifestyle with a healthy diet increasing the consumption of soya products and milk products, exercise, etc. If the symptoms continue, then we have to put them on HRT.
Are there any preventive measures to reduce the risk of early menopause? As I already mentioned, smoking is a huge risk factor. So, people can avoid it as a preventive measure against early menopause. If someone has a family history of menopause, we cannot prevent it but we can be aware of it. The moment you feel that you may be having menopausal symptoms, you can go to a gynaecologist so that a treatment like HRT can be started well in time. Nobody can prevent menopause. We can only treat the symptoms and other problems that are associated with menopause.
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