What Women Should Know About Early Menopause
Lindsay Knake
| 3 min read
Lindsay Knake is a brand journalist for Blue Cross B...
Medically reviewed by Jennifer Wulff, M.D.
Menopause is a time of change for women as their bodies stop producing hormones, their estrogen levels drop and they can no longer become pregnant.
The process can take several years, and women have gone through menopause when they have not had their period for 12 consecutive months. The average age of menopause for American women is 51. Early menopause, however, starts from age 40 to 45, according to the U.S. Office of Women’s Health.
Let’s take a look at early menopause, the signs and symptoms, causes and treatments.
Symptoms of early menopause
About 75% of women experience signs and symptoms of menopause, which include:
- Hot flashes
- Irregular periods
- Sleep problems
- Night sweats
- Vaginal dryness
- Weight loss or gain
- Hair thinning or loss
- Mood swings, irritability, anxiety or depression
- Brain fog
About 5% of women naturally experience menopause, according to the Office of Women’s Health. Other causes of early menopause include medical conditions and procedures such as:
- Family history
- Bilateral oophorectomy, or surgery to remove the ovaries
- Hysterectomy, or surgery to remove the uterus
- Chemotherapy or pelvic radiation treatments for cancer
- Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or thyroid disease
- HIV and AIDs
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Smoking
There is no known cause for half of women who go through early menopause, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Stress, while it can cause sleep problems, weight fluctuations and mood changes, is not a cause of early menopause.
Effects of early menopause
Most women go through perimenopause, which is the gradual loss of estrogen production. This can take several years. The sudden loss of hormones as a result of surgery can be difficult for women as the full experience of menopause sets in.
Ovarian estrogen is an important hormone; it helps with bone, heart, brain and vaginal health. Early menopause can lead to a higher risk of serious health problems such as:
- Heart disease
- Osteoporosis
- More severe menopause symptoms
- Depression or difficulty with physical changes
It is possible for women to get pregnant until their menstrual period had stopped for 12 months. After this, women could become pregnant through in vitro fertilization if they had previously frozen their eggs.
Treatment for early menopause
If you have surgery to remove one or both ovaries, have osteopenia or osteoporosis or are struggling with menopause symptoms, talk to your primary care provider (PCP) about treatment options. There are treatments such as hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to replace the estrogen lost during menopause.
There are two different types of HRT, systemic or low dose. Systemic estrogen is a higher dose of the hormone delivered through a pill, skin patch, gel or spray. An oral tablet is the most common form of treatment in the U.S. Low-dose products come in vaginal ring or tablet form and typically treat urinary and vaginal symptoms of menopause.
HRT can reduce menopause symptoms, protect bone health, prevent increased blood pressure and lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
The treatment is typically low risk, but serious risks include:
- Blood clots
- Stroke
- Increased risk with breast cancer in some women with long-term use
Your PCP can provide guidance and discuss the risks and benefits of HRT and other treatments.
Image: Getty Images
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