World Menopause Day: Five things you need to know about premature menopause – FemaleFirst.co.uk

18 October 2019

Tania Adib discusses premature menopause with Female First

The menopause is a natural part of ageing for women, which occurs when their oestrogen levels start to decline, causing their periods stop and their ovaries to lose their reproductive function. The average age for a woman to start the menopause in the UK is 51 however, due to a range of different factors, some women can experience it before they reach the age of 40 often referred to as premature menopause.

Here, Ms Tania Adib, Consultant Gynaecologist at The Lister Hospital, part of HCA Healthcare UK, explains 7 things that everyone should know about premature menopause.

Ms Tania Adib says: The symptoms of early menopause are often the same as those experienced by women undergoing menopause at a normal age. At first, symptoms may include irregular or missed periods, periods that are lighter or heavier than usual and hot flushes. These symptoms usually signal that that the ovaries are producing less oestrogen.

"Further to this, some women may also experience the following symptoms, which will coincide with the menstrual changes mentioned above:

Ms Tania Adib says: There are several known causes of early menopause, although for some women the cause cannot be 100% determined:

"In addition to the above factors, any medical treatments that damage the ovaries or stop oestrogen production can cause early menopause. (For example, chemotherapy for cancer)."

Ms Tania Adib says: Like all menopausal women, those experiencing premature menopause will experience lowered oestrogen levels. Low levels of oestrogen can lead to lots of changes in a womans overall health and may increase her risk for certain medical conditions, such as heart disease, osteoporosis, cognitive decline, colon cancer, gum disease, tooth loss, and cataract formation.

"Women experiencing premature menopause are encouraged to visit their GP if ever they experience any unusual symptoms that might be associated with the above, just so that they can receive a thorough examination and rule these out.

Ms Tania Adib says: Unfortunately there is not a cure for premature menopause however, treatment options are available to help women to manage some of the unpleasant symptoms or conditions that come with it.

"The most common treatment is hormone replacement therapy (HRT), as this can treat menopausal symptoms.

Ms Tania Adib says: With the help of IVF, and other modern assisted fertility treatments, it is still possible to conceive a baby after the menopause.

"For example, many young, healthy women are now choosing to freeze their eggs as precautionary measure. She can then undergo IVF or IUI when she is older, if she struggles to fall pregnant naturally or cant because she has reached menopause. If a woman knows that her mother or grandmother experienced premature menopause, they I would advise that she considers egg freezing as this can help to protect her fertility for the future.

"For women who are experiencing premature menopause, but havent frozen their eggs, there are other assisted fertility options for them to explore such as egg donation or embryo adoption.

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World Menopause Day: Five things you need to know about premature menopause - FemaleFirst.co.uk