Menopause – Pre- and Post-menopausal Care at Nyle Hospital

When a woman is said to enter the stage of menopause, it means that her last menstrual cycle had happened before 12 months. Although the average age of menopause is fixed as 51, many women experience it at the age of 40s or 50s. Menopause is just a natural biological change; there is nothing to panic about the stop of menstruation. Even though it puts an end to fertility, woman can remain healthy, imperative and sexual as well. Some women enjoy it because they are free from monthly periods as well as unwanted pregnancy.

A woman is included in the premature menopause list, if the menopause happens before 40 years of age. If it occurs between the age of 41 and 45, it is referred as early menopause. Sometimes, premature menopause may be stimulated by few medical therapies including chemotherapy or surgery. Woman subjected to premature or early menopause require hormone therapy for reducing the risk of health conditions including cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.

Causes of Early or Premature Menopause

Early menopause can sometimes happen between 20s and 30s. The possible causes for spontaneous stopping of ovaries production before 40 years include:

Autoimmune Conditions – Nearly 10 to 30% of affected women would have had autoimmune diseases including Crohn’s disease, hypothyroidism, rheumatoid arthritis or systemic lupus erythematosus

Unknown Causes – The cause for most of the premature menopause can never be identified. Such condition is termed as idiopathic premature menopause.

Viral Infections – Although the evidence is not proven, a viral infection including cytomegalovirus or mumps can induce early menopause in few women.

Genetic Factors – Conditions including familial ovarian failure (FOF) or very rarely galactosaemia can cause early menopause. About 5 to 30% of women would be affected, if they have an affected relative with:

Enzyme problems, including congenital adrenal hyperplasia that may lead to early menopause.

Genetic conditions, including Turner’s syndrome characterised as chromosomal abnormality may lead to early menopause, but generally evident before attaining puberty. Another cause may be Fragile X syndrome.

Signs and Symptoms of Menopause

Few months before menopause (perimenopause), woman may encounter the following signs and symptoms:

Irregular menses

Dryness of vagina

Night sweats

Hot flashes

Weight gain with slow metabolic rate

Sleep disorders

Mood swings

Loosened breast

Thinning of hair due to hair fall and dryness of skin

When at perimenopause stage, woman must schedule her regular hospital visits as an initiative to preventive health care for any medical concerns. She must follow-up the appointments of gynaecologists before, during and after menopause.

Preventive health care may involve preferable screenings of menopause, such as mammography, colonoscopy, thyroid testing and lipid screening, if demanded by your medical history as well as pelvic and breast examinations. It is important to seek medical advice in case of vaginal bleeding after confirmation of menopause.