Consequences of Early Menopause

Early menopause is defined as menopause that occurs at or before 40 years of age. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the average age of menopause is 51. Prior to entering menopause, women go through a period of perimenopause, in which hormone levels in the body drop. During this period, menstrual periods become irregular. Once a woman has had one full year without her period, she is said to be postmenopausal. There are certain health risks and consequences associated with menopause, and early menopause, that women need to be aware of.

Consequences of Menopause

• Women going through early menopause experience many of the same side effects and symptoms that women going through menopause at any age experience. These side effects include mood swings, irritability, hot flashes, a possible loss of libido or pain during sex, an increased risk of vaginal infection, and potentially menopause-related depression. Although most of these side effects are no worse for women going through early menopause, menopause-related depression may be exacerbated by the fact that a woman is younger when entering menopause, and is thus mourning the loss of her fertility at a younger age.

Infertility

• Early menopause almost universally causes infertility, because ovulation is no longer occurring. One potential exception to this is early menopause caused by premature ovarian failure. Premature ovarian failure is a condition in which the ovaries stop producing eggs. The reasons for this are unclear; it may be a result of an autoimmune disease, genetics, or medical treatment for an unrelated condition. Although women whose periods stop as a result of premature ovarian failure are considered to be in early menopause, they may occasionally ovulate and/or have a period. Approximately 8 to10 percent of women with premature ovarian failure have been able to conceive a child, despite being considered menopausal.

Osteoporosis

• According to the Cleveland Clinic, women who have lower estrogen levels in their bodies as a result of undergoing menopause are at a greater risk for osteoporosis. This risk is exacerbated in women who go through early menopause, since their bodies have a longer time when they do not have the benefits of higher levels of estrogen.

Heart Disease

• According to Consumer Health Reports, women who have undergone menopause have a higher risk of heart disease, strokes and heart attacks than premenopausal women. Consumer Health Reports states that women who have undergone menopause have twice the risk of women who haven't, even if the menopausal women are younger than the premenopausal women. Cleveland Clinic also states that this increased risk of heart disease is more pronounced in women who have early menopause, because once again they have a shorter period of time during which their bodies are producing sufficiently high levels of estrogen.

Other Risks

• Cleveland Clinic suggests that early menopause also exacerbates risks for certain other conditions that occur more frequently in postmenopausal women. These conditions include cataracts in the eyes, gum disease, tooth loss and colon disease. Again, the higher risk is related to estrogen levels in the body.