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What Causes Early Menopause?

Every woman goes through menopause. What causes early menopause in some women and not in others depends on a variety of factors. Menopause occurs when the ovaries stop producing eggs and hormones levels begin to fluctuate to keep up with the process. Women who enter into early menopause may be tested to determine if their condition is being caused by an illness.

  1. Surgery

    • Get the facts about early menopause if you considering having a hysterectomy or other surgery on your reproductive organs. After these surgeries the hormone levels in a woman's body can drop instantly causing early menopause. Surgery induced menopause may be harder to deal with than other causes of early menopause, because you are dealing with the medical cause of the surgery and the immediate, severe symptoms of early menopause at the same time.

    Premature Ovarian Failure

    • Check to see if you have a family history of Premature Ovarian Failure (POF). POF is the early onset of menopause caused by ovaries that are not functioning properly. Improperly functioning ovaries may either stop producing hormones or stop producing eggs which can lead to the end of hormone production. POF can occur for numerous reasons that are linked to genetic factors. Women with a family history of POF are more likely to have early menopause than women without the family history.

    Family History

    • Know your family medical history. Family history of other diseases may also lead to early menopause. Autoimmune disorders are a common genetic cause of early menopause. Autoimmune disorders are also linked to POF. Being born with irregularities in the X chromosomes is another reason for early menopause. Some women area also born with lower egg counts, meaning that their eggs are used up sooner causing them to naturally have an earlier menopause.

    Infection

    • Infections that infect the ovaries have the potential to cause early menopause. Common infections that can infect the ovaries and lead to early menopause are mumps and tuberculosis. Infections are the rarest cause of early menopause.

    Medication

    • Medical treatments for cancer often cause early menopause, especially if the treatment is directed on the ovaries or other parts of the female reproductive system. This is because cancer treatments not only kill the bad cancer cells but also kill surrounding good cells. Cancer treatments may lead to temporary menopause symptoms or lead to the complete onset of menopause.

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