Early menopause occurs between the ages of 40 and 45 years. Up to 12% of women have their final period before they are 45 years of age. This percentage is likely to be higher if we include menopause caused by surgery and cancer treatment.
Menopause can happen when a person is in their 20s, 30s or 40s. Premature menopause describes menopause that occurs any time before age 40. It's rare for menopause to happen before age 30.
Menopause before the age of 40 is called premature menopause. A spontaneous (natural) early menopause affects approximately 5% of women before the age of 45. Premature menopause, or premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), is defined as being menopause that happens before the age of 40.
Even though it is often harmless, menstrual irregularity in teenagers can represent a sign of premature menopause. More commonly known as premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), this condition has a reported incidence of 10 cases per 100,000 person-years for girls of 15–29 years of age [2].
Early menopause can happen naturally if a woman's ovaries stop making normal levels of certain hormones, particularly the hormone oestrogen. This is sometimes called premature ovarian failure, or primary ovarian insufficiency.
If you've noticed changes in your body, they could be early signs of menopause, like these: Hot flashes and/or night sweats. Insomnia. Fatigue, lack of energy.
Menopause that happens between 40 and 45 is called early menopause. About 5% of women naturally go through early menopause. Smoking and certain medicines or treatments can cause menopause to come earlier than usual.
Excessive stress, which leads to elevation of stress hormones, can also negatively affect reproductive ability, including by accelerating menopause.
Although pregnancy after menopause is very rare, it can lead to vaginal bleeding like pregnancy in reproductive years. Thus, when women refer to clinics or hospitals with complaints of postmenopausal bleeding, the possibility of pregnancy should be included in the differential diagnosis by physicians or midwives.
Throughout this time, the ovaries are continuing to release eggs. That means that even though someone is older and experiencing symptoms associated with menopause, they are still fertile.
Menopause is divided into three basic stages: perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause. During this time, the ovaries begin to atrophy which causes a decline in the production of the hormones that stimulate the menstrual cycle; estrogen and progesterone.
Sometimes, elevated follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels are measured to confirm menopause. When a woman's FSH blood level is consistently elevated to 30 mIU/mL or higher, and she has not had a menstrual period for a year, it is generally accepted that she has reached menopause.
Those in their 20s or 30s who experience sudden rushes of heat may have another problem, such as a fever, infection, or inflammation. Even when menopause is the culprit, it is important to see a doctor when symptoms appear very early. Some medical conditions may trigger early menopause.
Perimenopause is the transitional period before menopause. During perimenopause, levels of estrogen, a key female hormone, start to decrease. You may begin having menopause-like symptoms, such as hot flashes or irregular periods. Perimenopause can last for years.
Women who are menopausal normally have minimal vaginal discharge as a result of lower levels of estrogen. In women who are premenopausal, it is normal to have approximately one-half to one teaspoon (2 to 5 mL) of white or clear, thick, mucus-like, and mostly odorless vaginal discharge every day.
Your menstrual cycles may lengthen or shorten, and you may begin having menstrual cycles in which your ovaries don't release an egg (ovulate). You may also experience menopause-like symptoms, such as hot flashes, sleep problems and vaginal dryness. Treatments are available to help ease these symptoms.
A Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center study involving postmenopausal, overweight, and obese women who took 2,000 IUs of vitamin D daily for a year found that those whose vitamin D blood levels increased the most had the greatest reductions in blood estrogens, which are a known risk factor for breast cancer.
Pregnancy after age 45 years is infrequent and the mother and baby should be considered as a high risk. There is a greater incidence of spontaneous abortion, gestational trophoblastic disease and chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus.