It is said “life begins at 40” and as we know, so does menopause. But premature menopause is when a woman has missed 12 months of her menstruation period caused by a decline in the production of reproductive hormones.
And premature menopause is fast becoming a factor among women in their late 20s and 30s, and seemingly the condition is triggered by cancer treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy. An unhealthy lifestyle also contributes to the condition.
Oestrogen and progesterone hormones serve to monitor the menstrual cycle and supporting pregnancy after ovulation, respectively. Low levels of these female sex and fertility hormones may be symbolised by spotting and low libido.
Gynaecologist Dr Nompumelelo Zenda says premature menopause in young women is a sign of abnormality as their hormonal secretion still performs well. However, due to illnesses and personal decisions, they may be forced to undergo treatment and remove their reproductive organs, leading to infertility.
“Chemotherapy and radiation are dangerous toxins to the body and people with cancer need to undergo this to save their lives. Regardless of what cancer it is, the process is dangerous to the reproductive system, meaning hormones are endangered, and they might not be secreted as usual,” she says.
“This does not mean that women cannot bear babies after cancer treatments because hormones don’t always entirely stop being secreted, but there may be challenges because a full balance of the hormones is needed to carry the baby to term.”
Not all women experience the same challenges when transitioning into menopause, and some of the symptoms can be noticed long before the menopause hits. The most common symptoms include hot flushes, urinary urgency and insomnia.
She advises women experiencing these challenges, young and old, to visit their general practitioner or gynaecologist to understand the changes happening in their bodies and how lifestyles should change after menopause.
It has also been found that smoking may disrupt the production of the reproductive hormones and the chemicals involved in smoking might destroy ovarian cells, thus influencing premature menopause.
Some of the triggers of premature menopause include early menstruation, auto-immune illness, family history and chronic fatigue syndrome. Specialists can deal with some of these conditions.
According to the expert, premature menopause is not to be confused with early menopause, explaining that the latter happens when a woman’s menstruation stops after 40 and anything before the age is considered premature.
Barbara du Plessis, the marketing manager of SOiL, a company specialising in menopause herbal treatments, says vaginal dryness and emotional changes are hard-hitting once a woman reaches this stage.
This puts most intimate relationships at risk and sexual intercourse might not be as pleasurable and lead women into depression or mood swings. This stage in a woman’s life might mean that they will find sex less interesting and painful. There are essential oils and lubricants that can help boost sex life again.
“Clary sage brings some soothing to period cramps and mood swings and supports hormones, reducing physical stress and hot flushes. It promotes
labour in birthing mothers and alleviates infertility. Steam distilled from the flower of the clary sage plant also helps with postpartum depression.
“It is not possible to always determine exactly what causes premature menopause.
“From the already mentioned factors, family history, ovarian surgery and viral infections may be reason for the early stop of menstruation,” says Du Plessis.
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