Most of us don’t want to think about menopause. Sure, it will happen eventually, just like wrinkles and bladder issues, but there’s no need to worry about it any sooner than you need to. For most women, that means forgetting about it until around age 51, the average age of menopause. But for her 1% of women, the terrifying changes occur much earlier than that, before age 40. The technical term for this early menopause is premature ovarian failure or insufficiency, and it is characterized by hot flashes, night sweats, sleep disturbances, sexual problems, vaginal dryness, and pain. During sex, pelvic floor disorders (urinary, intestinal leakage, pelvic organ prolapse), bone loss, mood swings.
Experiencing these changes in your 50s is no fun, but experiencing them in your 30s or even 20s can wreak havoc on your body and mind. What should a girl do? Although the age at which you reach menopause (including early menopause) is mostly predetermined by your genes, there are some things you can do on your own that may delay it or at least reduce its symptoms. Our experts will show you how:
“All women will reach menopause at some point, but when the hormonal changes begin,” says Dr. Sherry Ross, an obstetrician-gynecologist and women’s health expert at Providence St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica. is influenced by several factors.” These include genetic predisposition, family history (ask when your mother started menopause!), chromosomal disorders such as Turner syndrome (where a woman is born with only her one X chromosome), extreme include being underweight or obese and having a long history of smoking. , people with previous chemotherapy or radiation therapy, autoimmune disease, or epilepsy, she says. Some of these cannot be changed, but others, such as weight and smoking, are well within your control. Dr. Ross advises her to make an appointment to discuss her personal risk factors with her doctor and develop a plan to reduce them as much as possible.
Exercise is one of the best things you can do to delay perimenopause because it helps regulate hormones and maintain normal body fat levels, Ross explains. However, while some exercise is good, more is not necessarily better. “There is a link between extremely strenuous or prolonged exercise and early menopause,” she says. “Excessive exercise can cause hormonal imbalances, leading to irregular ovulation and premature hormone depletion.” How do you know if you’re doing too much? Even if you have no weight problems, if your menstrual periods have stopped for more than 1-2 months, see a doctor.
A late period doesn’t necessarily mean you’re pregnant. Here are 7 other reasons why your period might be late:
According to the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, smoking is one of the few things known to cause early menopause. Chemicals in tobacco, such as nicotine, cyanide, and carbon monoxide, can speed up the rate of egg loss. Unfortunately, once an egg dies, it cannot be regenerated or replaced. For this reason, women who smoke reach menopause 1 to 4 years earlier than non-smokers. And what happens to marijuana now that recreational smoking is legal in eight states and Washington, D.C.? “Although there are no studies yet on smoking cannabis and menopause, there seems to be a real possibility that inhaling burnt vegetable matter or treated paper may lead to earlier menopause,” said Dr. says co-director Frederic Naftlin, M.D., an obstetrician and gynecologist. Interdisciplinary Program in Menopause Medicine at New York University Langone School of Medicine.
Could your cosmetics, body wash, water bottle, and microwaveable lunch be causing serious hormonal changes? Scientists are still investigating the link, but early research suggests that Evidence suggests that chemicals called “endocrine disruptors” may cause some of the symptoms of early menopause or make them worse, said gynecologist and president of Sapphire Women’s Health Group. Dr. Donica L. Moore says: Endocrine disruptors interfere with the body’s ability to regulate hormones and are often found in plastics and phthalates used in cosmetics, household products, and even food containers. Minimizing your exposure to these chemicals as much as possible isn’t harmful and may help maintain delicate hormonal balance, she says.
While alcohol itself is unlikely to cause early menopause, drinking too much can cause early menopause if you have other risk factors, says Dr. Carolina Sueld, an obstetrician-gynecologist at IVF Florida Reproductive Associates. It states that there is. Alcohol isn’t the only thing you need to be careful about. “High alcohol consumption and high caffeine consumption are all associated with decreased fertility,” she explains. If you’re concerned, Sueld says it’s wise to limit yourself to one cup of coffee a day and two alcoholic drinks a week.
Because estrogen is stored in fatty tissue, being overweight is a major cause of excess estrogen in women these days, and too much estrogen can lead to ovarian failure, Ross says. Similarly, low body weight tricks the body into thinking it’s starving and requires all non-essential systems to shut down, such as fertility, she adds. Extremely high weight increases the likelihood of early menopause. Fortunately, weight is one of the risk factors you have the most control over, and keeping your weight within normal range is one of the best things you can do for your hormones. Exercise, eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, and managing your stress levels are important to maintaining a healthy weight. (Accelerate your progress towards your weight loss goals) Look better naked for women’s health It’s a DVD. )
Although premature ovarian failure can be difficult to stop once it starts, there is one great weapon left in the medical arsenal: hormone replacement therapy. Tatiana V. Sances, MD, assistant professor of female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, says HRT is not typically recommended as a first-line solution because of concerns about breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, and stroke. Masu. But there are different types of HRT, she explains, and it’s still considered the gold standard treatment for many hormone-related problems, especially early menopause. Talk to your doctor about the risks and whether this is a good option for you.
