Early or premature menopause
Overview
Early menopause is when you stop having regular periods before the age of 45. Premature menopause is if this happens before the age of 40. It can happen naturally or be caused by treatment for other conditions.
Symptoms
Menopause is when your periods stop due to lower hormone levels. It usually affects women between the ages of 45 and 55. It can affect anyone who has periods. The main symptom of early or premature menopause is not having your period regularly or your periods stopping completely before the age of 45. Other symptoms can include: hot flushes and night sweatsvaginal drynessdifficulty sleepinglow mood or anxietyreduced sex driveproblems with memory or concentration
Causes
You have a higher chance of early or premature menopause if it runs in your family. It's also more likely if you: started your periods earlysmokeare underweight Early or premature menopause can also be caused by treatment for other conditions. This includes treatments such as: radiotherapy or chemotherapycertain hormone medicinessurgery to remove your ovaries
Treatment
The main treatments for early or premature menopause are medicines such as thecombined contraceptive pillorhormone replacement therapy (HRT)to replace the hormones that are at low levels. It's important to replace missing hormones if you've started menopause before the age of 45 because there's a higher chance of getting problems with your bones and heart. But if you've had certain types of cancer, such as certain types of breast cancer, you may not be able to have hormone treatments. You can also try making lifestyle changes to help manage your symptoms and stay healthy, such as exercising regularly and eating calcium-rich food like yoghurts.