Premature Menopause Could Stop Young Women Having Children

The average age for the menopause in the United States is 51 but there is the possibility of this occurring much sooner. Premature menopause is on the increase with women as young as 35 suffering experiencing menopausal symptoms. Such women face a race against time if they wish to add to their family.

Premature menopause symptoms include:

• Missed periods
• Extremely heavy or light periods
• Hot flashes
• Insomnia
• Loss of sex drive

Menopause Can Hit You At Age 30

This is a serious blow to women as premature menopause can creep up almost unnoticed. Women in their 30s experience the above symptoms but write them off as signs of stress or some other illness. Their belief they couldn't possibly be going through the menopause at such a young age jeopardizes their chances of having children.

When women miss their period for 12 consecutive months, they are deemed to be menopausal. Eggs are no longer produced by the ovaries with smaller amounts of estrogen and progesterone created each year. The whole process lasts between 8-10 years but the effects are dramatic. This severe loss in hormones robs women of energy, causes fatigue, increases their body fat and of course, prevents them from having more children.

Serious Illnesses

Women who experience the above symptoms are urged to get a check up from their local physician. The doctor will perform tests after drawing out blood to ensure other causes of the symptoms such as pregnancy can be ruled out. Another significant test involves checking the level of estradiol in the body. This is a form of estrogen. If the estradiol level is less than 36, the patient is possibly undergoing menopause.

The Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) test is probably the most important and accurate test however. FSH is what causes the ovaries of women to produce estrogen. When estrogen levels slow down, FSH levels shoot up. Once FSH levels are above 30-40 mlU/ml, the patient is probably in menopause.

Women in early menopause are at risk from illnesses such as:

• Osteoporosis
• Cataract formation
• Tooth loss
• Colon cancer

It is still possible to become pregnant during the early stages of menopause so it is vital for women looking to start a family to undergo testing from their physician to see if having children is a possibility.

Take our free 5 minute quizzes to see if you have a lack of testosterone or estrogen.

Click here to read about the symptoms of PMS