What is early menopause and what can you do to overcome it?

It is well-known that an egg helps a woman to become pregnant and enjoy the joy of motherhood. But early menopause may hamper your chances of getting pregnant.

A lot of women face Premature Ovarian Failure (POF), a condition where the ovaries stop functioning normally before the age of 40 years. It is also called early menopause. While there are ‘n’ number of eggs inside a female body, about five per cent of women naturally tend to go through early menopause.

“Many young women today experience early menopause, and loss of libido is one of the side-effects of menopause where one loses interest in sex and ‘satisfaction’. Testosterone, in a dose appropriate for women, can be very effective in improving sexual desire and satisfaction. Testosterone can help alleviate some health-related issues of menopause. Testosterone is a hormone common to both women and men, although men’s bodies tend to produce in greater amounts. In women, testosterone is an essential hormone,” explained Dr Anubha Singh, gyneacologist and IVF expert from Shantah IVF Centre.

It is well-known that an egg helps a woman to become pregnant and enjoy the joy of motherhood. But early menopause may hamper your chances of getting pregnant.

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Why does early menopause occur?

From the past few years, it is being observed that a leading cause of premature menopause is lifestyle choices that include smoking, drinking, thyroid or auto-immune diseases, exposure to radiation like chemotherapy or radiotherapy, poor nutrition, genital tuberculosis and heredity. “Menopause seems accelerated in women whose mothers experienced early menopause,” explained Dr Singh.

Dr Shobha Gupta, medical director, gyneacoloist and IVF expert from Mother’s Lap IVF Centre stressed that “heredity does play a role although we don’t know exactly in what way and how much”. Certain genes which run in a woman’s family may predispose her to premature menopause. A women’s body is going through so many changes today because of the atmosphere and lifestyle requirements. That is why, we have been seeing cases of early menopause in young women which results in infertility too at young age. It is better to plan and start a family on time. If you feel any medical issues, then consult your doctor soon,” said Dr Gupta.

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What causes lower amount of testosterone in women?

There could be many reasons for loss of libido among women. During pregnancy and lactation, it is not only the hormonal changes that can cause lack of libido. It is goaded by tiredness, low self-esteem due to weight gain and compounded by psychological factors too. Apart from this age, certain medications, medical illness, psychological issues such as stress or depression are also responsible for loss of testosterone in women.

“Unfortunately, there is no simple pill that women or men can just have, forget about their problems and get to their normal sex life. The treatment, therefore, depends on identifying the problem and treating it first. If the patient suffers any medical disorder such as diabetes or blood pressure it should be treated first. If the cause is medication, it would need to be changed,” said Dr Shweta Goswami, senior consultant and IVF specialist from Jaypee Hospital and Cloudnine Hospital Noida.

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Overcome the menopause phase by living healthy

Menopause is normal, provided it happens at the normal age which is 44 years onward. Every woman needs to change their life pattern as you progress towards menopause.

Follow these easy tips to maintain and sustain good health:

1. Eat soy: Soy contains phytoestrogens. The best sources of soy are foods such as tofu, soy powder soymilk, and soy nuts.

2. Exercise: An active lifestyle can lower your risk of premature menopause. Thirty minutes of aerobic exercise, three times in a week is very important.

3. A good multivitamin supplement: Make sure your body receives an ample supply of Vitamin D, Vitamin E, zinc and magnesium.

4. Eat foods that are rich in calcium such as cheese, almonds, green leafy vegetables, milk, fortified cereals like corn flakes, raisin bran etc.

5. Get enough sleep

6. Practice stress management

7. Reduce alcohol intake

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