Causes of menopause

Causes of menopause - introduction

Menopause is mainly caused by falling levels of estrogen, which is the most important female hormone in charge of several bodily functions. This decline in estrogen occurs when women's bodies are no longer able to produce the right amounts of this hormone. The loss of the body's ability to keep hormones balanced (menopause) is believed to be a natural part of the aging process, although it may also be caused by surgical interventions (induced menopause).

Natural causes

When women have definitively ceased menstruation for reasons not related to medical procedures, they have undergone natural menopause. Menopause is a natural and spontaneous process; the age range of onset extends from 40 to 58, though a few women may experience menopause as early as in their thirties or as late as in their sixties. Even as life expectancy continues to increase, menopause consistently occurs around the same age it always has, and because women are living longer than ever before, they can now expect to be postmenopausal for at least one third of their lives.

Although menopause is a spontaneous process, certain factors can influence the timing of its incipience: a history of smoking, and genes. Menopause typically occurs around two years earlier in smokers than in nonsmokers. Genes also seem to play a role, in that women tend to go through menopause around the same age as other women in their families. A few studies have also proposed that an earlier onset of menopause may be triggered if a woman has been treated for depression or epilepsy, has undergone pelvic surgery, has a history of heart disease, or has never given birth.

Induced causes

Induced menopause is triggered by certain medical procedures (most often surgery or cancer treatments), and thus can occur at any age.

Surgery.

Menopause will appear directly after the surgical removal of both ovaries (oophorectomy), sometimes called surgical menopause. If the uterus is removed but both ovaries are left in place (hysterectomy), menopause does not occur, even though menstruation will end. Nonetheless, a woman with a hysterectomy can expect to undergo menopause two to three years earlier than average. Women with oophorectomy do not go through perimenopause, but will experience common perimenopausal symptoms (hot flashes, mood swings), which can be treated with herbs for menopause. Women who have undergone a hysterectomy, on the other hand, will go through perimenopause, since the ovaries continue to produce hormones, but since she no longer menstruates the cessation of periods cannot be used as a marker of menopause.

Cancer treatments.

Treatments for cancer such as radiation or chemotherapy can seriously damage the ovaries. After receiving radiation, menstrual cycles (and hence fertility) may cease for a significant period of time. The ovaries may recover, especially in younger patients who undergo lower doses of radiation, but any woman facing a procedure that could induce menopause should discuss the potential impact on her fertility with her doctor.