Menopause is a natural stage in 99% of women. However, when it occurs before the natural time is when we speak of premature menopause or early menopause . Why is it produced? It can be avoided? We talk about her to get to know her in depth and avoid any taboo or fear.
Premature Menopause, Premature Menopause, and Premature Ovarian Failure: Are They the Same?
We must clarify that the concepts of premature menopause and early menopause are closely related (they categorize and define a stage of the woman’s life), but not premature ovarian failure (POI).
Precocious menopause is one that occurs before the age of 45 ; premature menopause is one that comes before the age of 40 .
On the other hand, premature ovarian failure has more to do with the malfunction of the ovaries before the age of 40, which does not imply that you enter menopause, but that you can have irregular menstrual periods , and you remain fertile (although to a lesser extent). Menopause implies the complete loss of reproductive capacity (except in specific cases).
Causes of early menopause
In addition to genetics, there are other factors that make a woman can go through the early menopause process.
Excessive thinness
Recent studies have shown the direct relationship between premature menopause and thinness . In fact, it is known that women who are underweight have a 30% chance that menopause will occur before the age of 45.
Beyond the shortening of the fertile stage of women, what is worrying about these data is that menopause is associated with greater risks of cardiovascular diseases , loss of bone density and good memory function.
Being a smoker
The relationship between tobacco and menopause has already been addressed recently. Scientific studies confirm that being a regular smoker can accelerate the early menopause process in up to 3 years . In the most serious cases, even more so.
Of the more than 4000 chemical substances that are present in tobacco, 400 of them , in addition to having carcinogenic components, directly affect the activity of the female reproductive system, reducing the activity of the ovaries before the natural cycle of women.
Chemicals that affect the function of the ovaries
In this sense, various studies have shown that some chemicals present in cosmetics and cleaning products are also behind early menopause . How is this possible? They basically affect the endocrine system, which is one of those involved in good hormonal functioning.
Stress, another of the triggers of premature menopause
Are you under a lot of stress? Stress in women (and in men) is a risk factor for multiple diseases and pathologies; also of early menopause.
Chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments in the pelvic area
In this case, it may be one of the side effects , but there is no direct cause, and not in all cases .
Of course, surgery to remove any of the elements of the reproductive system can trigger the appearance of premature menopause in women.
Tips to avoid premature menopause
The usual age for a woman to fully enter the menopausal period is between 44 and 55 years old, depending on the woman’s genetics and bio-health environment.
Stay away from bad habits
We have already seen that among the causes of premature menopause is tobacco. Consequently, the first tip is to quit smoking . However, it is not the only bad habit that affects this physiological phase of women.
The habitual consumption of alcohol or the abuse of substances such as caffeine also affect our reproductive system, so by avoiding its abuse we will be preventing the appearance of menopause prematurely (without taking into account genetic elements, which also have something that tell).
Sunbathing is beneficial for your health
When we sunbathe , it helps our body to internalize vitamins and resources necessary for the proper functioning of our hormones. Especially vitamin D. Of course, avoid the central hours of the day or prolonged and unprotected exposure.
Take care of the diet
Diet It is one of the most important factors to avoid premature and premature menopause as much as possible . Similarly, during menopause, it is one of the pillars that help women minimize associated symptoms.
Among the foods to avoid are the abuse of red meat or foods with a lot of seasoning (and especially spicy).
Exercise and rest
The union of a good diet, with the practice of sports on a regular basis and adequate rest improve general health , and have a direct impact on how and when women face menopause .
Finally, we want to make a point in the medicines to avoid early menopause. Any treatment must have a medical prescription as a result of an exhaustive analysis of the patient’s situation. Hormone treatments are recommended only to those women for whom this phase interferes with day-to-day life .
