MENOPAUSE BEFORE 40 YEARS

Many women before age 40 years are suffering from hot flashes, headaches, dizziness, mood swings, vaginal dryness and pain during sex, these are the typical symptoms of menopause. An estimated one in 20 women may advance menopause.

The specialist, Dr. Giovanni Casafranca  Mendoza, Medical Gynaecologist ONCOGYN states that, "This kind of very special cases are known as premature or early menopause, and is the result of causes natural or induced, such as surgical removal of the ovaries, infections or cancer treatments with chemotherapy or radiotherapy".

Another aspect to consider is the hereditary component, if the mother had early menopause, daughters have up to 12 times more likely to present it. Cigarette smoking and epilepsy also you increase the risk for this problem. "These changes can affect quality of life of women, proposing the use of hormones as soon as possible to prevent typical problems of menopause", explain Dr. Casafranca.

The diagnosis

To determine premature menopause, first are studied the causes of missed periods such as extreme weight loss, pregnancy, hormonal changes and some diseases of the reproductive system, among others. "We also have to do blood tests at different stages of the menstrual cycle to check hormone levels", adds Dr. Casafranca.

It is important to recognize early menopause to implement an appropriate treatment to prevent common problems such as osteoporosis and heart disease.