Not the Best Situation to be Early in
Not only is menopause an inevitable process, it also is preceded by certain complications. As a woman gets older, she anticipates "personal summers", skipped periods, weight fluctuations, low libido and sleepless nights. Then, when the symptoms begin, she can easily recognize these as signs of her body changing. Obviously, these signs are normal for women over 45, but what about pre-menopausal symptoms in women under 35? This condition is termed premature menopause. There are slight differences in the two types of menopause, particularly age and source! But, generally the signs are the same and the successions of symptoms are customary and easy to identify.
How to Detect Early Signs of Menopause
Some of the common tell-tale signs of early menopause are obvious while other signs are latent. These symptoms can also vary in degrees of severity and frequency. Especially if it's surgically induced menopause! Then there are signs of early menopause that are illusive! Considering what a woman's has to go through, this can be quite intimidating if she's unacquainted with different changes in her body. It can also make early detection of menopause problematic! Learn how to detect different changes in your body that could signal premature menopause.
First and foremost you have to know your body. It can't be stressed any more plainly! Having a good understanding of what's normal for your body is crucial to early detection. This also means knowing about physical factors that can cause specific changes similar to menopause. The key to detecting early symptoms of menopause is discerning between natural and premature symptoms from other factors that could be something else entirely. This is where detecting early menopause can be tricky!
There are all sorts of variables that can seem like early signs of menopause in younger women. The most common factor is pre-existing medical conditions. Most often specific medical conditions can lead to early menopause. Here are a few factors that may induce early signs of menopause:
- Dysfunctional Thyroid - having an over or under active thyroid condition can produce early symptoms of menopause. Most often the symptoms are caused because the dysfunctional thyroid gland is trying to synchronize abnormal metabolic and hormonal levels. This throws the biological clock off its normal course!
- Immunity Disorders- most often autoimmunity conditions or certain factors affecting immunity can cause early menopausal symptoms. For example, lupus, radiation and/or chemotherapy, and even HIV can cause premature menopause.
- Reproductive Disorders - Generally, cancer any where in the reproductive system causes premature menopause. Additionally, the pituitary gland has a direct hormonal effect on the reproductive system too! Therefore, malfunctions of the pituitary gland can hormonally trigger early menopause.
There are also indirect factors that indicate premature menopause. Or at least that's what it looks like! Here are a few common indirect conditions that mimic menopause:
- Excessive Exercising may lower body fat levels too low. Lack of, or very low body fat levels can stop normal menstrual cycles. This also induces hormonal imbalances that illustrate common emotional signs of menopause; for example depression and irritability.
- Contraceptives that prevent a woman from having a normal cycle for several months at a time. Also have adverse affects prevalent upon prolong use that mimic menopause. Most often these signs are seen after cessation of the contraceptive aid. Thankfully, in this case the condition of premature menopause is temporary!
- Mental and Emotional factors - Often these two factors are dismissed as secondary symptoms associated with PMS or PMDD in women under 35. However it's a generally accepted fact a great deal of mental and emotional stress, anxiety or depression can manifest pseudo symptoms of menopause early.
- Nutritional factors, particularly when a woman's diet is missing foods rich in iron. This can produce false signs of menopause. In extreme anemia cases the pre-menopausal symptoms are missing, light and/or heavy menstrual cycles!
When detecting true signs of menopause you have to first rule out other possible variables that could mimic menopause. Then talking to your gynecologists about these and other possible factors would be the next best course of action.