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What Causes Early Menopause?

In some cases, the reason for early menopause is clear: you’ve had your ovaries surgically removed, have a family history of early menopause, or had ovarian damage due to cancer treatments. These are some of the more obvious factors that can contribute to early menopause. Yet, sometimes the causes are less apparent. You may be wondering, “How did this happen to me?” “I’m too young!” Here are some more possible and common causes of the various conditions commonly refer to as early menopause or premature menopause.

Causes of Premature or Early Menopause (also known as premature ovarian failure)

Autoimmune Disorder

This is a common cause of premature ovarian failure. When this happens, your body’s immune system mistakenly attacks itself. Therefore, your body senses part of itself as an invader – so it sends out antibodies to destroy the supposed threat. These antibodies can then attack your reproductive system, and may interfere with and potentially destroy your ovarian function. If you have a family history of autoimmune disorders or have one yourself (some of which include thyroid disease, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis), this may be the cause of your early menopause.

Chromosomal Irregularity

Some cases of hereditary early menopause are caused by defects on an X chromosome. Women have two X chromosomes and even though only one of these chromosomes is active, a defect on either one can cause early menopause. This defect is sometimes called “Fragile X Syndrome”. This interferes with the production of eggs. So if you are a fragile X carrier, you have a smaller number of eggs in your ovaries. This leads to early menopause. You could experience menopause at least six to eight years before other women. Another form of genetically-caused early menopause is “Turner’s Syndrome.” In this case, you are born without a second X chromosome – or without part of the chromosome. Since you need two X’s for your ovaries to develop and function properly, a missing or defective X leads to incomplete ovarian development. It’s also possible for women to be born with three X chromosomes which can obviously interfere with normal ovarian development as well.

Causes of Early Menopause Due to Surgery

Oophorectomy and Total Hysterectomy

This is one of the most common causes of early menopause. In this case you experience early menopause after removal of both of the ovaries, or removal of the uterus, both fallopian tubes, and both ovaries. Because both of your ovaries are removed, your estrogen and progesterone levels plunge, leading to immediate menopause.

Ovarian Damage Due to Other Surgical Procedure

In most cases as long as you have at least one ovary, you can continue producing hormones and shouldn’t go into early menopause. In some cases after a hysterectomy in which one or both ovaries are left intact, one or both of them fail. This can happen either immediately after surgery or up to a few years later. In this case, the follicles on the remaining ovary or ovaries slowly die, resulting in menopause.

Causes of Chemical Early Menopause

Radiation Therapy and or Chemotherapy

With the rise in cancer treatments has come a rise in early menopause due to these treatments. The significant doses of radiation or chemotherapy used to kill cancer can also damage ovaries, which can result in early menopause. It’s also possible to experience temporary menopause due to chemo or radiation therapy. Your ovarian function may stop working regularly for a few months and then return to normal.

Other Causes of Early Menopause

Family History

This is not always the case, but most women go through menopause at about the same age their mothers did. This means that if you have a family history of early menopause there’s a chance that you too will experience it. However, some studies seem to indicate that only about 5% of all women who are prematurely menopausal have a family history of this condition. It’s still a good idea to take family history into consideration.

Viral Infections

If your mother contracts a viral infection while you’re still in her uterus, it can affect your ovarian development, causing you to be born with fewer eggs. Since you start out with fewer eggs, you can run out of eggs more quickly, resulting in early menopause.

There are many sources you can get help and support if you’re experiencing early menopause. The number one place for help and support if your doctor. You can also visit local women’s health centers or community health centers. There are a number of fantastic resources available in print and on the Internet that can provide you with more information about it.