Early Menopause: What You Should Know (and get better sleep)

Early menopause begins between 41 and 45. Woman on swing.

Early menopause occurs
when hormonal changes in a woman’s body bring an end to her regular menstrual
cycle. When her hormones no longer support a normal cycle, her periods
become irregular or absent. She may also experience uncomfortable symptoms.

This condition affects each woman differently and the severity of her symptoms may vary. If your symptoms are affecting your quality of life, it’s important to get help.

There is no cure for
early menopause, but your doctor can provide you with a treatment plan to manage
your symptoms. When your symptoms are under control, you can go on enjoying a
good quality of life.

Early Menopause Symptoms

When you are going through the change of life, you might experience a range of symptoms or only one or two. Some of the common ones include:

Mood swings are a symptom of early menopause

Hot flushes – a sudden feeling of heat, often around the face or neck.
Altered sleep patterns
Night sweats
Feelings of anxiety, depression or being on edge
Mood swings
A need to urinate frequently or the onset of incontinence.
An increase in urinary tract infections.
Painful sex due to thinner and dryer vaginal walls
Weight gain
Irregular bleeding that increases in frequency or stops altogether
Aches and pains

Early Menopause Causes

During a woman’s fertile years, her body produces enough estrogen and progesterone to support her reproductive cycle. But when the body stops producing these hormones in normal amounts, it may may cause the onset of unpleasant symptoms.

Sometimes the cause of early
menopause is unknown, but other reasons often include:

surgery can cause early menopause. Surgeons working on a patient.

Surgically induced menopause due to the
removal of the ovaries
Medical treatments such as chemotherapy and
radiation therapy
A family history of early menopause which
increases the risk up to 12 times (1).
Autoimmune conditions such as
hypothyroidism, Crohn’s disease, systemic lupus erythematosis and rheumatoid
arthritis
Genetic conditions such as Turner’s
syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, congenital adrenal hyperplasia and galactosaemia
Smoking

Early
Menopause Facts

Menopause commonly occurs between age 45 and
age 55 (2).
Early menopause occurs between age 41 and age
45.
Premature menopause occurs before the age of
40.
About 1% of women experience premature menopause
(3).
Up to 8% of women experience early menopause
(4).
One in 1000 women reaches menopause before the
age of 30 (5).
There is no known cause for premature or early
menopause in around 60% of cases
It is possible to fall pregnant during
menopause although this is uncommon

Early menopause can have a devastating emotional impact. Girl throwing flowers into the sea

Early
Menopause: Living with the Emotional Impact

Fertility loss can be devastating to your emotional health. If you are finding that your experience is affecting your mental and emotional health, it’s important to seek help. Counselling can be a good option to help you process your emotions.

Getting a Diagnosis

Your doctor will use a variety of methods to diagnose or rule out early menopause because it is not always easy to get a firm diagnosis. These might include:

Taking your medical history and family history
Conducting a physical examination.
Ruling out other causes for absent or irregular periods, such as hormonal imbalances, pregnancy, extreme weight loss and reproductive diseases.
Tests for autoimmune diseases or other conditions
Genetic tests for conditions that cause early menopause
Blood tests to measure hormone levels

Treatments for Relieving Misery

Your doctor will provide you with a treatment plan to manage any troublesome symptoms you are experiencing. It might include:

drug treatments are a popular option for early menopause. Photo of pills

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)

HRT involves taking estrogen and progesterone supplements to relieve hot flushes and vaginal dryness. It may also help to improve sex drive, reduce urinary tract infections and provide protection against osteoporosis.

Depending on your age and condition, there are several options available . These include the combined menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), estrogen-only therapy, or a combination of oral contraceptives.

Monalisa Touch

This therapy is a painless, minimally invasive laser treatment to relieve the symptoms of vaginal atrophy (the thinning and drying of the vaginal walls in response to lowered estrogen levels). It stimulates the body’s natural healing processes and often improves vaginal comfort within minutes. It also aids in the healing of vaginal dryness, fissures and inflammation and has no side effects.

Get Better Sleep

treatments for better sleep help with the symptoms of early menopause. Woman sleeping

Standard Hormone Replacement Therapy should help you to sleep better as you transition through the change of life. But if you are not a candidate for HRT or you choose not to use it, there are other things you can try to help you sleep better.

Other Drug Treatments

These drugs are effective at improving sleep during menopause for some people.

Fluoxetine (Prozac),
Paroxetine (Brisdelle, Paxil),
Venlafaxine (Effexor)
Other SSRIs

Natural Remedies

If drug treatments are unsuitable or you would prefer to avoid them, you can try the following tips to improve your sleep:

Avoid caffeine later in the day for better sleep

Exercise regularly but try to do it early in the day rather than close to bedtime
Get your body clock in shape by going to bed at the same time each night
Avoid excess caffeine, especially later in the day
Wear loose clothing to bed to help you stay cool
Choose natural fibres such as cotton for a cooler sleep
Keep your bedroom well-ventilated with good airflow
Avoid hot drinks and spicy foods before bed as these can increase sweating
Go to the toilet before bed so that your bladder is empty
Avoid daytime naps because they disrupt your natural sleeping rhythm
Try alternative or natural supplements such as black cohosh, red clover, resveratrol, evening primrose oil or flaxseed

Don’t Allow Your Symptoms to Control Your Life!

Enjoy life in spite of early menopause. Woman jumping

No one wants to go through life feeling miserable. If
you are suffering from discomfort or pain caused by your early menopause
symptoms, see your doctor. Ask for a treatment plan to control your symptoms
and help you to sleep better. You only get once chance at life: You deserve to
live symptom-free and to feel well. Your future self will thank you.

References:

(1), (4)

jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/premature-early-menopause

(2), (5)

betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/premature-and-early-menopause

(3)

healthline.com/health/menopause/facts-statistics-infographic#2

https://www.menopause.org.au/hp/management/treatment-options