What is considered early menopause?
Early menopause is when your periods stop before you reach the age of 45. But, to understand why this occurs, we first need to look at what exactly ‘menopause’ is.
Menopause is the stage in life when you stop having periods due to a change in the balance of your body’s hormones. This happens when your ovaries can no longer produce oestrogen – a hormone that plays multiple key roles in the female reproductive system.
When your body goes through this transition, the follicles inside your ovaries (small, fluid-filled sacs that contain immature eggs) are either used up or broken down. As a result, they no longer release an egg each month, leading to increasingly irregular menstrual cycles until they stop completely.
While most women typically reach menopause around the age of 51, some people may experience it earlier. Depending on how old you are when your periods fully stop, you may go through either early or premature menopause.
What’s the difference between premature and early menopause?
As we’ve touched on already, menopause before the age of 45 is considered early menopause.
Reaching menopause before the age of 40 is what’s known as premature menopause.
Scientifically known as premature ovarian insufficiency, this is much less common than early menopause, affecting an estimated 1% of women under 40 and 0.1% of women under 30.
Unlike regular menopause, premature menopause could be a sign that your ovaries aren’t working properly, as they stop producing eggs many years before they should. If you have concerns about reaching menopause prematurely, it’s important to speak to your doctor.
What causes early menopause?
While the cause may not always be obvious, early menopause can be brought on for several reasons.
For example, if your mum or any of the other women in your family experienced early menopause, you may have a higher chance of experiencing it as well.
Your likelihood of early menopause may also increase if:
Your periods started early on in life (before the age of eight)
You’ve never given birth to a baby
You’re a smoker
You’re underweight
Early menopause can also be brought on by certain treatments for conditions you’ve been diagnosed with. For example, some chemotherapy medicines or radiotherapy to the pelvic floor area can make you more likely to reach menopause earlier, as can certain hormone medicines.
Some surgeries (such as surgery to remove your ovaries) can also increase your risk of early menopause due to their impact on your body’s ability to produce oestrogen. These include:
In most cases (approximately 90% to be exact), finding the underlying cause of early or premature menopause is easier said than done. So, it’s important to work with your doctor if you’re concerned about any of your signs.
By taking the time to discuss your family history, as well as any medications you’re currently taking, they can help assess whether what you’re experiencing is linked to either early or premature menopause.
Signs of early menopause
Just as there’s no set rule on when you’ll reach menopause, everyone experiences how it happens differently as well.
While some people may encounter few to no signs, others may find that early menopause has a fairly significant impact on their day-to-day life.
The first sign of approaching menopause is often a change in the pattern of your periods. For instance, they may become unusually light, heavy or increasingly irregular.
You may also start to experience various menopausal signs, including:
Hot flushes
Night sweats and sleeping difficulties
Migraines
Tiredness and fatigue
Join aches and pains
Psychological issues like a loss of self-confidence
An increased need to use the toilet
Mood swings, including irritability, low mood and anxiety
A reduced sex drive
Tinnitus (a ringing or buzzing in your ears)
Recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs)
Dry skin and an increase in facial hair
Issues with your memory (brain fog) or ability to focus on tasks
These signs can begin months or even years before your periods stop completely, and may carry on for years afterwards.
If you’re struggling with signs of early menopause, support is always available, so don’t be afraid to reach out for advice from your doctor or support from your friends or family.
Managing and treating early menopause signs
If your doctor believes you’re going through early menopause, there are several things you can do to help manage your signs.
From a lifestyle perspective, here are some of the best ideas to think about:
Eat a healthy diet including plenty of calcium-rich foods like milk, yoghurt and kale
Get plenty of rest and stick to a regular sleep routine
Keep active and prioritise weight-bearing activities like walking, running or dancing
Stay on top of your stress levels using yoga, tai chi or meditation
Practise pelvic floor exercises to help with bladder control problems
Lean on your support network of friends, family and colleagues to share your experiences
Avoid smoking or drinking too much alcohol
Alongside these lifestyle changes, your doctor can work with you to explore potential treatments. Some menopausal signs can be challenging to live with, so they may recommend options like:
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) – to replace the missing hormones, mainly oestrogen
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) – to give you a space to talk and address signs like low mood and anxiety
Vaginal creams, tablets, pessaries, gels, rings, lubricants or moisturisers – to help ease signs like vaginal dryness
Meanwhile, CanesMeno Hydration and Comfort Gel can offer fast, long-lasting relief from vaginal dryness, itching and burning.
Why not explore our full selection of CanesMeno products by visiting your nearest pharmacy or retailer? Alternatively, take a look at our dedicated menopause guide to learn more about managing its signs.
FAQs
Menopause affects everyone differently, and there is no way to know exactly when it’ll start for you. While most people reach menopause between the ages of 45 and 55, some may experience signs much earlier.
If you reach menopause before the age of 40, it’s known as premature menopause. If it occurs between the ages of 40 and 45, it’s referred to as early menopause.
Our fertility naturally declines as we age, but early menopause means this happens sooner than expected, potentially making it harder to conceive naturally.
That said, however, some studies have shown that pregnancy is still possible during perimenopause. So, if you’re sexually active and don’t want to become pregnant, it’s important to consult your doctor about the best contraception for your fertility needs.
If you’ve recently found yourself experiencing menopausal signs like vaginal dryness or hot flushes, speak to your doctor as soon as possible.
They’ll be able to discuss what you’re going through in detail, offering tailored support to help manage your signs.
If you want to learn more about managing premature or early menopause, the CanesMeno® hub has further information to support you.
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