Despite great advances in reproductive health, figuring out when you'll go through menopause is really more of an art than a science. There's no simple screening, and even tests that measure hormone levels won't tell you exactly when your periods will cease, says James Liu, MD, chairman of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland.
For starters, it helps to pay attention to averages. "Most women go through menopause somewhere between the ages of 45 to 55, with the average being about age 51," says Liu. That said, natural menopause sometimes occurs in the early 40s or even before.When it happens before 40, it's considered "premature menopause". And some women continue menstruating until their late 50s.
1. When did your mother go through menopause?
This is probably the biggest factor, so if your mom didn't reveal when she went through "the change," you may want to inquire. "Most women go through a natural menopause at about the same age as their mothers, within a few years either later or earlier," explains Liu, who is also a specialist in reproductive endocrinology and a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. In fact, several studies have shown that women whose mothers went through menopause early had about a sixfold increase in their odds of a premature or early menopause themselves.
2. Are you a smoker?
Cigarette smoke is toxic to your lungs and your heart, and it seems to wreak havoc on a woman's ovaries as well. "We've known for years that smoking is bad for your health, but many people don't quite understand just how bad it is in terms of reproductive health," says Aaron Styer, MD, an obstetrician, gynecologist, and reproductive endocrinologist at Boston's Massachusetts General Hospital.
One recent study, published online in the journal Tobacco Control, looked at data collected from nearly 94,000 women and found that smokers had a 26% increased risk of menopause before age 50, compared with women who never smoked. Ex-smokers tended to have a similar fate, but it's still worth quitting: The longer you smoke and the more you smoke (in terms of number of cigarettes), the more likely you are to reach menopause at an earlier age. While you're at it, stay away from secondhand smoke; it's also tied to earlier menopause.
3. Did you ever have chemo?
Cancer treatment can save your life, but it might put an end to your fertile years. Chemotherapy may damage the ovaries and cause your periods to halt, though the ultimate impact depends on your age and the type and amount of chemicals used, according to the Office on Women's Health. Some young women who undergo chemo eventually start menstruating again. But if you're already close to the typical age of menopause, your periods probably won't return, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
4. What's your BMI?
More research is needed, but a study published in the journal Menopause found that women who are considered overweight or obese based on their body mass index (BMI) are somewhat more likely to go through menopause at an older age, compared with thinner women.
Wondering if you should also factor in the age at which you got your first period, whether you've used hormonal birth control, how many children you've had, and whether you breastfed? Don't bother. Many people believe that these things matter for menopause, but there's no evidence that they do, says Styer.
“Certain ethnic groups may have menopause at slightly different ages,” says Santoro. “Hispanic and African-American women reach menopause a little earlier, and Chinese and Japanese women a little later, than the average Caucasian woman, who reaches menopause at about age 51.5.” Those are averages; every woman is different.
“The more you operate on the ovaries, the more healthy tissue gets damaged,” says Marcelle Cedars, MD, director of the division of reproductive endocrinology at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine. So if you’ve had diagnostic surgery for endometriosis, for example, Cedars recommends using medical options (such as hormonal suppression) to treat the condition in order to avoid repetitive surgeries.
No comments:
Post a Comment