Age of Early Menopause - Is Forty the Magic Number?

The average age of menopause in the United States is fifty one, but some women go through what is called premature menopause. This is when a woman goes through menopause before the age of forty due to genetics, illness, or medical procedure.

Whether it is natural or because of surgery, it is still considered early menopause.

The symptoms of premature menopause are similar to those of natural menopause, they just occur earlier. Some of these symptoms are irregular or missed periods, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, bladder irritability, emotional changes, trouble sleeping and decreased sex drive.

If you think you are experiencing premature menopause, it is a good idea to see your doctor to make sure something else isn't going on. There are two simple tests your doctor may perform to see whether you are in menopause or not.

One is a blood test to determine if you have low levels of estradiol. Estradiol is a form of estrogen, so when the ovaries begin to shut down there is less of it in the body. When the levels of estradiol in your body are below thirty six, it can indicate that you are going through menopause. This isn't a surefire test, however, because estrogen levels vary from woman to woman.

Another blood test your doctor may do will measure how much follicle stimulating hormone, or FSH, is in your body. FSH is what causes your ovaries to produce estrogen, so when the ovaries shut down FSH levels rise. If levels are above thirty or forty, it is highly likely that you are in menopause.

Although premature menopause has most of the same symptoms as natural menopause, women who experience it under forty often feel the effects much more strongly. This is mainly because the majority of women who experience premature menopause are surgically menopausal.

Instead of the gradual decline of estrogen of natural menopause, these women experience a sudden cut off of estrogen supply. This often makes their symptoms much more severe.

In one doctor's practice, ninety percent of surgically menopausal women had severe symptoms that lasted an average of 8.5 years. Only 15% of naturally menopausal women, on the other hand, experience severe symptoms. Most of these women will only be affected by the symptoms for two years, during the time their period is stopping for good.