early menopause

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A range of causes

Early menopause means the woman's ovaries have spontaneously stopped working

before she has reached the age of 40 years. Women can be affected in their teens

or early 20s. Some possible causes include:

Unknown causes – in the vast majority of cases, the cause can't be found.

This is known as idiopathic ovarian failure.

Autoimmune conditions – about 10 to 30 per cent of affected women have an

autoimmune disease such as hypothyroidism, Crohn's disease, systemic lupus

erythematosus or rheumatoid arthritis.

Genetic conditions – such as familial ovarian failure (FOF) and

galactosaemia. About five to 30 per cent of women have an affected female

relative, which suggests a genetic link. Galactosaemia is when the body cannot

convert the carbohydrate galactose into glucose. It is thought that the

unconverted galactose could be toxic to the ovaries. Conditions characterised by

enzyme problems, such as congenital adrenal hyperplasia, can also bring on

premature menopause. Other genetic conditions, including 's syndrome, can

cause early menopause but this is usually evident before puberty. Fragile X

syndrome may be another cause.

Viral infections – the evidence is inconclusive but it is thought that a

viral infection, such as mumps or cytomegalovirus, could trigger premature

menopause in some women.

Rainy

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