Premature Menopause
Dr. Juan Francisco Solís Bercian. Medical Director Clinica Santa Maria. 2011
Also known as Premature Ovarian Failure (POF), occurs when the ovaries stop functioning in women under age of 40.
Frequently, many patients find it out several years after symptoms began. The absence of menstruation is often the first sign of POF; later symptoms can be similar to those of menopause such as hot flashes, sweats, vaginal dryness, mood swings and joint pain, among others.
There is a tendency to suffer this failure if someone in your family does, so it is important to check if you have a close relative that has suffered from premature menopause. Research has determined that can be caused by Genetic disorders, autoimmune diseases, patients undergoing cancer treatments, surgery and exposure to toxic materials, however, in most cases the cause cannot be diagnose.
The specialist confirms the diagnosis by measuring a hormone (FSH) levels.
Unfortunately, there is no treatment that will restore normal ovarian function, so that POF women who are seeking pregnancy must resort to egg donation. They also need a long-term hormone treatment to replace the hormones that the ovary no longer produces.
Tags: egg donation, FSH, menopause, ovarian failure, ovarian function, ovary, pregnancy, premature menopause
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