Early menopause has been garnering much media attention after actress Kate Walsh, now 48, revealed she’d gone through early menopause. While she stated that she was unable to pinpoint the reason behind her early menopause, she stated, “it could be a product of our environment, The Pill, we don’t know,” she said on SiriusXM.
Given that early menopause isn’t regularly covered, here’s a refresher on what we do know about it.
The Age Range
Since the average age for menopause is 51 with an age of 40 for the onset, anything under 40 years old is considered early menopause.
The Treatments
In very simple terms, menopause starts when your ovaries stop producing estrogen. This is why Kate Walsh explained that she was no longer able to have children. While the reasons for early menopause can vary and are unique to each person, anything that directly affects your ovaries, like chemotherapy or surgery, can trigger the onset of early menopause.
The Early Stages
While peri-menopause is usually referred to as the 1-2 years directly before menopause hits, it can also refer to a much earlier onset of menopause. How it’s diagnosed and treatment alternatives are details we’ve outlined in our article focused on peri-menopause.
Cover image courtesy of Shutterstock.
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