Today's topic is Premature Ovarian Failure! Premature ovarian failure is a loss of normal functions of the ovaries before the age of 40. A healthy woman's ovaries produce estrogen, a hormone that controls menstrual periods and helps with fertility. When the ovaries fail they don't produce sufficient amounts of estrogen or release eggs regularly usually resulting in infertility.
Premature ovarian failure is sometimes referred to as premature menopause but the two are completely different women with premature ovarian failure can experience irregularity in their periods for years and might even get pregnant in premature menopause, no menstrual periods are experienced and women with a condition can't become pregnant, treatment options may help prevent some complications such as osteoporosis (weak and brittle bones) that occur as a result of low estrogen. Other complications of the condition are heart disease, dementia, and depression or anxiety. Suicide rates are known to be increased in women who experience infertility causes chromosomal defects or genetic disorders such as mosaic turner syndrome and fragile x syndrome.
Toxins from therapies or substances that can damage the genetic materials in cells such as chemicals pesticides, cigarette smoke, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, autoimmune diseases, and tuberculosis of the genital tracts. Sometimes the cause may be unknown. Risk factors may include age, family history, and multiple ovarian surgeries. Symptoms include irregular or skipped periods, night sweats, vaginal dryness, decreased sexual desire, irritability, or difficulty concentrating hot flashes.
Diagnosis and treatment to make a diagnosis the doctor will carry out a physical examination including a pelvic exam the doctor may ask questions about your menstrual cycle exposure to toxins and previous ovarian surgery to confirm the diagnosis, diagnostic tests may include pregnancy tests, Prolactin tests to check for levels of Prolactin (the hormone that stimulates breast milk production), high blood levels of Prolactin can lead to a problem with ovulation. Estradiol test to check for levels of Estradiol (a type of estrogen that comes from the ovaries) Estradiol is usually low in women with premature ovarian failure, Follicle Stimulating Hormone or FSH test to check the levels of FSH (a hormone released by the pituitary gland that stimulates the growth of follicles in the ovaries), an abnormally high level of FSH in the blood may indicate premature ovarian failure.
Treatment options will help to ease symptoms and complications related
to low estrogen levels they include hormone replacement therapy that combines
estrogen and progesterone especially if the uterus is still present adding
progesterone protects the lining of the uterus from pre-cancerous changes that
might occur by taking estrogen alone calcium and vitamin d supplements may be prescribed
to prevent bone loss there is no treatment proved to restore infertility, it is
important to understand this and seek counseling if needed.
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