Premature Ovarian Failure: Age, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment | Complications of Premature Ovari

Premature ovarian failure is popularly known as early menopause. Usually, this condition starts to show up in a woman when she reaches an age between 42 and 56.

However, the chances of POF happening for women between 15-29 years are only 1 in 1000 and women between the ages of 30 and 39 have the probability of getting it 1 in 100.

On average, early menopause would occur at the age of 27 years. However, when anyone in your family has got POF that can sometimes lead to this condition.

Symptoms of Premature Ovarian Failure Premature Ovarian Failure at times creates some symptoms similar to menopause. Some of the symptoms include: 

Hot flashes

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No period/irregular periods

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Vaginal dryness

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Night Sweats

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Anxiety, depression or mood swings

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Memory or concentration problems

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Trouble sleeping

POF would often start from irregular periods which may continue for a period and then eventually stop altogether. Premature Ovarian Failure may come in two ways. Either it may abruptly start and last for a couple of months or gradually last for many years.

POF could also have a symptom of elevated cycle days which can occur due to irregular estrogen levels. Mostly, the direct cause is not identified. If you have undergone treatments like pelvic surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, it can cause POF.

Testing If you have to determine POF, the first step is to take a blood test to check if the ovary is producing estrogen and also whether hormones like FSH and LH are produced by the pituitary gland. These are the hormones that stimulate ovarian follicles.

If the blood tests show the result of elevated pituitary hormones, it shows that the estrogen is not produced by the ovaries. It means there is a clear sign of POF. Another way to determine whether you are diagnosed with POF is that fertility specialist takes a transvaginal ultrasound. Usually, small ovaries will be seen in a POF patient along with only a few follicles noted.

Treatment There is no scientifically proven method to stimulate the ovaries if POF is diagnosed in a patient.

Some POF cases have certain treatment options recommended by fertility doctors. Here are treatment methods as below: 

If you have untreated thyroid, then your physician will put you in thyroid medicine.

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If any autoimmune disease is found, in such cases steroid therapy is used.

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You can also be given a short course of estrogen replacement therapy to lower FSH to a normal or acceptable value. This is done before the ovulation induction using menopausal gonadotropins. In some cases, high doses of human menopausal gonadotropins taken after the estrogen/progesterone replacement therapy have given positive results to pregnancy.

Complications of Premature ovarian failure Primary Ovarian insufficiency can cause some complications, which are as below: Infertility: This is the condition when you are not able to get pregnant when Primary Ovarian insufficiency is present. However, in certain cases, pregnancy is possible to a certain extent until eggs are depleted.

Depression or anxiety: The presence of low estrogen levels due to the risks of infertility and other health issues would result in depression or anxiety in some women.

Osteoporosis: Estrogen is a hormone that increases the strength of your bones. Women having a lower estrogen level may tend to have weaker bones or brittle bones that most likely break the healthy bones also. This condition is known as osteoporosis.

Heart disease: When your body loses estrogen at an early stage, it can also increase the risk of heart disease.

Are you facing any of these symptoms or worried about premature ovarian failure, get the right treatment and expert advice from Dr.Shwetha Y Baratikkae in Bangalore. We at Janisthaa have the safest and comfortable treatment environment with the support of our experienced staff. Book an appointment now and avail the most advanced treatment and quality care.