Early Menopause Risk Factors
• Family History: Strong family history of early menopause increases risk.
• Autoimmune Disorders: Conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or thyroid disorders can damage ovaries.
• Chromosomal Abnormalities: Genetic conditions like Turner’s syndrome or Fragile X syndrome affect ovarian function.
• Infections: Certain infections like mumps, HIV, and tuberculosis are linked to early menopause.
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Studies link myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) to early menopause.
• Medical Treatments and Surgeries: Oophorectomy or hysterectomy can induce menopause.
• Cancer Treatments: Chemotherapy or pelvic radiation therapy can damage ovarian function.
• Lifestyle and Environmental Factors: Smoking, exposure to environmental toxins, low BMI and fat can increase risk.
• Unknown Causes: Idiopathic menopause often occurs without a known medical reason.
Sisters, let’s talk straight.
Many women in Nigeria, especially those over 35, face big troubles with their body when it comes to making babies and staying healthy down there. You know what I mean – your monthly flow becomes irregular or stops coming properly, you get painful infections that make you uncomfortable, it’s hard to get pregnant even when you try, and you just feel tired and weak all the time. From Lagos to Abuja, and even in our villages, women deal with these problems every day. Things like polycystic ovarian syndrome (that’s when your ovaries have small lumps causing missed monthly flows), infertility that stops you from having more children, sexual health worries, and even high blood pressure during pregnancy.
These issues make life hard – you can’t enjoy time with your husband, family pressures build up, and you worry about not giving birth to that boy or girl you’ve been praying for. It’s common here in Nigeria, where surveys show infertility affects many women, and infections spread easily because of our busy lives.