Trends in age at menopause

In recent years, the age of menarche has tended to be earlier, but the age of menopause has not changed significantly. The average age of menopause is around 50 years old, and there are also cases of normal menopause around 40 years old. Amenorrhea before the age of 40 is called "premature amenorrhea" or "premature ovarian failure". About 1% of women have amenorrhea before the age of 40; amenorrhea after the age of 55 is called "delayed amenorrhea".

Many women experience amenorrhea at their normal menstrual age. The reasons are complex and vary widely in age. For example, some working women face fierce competition, high-intensity work, and great psychological pressure. Amenorrhea caused by such psychological factors is not uncommon, and working women around 30 years old account for the vast majority.

In addition, excessive weight loss can cause dysfunction of the two appetite centers in the hypothalamus, leading to weight loss, which further affects the luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone secretion center in the hypothalamus, causing it to secrete less, and then the pituitary gland secretes less luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone, leading to amenorrhea. There is another situation - artificial abortion, due to improper curettage surgery that damages the cervix or the basement membrane of the endometrium, causing adhesions of the cervical os or partial adhesions of the uterine wall, which in turn leads to amenorrhea. These amenorrhea phenomena also often occur in young women.

In addition, there are several other types of amenorrhea:

(1) Symptoms of normal amenorrhea include uterine amenorrhea: Amenorrhea caused by uterine hypoplasia often manifests as no menstruation or late menarche after the age of 18, scant menstrual flow, and gradually amenorrhea.

(2) Ovarian amenorrhea: Amenorrhea caused by ovarian dysfunction is often accompanied by vaginal dryness, dyspareunia or infertility. Amenorrhea caused by premature ovarian failure is characterized by amenorrhea before the age of 40, accompanied by menopausal symptoms such as facial hot flashes, hot sweats, and irritability.

(3) Pituitary amenorrhea: Amenorrhea caused by pituitary tumors may be accompanied by headaches, blurred vision, or lactation. Amenorrhea caused by anterior pituitary necrosis occurs during postpartum hemorrhage and is manifested by decreased libido, genital atrophy, fatigue, fear of cold, and hair loss.