Is it possible to go through menopause at 16

Thrown into premature menopause, Gallagher, 16, suffered an auto-immune disease in which antibodies attacked her ovaries. Doctors say she has lost more than half her egg follicles over the past few months. A high-school junior, she plans to become a nurse or child psychologist. Gallagher first went to a doctor for severe headaches, hot flashes and pain in her groin. Her menstrual period had stopped for 10 months. A pediatric endrocrinologist referred her to Oktay. After performing the first ovarian transplant in , Oktay has frozen tissue for more than female patients worldwide.

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Skip to main content. Reproductive system - female. Home Reproductive system - female. Premature and early menopause. Actions for this page Listen Print. Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. Symptoms of premature and early menopause Causes of early or premature menopause Induced menopause Diagnosis of premature or early menopause Treatment for early or premature menopause Emotional impact of early or premature menopause Where to get help.

Symptoms of premature and early menopause The symptoms of early menopause are the same as for menopause at the typical age and can include: menstrual cycle changes, including changes to the usual bleeding pattern, particularly irregular bleeding hot flushes sweats sleep disturbance urinary problems, such as increased frequency of urination or incontinence vaginal dryness increase in mood changes increase or decrease in weight aches and pains.

Causes of early or premature menopause Premature menopause means a woman's ovaries have spontaneously stopped working before she has reached the age of 40 years. Genetic conditions which can lead to early or premature menopause include: galactosaemia — this is when the body cannot convert the carbohydrate galactose into glucose.

Induced menopause Menopause can be specifically induced for medical reasons, such as cancer surgery. Diagnosis of premature or early menopause Premature and early menopause is diagnosed using a number of tests including: medical history, family history and medical examination investigations to rule out other causes of amenorrhoea absence of periods , such as pregnancy, extreme weight loss, other hormone disturbances and some diseases of the reproductive system investigations into other conditions associated with premature or early menopause, such as autoimmune diseases genetic tests to check for the presence of genetic conditions associated with premature or early menopause blood tests to check hormone levels.

Treatment for early or premature menopause There is no treatment available to make the ovaries start working again. Emotional impact of early or premature menopause Premature menopause can be emotionally devastating. Genetic counselling If you have been diagnosed with a genetic condition that is thought to have caused your premature menopause, it may be helpful to speak to a genetic counsellor.

Mental and emotional health , Jean Hailes for Women's Health. The average age for reaching menopause is 51 years old, and it does matter, in part because the timing of the menopause can be predictive of other health issues, according to Stephanie S. The medical definition of menopause is no menstrual bleeding for a year, according to Lauren Streicher, MD , a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology and the medical director of the Northwestern Center for Menopause and the Northwestern Center for Sexual Medicine in Chicago.

Most women experience menopause between age 40 and 58, and the average age at menopause is 51, according to the North American Menopause Society. If you reach menopause before age 40, that is considered premature menopause, says Faubion. Menopause at age 46 or older is considered normal, she says. Menopause is technically one full year without bleeding, and perimenopause is the stage before the final menstrual period, also known as the menopausal transition.

Puberty and perimenopause are similar in that they both involve hormonal changes, and the transitions can take place over several years. According to NAMS , this phase can last four to eight years, and it comes with symptoms caused by hormone fluctuations, such as mood swings, poor sleep, and hot flashes.

The age at which a woman begins perimenopause can help predict how long the transition to menopause will last, according to research published in the journal Menopause in February