Menopause - Causes 

The menopause results from a fall in the level of the female hormone oestrogen in your blood. Oestrogen regulates your menstrual cycle, and a fall in this stops you producing an egg every month (ovulation).

Causes of premature menopause

In rare cases, a woman may begin to approach menopause before the age of 45 because her ovaries are failing earlier than they normally would. This is known as premature ovarian failure. Although it is rare, premature ovarian failure can occur at any age, and in many cases no cause will be found.

However, not all women who go through premature ovarian failure find that their periods stop. A small number of these women still have intermittent ovarian function, which means that their ovaries release eggs once in a while and they may still be able to conceive.

The possible causes of premature ovarian failure are outlined below.

• Medical conditions: enzyme deficiencies, Down's syndrome, Turner's syndrome, Addison's disease and hypothyroidism can all make premature ovarian failure more likely.
• Medical treatments and procedures: surgery to remove the ovaries, radiotherapy to your pelvic area, chemotherapy and hysterectomy surgery (removal of the womb) can all cause premature ovarian failure, although this is rare.
• Infections: in very rare cases, certain infections such as tuberculosis or mumps may bring on premature ovarian failure. However, in the case of mumps, the damage to your ovaries is usually only temporary and normal function usually returns. Malaria, varicella (the infection that causes chickenpox and shingles) and shigella can also cause premature ovarian failure, although this is very rare.