Causes of Menopause. Your Questions Answered by Internal Specialist, Dr. Mera

Causes of the menopause

The menopause is a natural part of ageing. It happens when your ovaries run out of or stop producing eggs. Your ovaries also make the hormone oestrogen, so when they stop working, there’s a drop in your blood level of this hormone. This change disrupts your periods and causes the symptoms of the menopause.

Some things can cause the menopause to happen early. These include the following.

• surgery to remove your ovaries (oophorectomy), which may be done during a hysterectomy.
• Some types of medicine, including chemotherapy.
• Radiotherapy to your pelvic area.
• Premature ovarian failure (or premature ovarian insufficiency) – when your ovaries stop working early. Doctors don’t know why this happens but it can run in families. And it may not always be permanent.