Introduction:
Menopause occurs after the final menstrual period; it is the time when menstruation stops permanently. Women's average age of menopause is around 51 years, but most of them will start to notice the symptoms of menopause from around 47 years. The common symptoms during menopause are the onset of hot flashes, vaginal dryness, night sweats, or a change in menstrual periods like heavy periods are irregular periods. Some medical treatments, surgeries, and health conditions can lead to early menopause, called artificial or surgical menopause. Surgery to remove one or both ovaries can cause levels of the hormones progesterone and estrogen to dip, eventually causing menopause. To know more about artificial menopause, read this article.
What Is Artificial Menopause?
Artificial menopause is also known as surgical menopause. It is a surgical procedure, rather than the natural aging process, that causes menopause in women. Artificial menopause occurs mostly after a surgery that removes the ovaries, and this procedure is called oophorectomy. The main source of estrogen (primary female sex hormone) production in women is the ovaries. So the removal of ovaries triggers immediate menopause. The surgery to remove the ovaries can be done alone; however, it is sometimes done along with a hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus) to lessen the risk of developing chronic diseases. Typically, menstruation stops after a hysterectomy. When ovaries are removed along with the uterus, it leads to artificial menopause.
What Are the Side Effects of Artificial Menopause?
Artificial menopause can cause several side effects that include:
-
Increased risk of osteoporosis (bones become weak and brittle) and fracture due to loss of bone density.
-
Reduced sex drive (libido) caused by loss of ovarian hormone production.
-
More severe and sudden onset of menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and night sweats.
-
High risk for cardiovascular disease.
-
Loss of fertility.
Artificial menopause also causes hormonal imbalances. The adrenal gland and ovaries produce female sex hormone-like estrogen and progesterone. The adrenal glands cannot produce sufficient hormones when both ovaries are removed. This can cause hormonal imbalance that can increase the risk of developing various conditions like osteoporosis, heart disease, mood changes like depression, and a potentially increased risk of Parkinson's disease.
Depending on the patient's medical history, some healthcare professionals may or may not recommend hormone replacement therapy (HRT) after removing ovaries. Women with ovarian or breast cancer history also avoid hormone replacement therapy.
What Are the Benefits of Artificial Menopause?
Doctors in some chronic situations recommend the removal of the uterus and ovaries to save the life of the patient, which can include certain cancers. If women experience painful and heavy periods and the presence of fibroid, surgically induced menopause will be beneficial. A full hysterectomy will be recommended in such cases. Sometimes a bilateral oophorectomy to remove the ovaries will be done along with the hysterectomy. The best benefit of surgical menopause is the relief from the painful symptoms of fibroids and heavy periods.
Surgical menopause can also reduce the risk of developing ovarian cancer. For women with a family history of ovarian cancer who have a high chance of developing it, doctors may recommend surgical menopause. Researchers have also found that artificial menopause reduces breast cancer risk.
Surgical menopause can relieve pelvic pain in some people caused by endometriosis. Endometriosis refers to a condition in which the endometrium causes the uterine lining to grow outside the uterus, in some cases in the fallopian tubes and ovaries. It can cause intense pain during menstruation. But it is not effective for all individuals.
What Are the Symptoms of Artificial Menopause?
The symptoms of surgical menopause are similar to that of the symptoms of natural menopause. However, surgical menopause stops hormones quite suddenly when compared to the gradual reduction of hormones in normal menopause. So the symptoms caused by surgical menopause start suddenly and are severe sometimes. The most common symptoms of surgical menopause are vaginal dryness, night sweats, and hot flashes.
-
Fractures are also more common due to lack of estrogen as it can result in lesser bone density and develop osteoporosis.
-
Highly susceptible to heart disease.
-
Less libido due to loss of ovarian hormones.
-
Sexual intercourse can be uncomfortable and painful due to vaginal dryness. This can lead to a lack of interest in sex.
-
Loss of fertility due to the removal of ovaries can harm the patient's emotional and mental health.
What Is the Treatment for Artificial Menopause?
If any women have surgical menopause symptoms, then they can talk to their doctor about menopausal hormone therapy (MHT). This treatment is not advisable for everyone, especially for women with endometriosis. Doctors may prescribe hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to help in easing the symptoms of surgical menopause. Hormone replacement therapy helps in managing the risk of osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. However, this treatment is not effective for everyone.
For women under 45 years and not a high-risk candidate for MHT, the doctor will prescribe hormone replacement therapy for artificial menopause. Most women follow this treatment plan until 51 years, which is the average age of natural menopause. During this period, the doctor will discuss how to manage the menopause symptoms without HRT. If the hormone replacement therapy is being stopped, it should be done under the supervision of a doctor, as it can cause a sudden and severe return of menopausal symptoms. Hot flashes and night sweats are experienced by about 50 % of women. The optimal type of surgical menopause treatment plan depends on each patient's condition.
-
Estrogen-based replacement therapy is recommended for women recovering from a hysterectomy.
-
A combination of progesterone and estrogen hormone replacement therapy is prescribed when a hysterectomy is not performed in the uterus.
-
For women younger than 45, the doctor may recommend a testosterone supplement to boost their sex drive.
Moreover, if the doctor recommends starting MHT, the best option is to start the first dose a week after surgical menopause. The healthcare professionals will give clear instructions about when to begin the treatment.
Conclusion:
Artificial menopause occurs when a woman gets her ovaries surgically removed. They have an increased risk of developing health issues like osteoporosis and heart disease. However, it also has advantages, like reducing the risk of developing ovarian cancers. So it is also advisable to discuss with your doctor the benefits and side effects of this surgery.
