Menopause is a stage in the life of women. That stage is bound to come into the life of every normal and healthy woman. But women who usually go through it at the age of 45 to 50 are now going through menopause before that. This is also mentioned in a WHO report. According to the WHO report, hormonal imbalance is happening in women due to unhealthy lifestyles, and the age of menopause which is 45 to 50, is sometimes reaching forty.

What is Menopause?

Menopause is a natural process in which after a certain age, women's periods stop forever. This mostly happens between the ages of 45 to 55 years. Doctors say that when the estrogen and progesterone hormones in the body start decreasing, then women move towards menopause.

Symptoms of Menopause

1. Stopping of periods.

2. Hot flashes.

3. Sleep problems.

4. Mood swings.

5. Weight gain.

6. Hair loss or dry skin.

Menopause stages

Women have to go through two stages to reach menopause. The first stage is the pre-menopause period when periods do not stop completely and become irregular. During this time, the intervals between periods increase. Or sometimes periods may stop suddenly for a few months and then start again. Hormonal changes begin in women's bodies during this phase. And when periods do not come for 12 months continuously, that is the first stage of menopause.

Why is the age of menopause decreasing? (Causes of Early Menopause)

According to gynecologist Dr. Sushma Gupta, there can be many reasons behind the reduction in the age of menopause in women, among which lifestyle, food, stress, environmental factors, and genetic factors are the main ones.

1. Lifestyle and Food Habits

Our lifestyle and food habits are bound to affect our health. In a fast-paced world, eating in a hurry and eating junk food has also become common. All these are also the reasons due to which the age of menopause has started decreasing for women. Apart from this, lack of physical exercise and excessive mental stress can also cause menopause early. Obesity and weight gain can cause hormonal imbalance in the body, which causes menopause to start early.

2. Stress and Mental Health

Mental stress has become a common problem among women these days. Women often face mental stress due to working women, household responsibilities, and social pressures.

Stress can increase the level of cortisol (stress hormone) in the body, which can cause hormonal imbalance and cause early menopause. Apart from this, mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and sleep problems also disturb the hormonal balance in women.

3. Polluted environment

No incident can happen in the environment and no one remains untouched by it. Pollution is also one of them. From respiratory problems in women to a reduction in the age of menopause, pollution is also the reason. In the WHO report, one of the effects of pollution is also the reduction in the age of menopause.

Plastic and hormonal disruptors are entering the body due to increasing pollution and are affecting the reproductive process of women. Due to this, menopause is also happening early.

4. Genetic Reason

The timing of menopause can sometimes be influenced by hereditary reasons. If a woman's mother or grandmother had an early menopause, she too can experience that process early. Genetic factors can affect women's hormonal cycle and the timing of menopause.

5. Health Problems

Some health problems such as thyroid problems, diabetes, and hormonal imbalances can cause menopause early in women's bodies. Apart from this, sometimes some medicines can also affect menopause in women. For example, some cancer treatments (such as chemotherapy) and surgery to remove the ovaries (oophorectomy) can cause early menopause.