The culprit of women's cliff-like aging - premature ovarian failure These factors may lead to

Aging is an inevitable physiological phenomenon for humans, but due to individual differences, everyone's aging speed will be different. Some people are "stagnant" while others seem to be pressed the "accelerator".

For example, as reported some time ago: A woman in Linyi, Shandong suddenly experienced "cliff-like aging" in just 20 days. Her face had obvious wrinkles and her eyes were haggard. Doctors diagnosed her with premature ovarian failure and it was irreversible.

So

What is premature ovarian failure?

How does it affect how quickly women age?

How can we slow down the aging process?

What is premature ovarian failure? Menopause is the natural cessation of menstruation, when the ovaries no longer release eggs and stop producing estrogen and progesterone.

Most women reach menopause at around 48 to 50 years old, and there is generally no problem with a slight advance or delay. If menopause occurs between 40 and 45 years old , we call it "early menopause." ** If it occurs before the age of 40, ** due to natural exhaustion of ovarian follicles or iatrogenic damage, leading to ovarian failure, we will consider the diagnosis as "premature ovarian failure."

(Photo source: Life Times)

Premature ovarian failure may cause many problems for women's bodies, including infrequent menstruation, amenorrhea, hot flashes caused by estrogen deficiency, vaginal dryness, osteoporosis, increased cardiovascular disease, dementia and decreased cognitive function, increased mental illness, and other negative effects.

7 factors leading to premature ovarian failure

When the egg cells are damaged and cannot grow and develop normally, it is the beginning of ovarian aging. Many causes of premature ovarian failure are still unclear, but the main known causes are as follows:

Genetics

If the mother goes through menopause early, the daughter has an 80% chance of going through menopause early. For those with genetic diseases such as chromosomal abnormalities, the follicles may be poorly developed and the ovarian follicle reserve is small, which can also lead to premature ovarian failure.

Iatrogenic factors

Treatments such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy or surgery may disrupt the normal development of egg cells, leading to premature apoptosis of egg cells and premature ovarian failure.

Viral infection

Women who have had mumps are more likely to suffer from premature ovarian failure. The parotid glands and ovaries have a certain homology, and when the virus infects the parotid glands, it may also invade the ovaries and destroy the activity of egg cells.

Autoimmune diseases

The immune system becomes abnormal, and antibodies cannot distinguish between friend and foe, treating the body's own tissue cells as pathogens and destroying them, destroying the structure and function of the ovaries, follicles or related glands.

Excessive weight loss

Fat is the main raw material for synthesizing estrogen. Low body fat will lead to insufficient estrogen synthesis, causing menstrual disorders and amenorrhea. Abnormal amenorrhea will inhibit the ovulation function of the ovaries and cause premature aging.

Too much pressure

Long-term excessive psychological stress may lead to hypothalamic dysfunction, inability to secrete gonadotropin normally, resulting in a decrease in estrogen levels, inability of the ovaries to ovulate normally, and the onset of mass apoptosis of egg cells.

Smoking has clear scientific research evidence showing that smoking affects ovarian function and causes menopause.

forward.

How to prevent premature ovarian failure?

****Premature ovarian failure is indeed irreversible. Unless there are absolute contraindications, all patients with premature ovarian failure should receive hormone replacement therapy to improve the negative feedback caused by decreased estrogen levels and reduce the risk of osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease.

To protect the ovaries, we can prevent from the following 4 aspects:

1. Improve bad living habits, environmental factors and mental factors to avoid affecting gonadal output and causing menstrual disorders, and reduce the impact on ovarian function. Pay attention to a balanced and diversified diet.

2. Reduce stress in work and life, and relax your mood. Abnormal fluctuations in emotions will inevitably interfere with the normal functioning of the central nervous system, thereby affecting the regulation of ovarian function that determines menstrual changes and causing menstrual disorders.

3. Do not abuse drugs, do not smoke, and do not lose weight blindly. Avoid adverse external factors that increase the accumulation of ovarian toxins.

4. Do appropriate exercise, such as swimming, jogging, brisk walking, aerobics, etc., because exercise can enhance physical fitness, maintain body shape, and relieve mental stress.