Menopause is defined in medical terms as the permanent end to a woman's fertility and menstruation, occurring one year after you experience your last menstrual period. Symptoms of menopause may begin some time before the process is complete, and may last months or years. The average age of menopause in the United States is around age 51, according to the Mayo Clinic. However, some women may experience menopause at a much earlier age.
Fertility
According to an article published in the January 2011 issue of the journal "Human Molecular Genetics," a woman may become infertile roughly 10 years before she experiences menopause. This article cites the ages of 40 to 60 as the usual age range in which women experience menopause, meaning that fertility may decline or end between the ages of 30 to 50 for typical women. The age at which a woman goes through menopause is partly determined according to genetic factors--if you wish to plan a family later in life, it could be helpful to assess your family history concerning age at menopause.
Factors
Several factors have been found to increase an individual woman's chances of experiencing early menopause. If you smoke cigarettes, experts indicate that this may cause you to start menopause as much as one year early. If you experience relatively short menstrual cycles, this also increases the likelihood of early menopause. Using oral contraceptives is believed to delay the onset of menopause. Additionally, your family medical history, genetic heritage and race may all play a part in determining when you will experience menopause.
Premature Ovarian Failure
If a woman's ovaries cease functioning before she reaches the age of 40, this is known as premature ovarian failure, or POF. POF is sometimes referred to as "premature menopause," and may also be called ovarian insufficiency or primary ovarian insufficiency. A woman with POF may experience the symptoms of menopause, and an end to fertility, at any age during her adult life. POF may occur naturally, or may result from surgery, radiation exposure or chemotherapy.
Considerations
A report by the Women's Health Clinic at the Mayo Clinic, published in the February 2010 issue of the journal "Maturitas," indicates that menopause before the age of 40 is considered premature; between the ages of 40 and 45 it is considered early. The article indicates that if you experience menopause any time before the age of 45, you have an increased risk of several health problems. These include cardiovascular diseases, psychiatric problems, neurological diseases and osteoporosis. Some of these problems may be prevented with hormonal treatments at the time you experience menopause.
