Womens Health Blog

There are two main types of menopause:

• Natural menopause, which is due to decrease in the production of female sex hormones­estrogen and progesterone by the ovaries. It is a gradual process that is normally spread over several years.
• Induced menopause, which is due to one of the several medical interventions. For example, surgical removal of both ovaries because of an abnormality in their structure and function before the age of natural menopause causes surgical menopause. Similarly, some medicines, radiation and chemotherapy (treatment of various diseases, especially cancer, with chemical agents) can also cause induced menopause. It is a sudden event and this is why the symptoms associated with induced menopause are normally more troublesome.

Induced menopause is not common in women who have had hysterectomy before the age of natural menopause. Hysterectomy is the term used for surgical removal of the uterus. Since the ovaries are not removed during this surgery, they can continue to produce sex hormones. However, if the nerves and blood supply to the ovaries are damaged while doing hysterectomy, induced menopause can occur.

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