Menopause, which is the stoppage of menstrual period, if resulting due to the induced non functioning of ovaries, is known as induced menopause. The ovaries can be damaged as a result of many causes such as drugs, radiation, chemotherapy or may even be surgically removed. Oophorectomy, the surgical removal of the ovaries, may be done together with or separately from hysterectomy, the surgical removal of the uterus.
Effects of Hysterectomy
When a woman undergoes only hysterectomy, the ovaries are left in place. These ovaries continue to produce the hormones – estrogen, progesterone and androgen. Thus, the process of uterus removal, though does not result in an immediate menopause in the true hormonal sense, it results in stoppage of menstrual bleeding and the woman can no longer bear children. Though the ovaries are intact and continue to produce the hormones, hysterectomy cause menopause to occur about two to three years earlier than normal. This may be as a result of hormonal changes due to the disturbance in the blood supply to the ovaries. Hysterectomy would not prevent a woman from undergoing perimenopause due to the gradual decrease in secretion of estrogen by the ovaries. But without the uterus there will be no menstruation and the woman would not have the most reliable indicator of the beginning of the perimenopause i.e. irregular periods.
Effects of Oophorectomy
On the other hand, when a woman undergoes Oophorectomy, wherein her ovaries are removed, she will immediately experience menopause due to the sudden decrease in the levels of all ovarian hormones - estrogen, progesterone and androgen. Generally, the induced menopause is tougher than natural menopause and the drastic and abrupt hormonal levels drop due to induced menopause is likely to result in more intense symptoms from estrogen loss (such as hot flashes) and from androgen loss (such as low sex drive) than what would occur in a natural menopause.
Hormonal Therapy and Induced Menopause
When the ovaries in their natural process decrease the production of hormones, it results in natural menopause. Induced menopause on the other hand is distinctly different as it is caused due to abruptly reducing the production of ovarian hormones by process that is not natural. The process of the decline of sex hormones is not steady and thus may result in the onset of hot flashes, dryness of vaginal lining and other changes associated with the symptoms of menopause.
Induced menopause, especially when it occurs well before the typical age at menopause, as well as premature natural menopause, usually results in special longer-term health concerns. Since this results in a women living with lower than normal hormonal levels, they are at increased risk for various aging-related diseases, such as osteoporosis and heart disease. Therefore, traditional hormone therapy is most likely to benefit such women.
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