Menopause normally occurs around the age of 50. However, it differs for every individual as influenced by various factors such as:
Most women are likely to start experiencing menopause at a similar age as their mothers or other women in their family.
Smokers tend to reach menopause earlier as compared to non-smokers. The degree of shift in the time of onset of perimenopause is determined by smoking habits such as the number of cigarettes smoked regularly and the duration the woman has been a smoker. The more regular and heavily the woman smokes, the earlier she will experience menopause.
Pregnancy history also affects the onset age of menopause. Multiparity (i.e. more than one pregnancy experienced) is associated with a later menopause. Nullparity (i.e. no history of pregnancy) is one of the factors that contribute to earlier menopause.
Medically treated depression, toxic chemical exposure, and treatment of childhood cancer with pelvic radiation and alkylating agents may propel menopause to occur earlier than usual.
