In the summer of 2017, something happened that I still regret today.
That year, I graduated from medical university with a bachelor's degree, and on the way through Chengdu, I made an appointment with my cousin, whom I had not seen for a long time.
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During the dinner, my white-collar cousin and I talked about work and life together, probably because I was a medical student, and talked about her menstruation.
Cousin said that she used to menstruate regularly, these two years do not know whether it is the work pressure or what the reason, two or three months only come once, at first think not to come is also strange, save a lot of trouble, and did not take it seriously.
But recently talked about a boyfriend, got along well, is ready to get married, and is worried about abnormal menstruation affecting fertility.
So I went to the old Chinese medicine recommended by acquaintances to see, began to drink Chinese medicine, the effect is OK, can come every month.
My cousin asked me:
Menstruation comes less, is this situation more common for girls?
I say:
You still have to check the reason, you can't blindly drink Chinese medicine, it may be polycystic ovary syndrome, it may also be...
I thought of "premature ovarian failure" but didn't say it, after all, my cousin was only 25 years old.
After returning from Chengdu, I became a resident of the gynecology department of a top three hospital, facing a lot of patients every day, and I couldn't finish writing medical records, which I slowly forgot.
After contacting her cousin again, it was a year later, and she sent a test form, saying that she had not menstruated after drinking Chinese medicine for more than half a year.
Went to the hospital to check, the doctor diagnosed "premature ovarian failure", that is, menopause, fertility hope is slim, can only oral hormone replacement therapy, to maintain other organs of the body from great influence ...
I was shocked and regretted, she is only 26 years old, about to get married, how did she have menopause?
It's been 5 years since the incident, and whenever I think back on it, I still feel very sorry and regret that I didn't urge her to go to the hospital for a good examination.
Now that I have become an attending gynecologist, I decided to write about the disease of premature ovarian failure, hoping to arouse more people to pay attention to their menstrual changes and pay attention to ovarian health.
The ovary is a female-specific organ and the source of human continued life, only if it secretes hormones normally and ovulates normally, can it breed offspring;
In addition, the estrogen secreted by the ovaries makes women beautiful and colorful, maintaining a "reverse growth" appearance.
Normal ovaries also have working years, and when they are about 50 years old, they will retire, the eggs will no longer grow and be excreted, the estrogen will be less and less, and slowly the ovarian function will fail.
Medically known as "early-onset ovarian insufficiency", as the name suggests, people are still young, but the ovaries are one step ahead of them.
Women's ovaries lose their normal function before the age of 40, manifested by secondary amenorrhea, infertility, often accompanied by perimenopausal symptoms such as sweating, insomnia, and memory loss, with an incidence of about 1%.
With the further failure of ovarian function, problems such as osteoporosis, metabolic disorders (hyperglycemia, hypertension), cardiovascular disease may also occur.
There are many reasons, some of which we cannot control, such as chromosomal abnormalities and genetic diseases, immune diseases, iatrogenic injuries (radiotherapy and chemotherapy, surgical injuries inevitable due to ovarian diseases), etc.;
There are other parts that we can avoid, such as long-term negative emotions, smoking and drinking, exposure to chemicals, abuse of oral contraceptives, obesity, etc.
Premature ovarian failure is a worldwide problem, and perhaps many tests may be done, but the cause is still not found.
Before premature ovarian failure, women may experience poor skin (roughness, acne, yellowing, etc.), menstrual abnormalities (rare menstruation or amenorrhea), mood abnormalities (irritability), decreased sexual function (decreased libido, dyspareunia, vaginal dryness), infertility, etc.
After the decline of ovarian function can not be restored, the only thing that can be done is hormone replacement therapy to alleviate perimenopausal symptoms and prevent long-term complications such as osteoporosis, hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular system diseases and so on.
Normal sex life and pregnancy at the right age are the best way to maintain the ovaries.
In addition, it is necessary to maintain a good mood and living habits, relieve stress, quit smoking and alcohol, not over-diet and lose weight, avoid staying up late, improve the working environment (daily exposure to chemicals and unprotected work) and regular physical examinations.
If it is premature ovarian failure caused by radiotherapy and chemotherapy and ovarian surgery, ovarian tissue freezing can be carried out before treatment, and ovarian tissue transplantation can be carried out later, this new technology has saved many women's ovaries.
Most importantly – if you have abnormal menstruation, please go to the hospital in time.
Especially for women who have not yet given birth, if they find that the ovarian function is reduced, they must grasp the golden period before the complete failure of ovarian function, intervene in time, or have a great chance to have their own baby.
It is very difficult to wait until the ovaries have completely failed before considering childbearing.
postscript
Now, my cousin is married to him who loves her, and at the wedding, I went to be a bridesmaid, watching the scene of their kindness and love, maybe only the doctor knows the difficulties that my cousin will face in her future married life...
I can only send blessings silently.
My cousin is currently regular with oral hormone replacement therapy, holding a glimmer of hope, insisting on going to the reproductive department, measuring follicle and hormone levels, and trying to use assisted reproductive technology to have her own baby.
However, because of the late consultation time, the fertility doctor is also helpless, if the cousin intervenes in time when the menstrual disorder is first, the chance of having her own baby is much higher than now.
If there is a time machine, let me go back to the summer of 2017, I would definitely highly recommend that my cousin go to a professional hospital early, maybe... Now there is no possibility.
Pay attention to menstruation, care for the ovaries, and hope that the "female flower" can bloom a little longer, a little longer...
Reviewer
Yuan Bo | deputy chief physician of the Department of Gynecology of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University
*The content of this article is a popularization of health knowledge and cannot be used as a specific diagnosis and treatment recommendation, nor is it a substitute for face-to-face consultation by a practicing physician, for reference only.
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