The ovaries are the reproductive organs of women, located in the pelvis, on both sides of the uterus, one on the left and one on the left, containing follicles, which have an important impact on the growth and development of women and reproductive function.
"Doctor, what should I do, I'm only 29 years old, I haven't given birth to a baby yet......" In the doctor's office, Ms. Liu choked up with tears in her eyes. Ms. Liu, 29, runs a small shop by herself, and she is usually very busy, she has been unable to eat three meals on time for a long time, and she has reversed day and night, and then her body has some abnormalities, such as sudden weight gain and irregular menstruation.
But she hasn't taken it seriously, and when she was a little free this year, she thought that she didn't seem to have a period for more than half a year, so she took the time to go to the hospital for a check-up. It was found that her ovarian function was severely declining, and her anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) value was only 0.05 ng/ml.
This also means that Ms. Liu's ovarian function is no different from that of a 50-year-old perimenopausal woman, and she has almost no chance of pregnancy, and will soon enter menopause. This result made Ms. Liu unacceptable, she was not married yet, and her ovarian function was close to menopause.
Ms. Liu's case is premature ovarian failure, the ovaries are deep in the pelvis, the ovaries are on the left and right, the quality is tough, hard, flattened oval, after maturation, due to the expansion of the follicles and scarring after ovulation, the surface is often uneven.
In the ovaries, there are many follicles, generally a woman has a follicle every month to mature and discharge, if fertilized after ovulation, a fertilized egg will be formed to conceive a fetus, to achieve reproductive function;
At the same time, the ovaries can also secrete hormones, mainly estrogen, progesterone and a small amount of androgens, to maintain women's normal physiological and mental health, and also have the effect of protecting cardiovascular and cerebrovascular and bone health.
Therefore, the health status of the ovaries directly affects a woman's fertility and the maintenance of her physical and mental health. However, at present, due to the increase of life pressure and irregular life, women's ovarian function has been greatly damaged, and there are more and more premature ovarian failure.
1. What is premature ovarian failure?
For women, ovarian health is very important, and once premature ovarian failure occurs, it will have a great impact on the body and mind. Under normal circumstances, the peak period of ovarian function is 25-35 years old, after the age of 35, ovarian function begins to decline, and generally begins to decline after the age of 45.
If ovarian function declines before the age of 40, it is called premature ovarian failure, which is characterized by low estrogen and high gonadotropin, and the clinical manifestations are secondary amenorrhea, often accompanied by perimenopausal symptoms, which can cause infertility.
According to statistics, the incidence rate is 1%-3% in the population, and 2%-10% in amenorrhea patients, and the incidence rate has gradually increased in recent years. Premature ovarian failure leads to fertility loss and low estrogen status, and can also induce osteoporosis and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, which have become non-negligible factors affecting women's reproductive health and social stability.
2. Women should beware of premature ovarian failure if they have any of the following abnormalities
1. Menstrual changes: The most obvious changes in ovarian function problems are changes in menstruation, some may manifest as amenorrhea, and some may manifest as menstrual cycle disorders: lengthening or shortening, loss of regularity, significant reduction in menstrual flow, etc. Infertility: Premature ovarian failure can cause abnormal ovulation, so that a woman's follicles cannot mature and discharge normally or do not ovulate, so that a woman cannot conceive normally.
2. Low estrogen symptoms: Premature ovarian failure will significantly reduce the level of estrogen in the body, which may lead to bloated body shape, including increased abdominal fat, thicker waist circumference and falling buttocks, etc., which will cause menopausal symptoms such as skin laxity, aging face, vaginal dryness, loss of libido, memory loss, mood disorders, hot flashes and night sweats, and may also have osteoporosis and even cardiovascular diseases in advance.
3. Immune diseases: There are many patients with premature ovarian failure in clinical practice, which will be accompanied by more than two autoimmune diseases such as diabetes and thyroid disease, among which thyroid disease is the most common.
3. What are the causes of premature ovarian failure?
(1) Genetic factors
About 10% of women are caused by genetic factors, chromosomal abnormalities are one of the most important causes of premature ovarian failure, and the most common is X chromosome abnormality.
Abnormalities in the genetic material of premature ovarian failure occur not only at the chromosomal level, but can also originate from single-gene abnormalities, mitochondrial DNA abnormalities, etc.
(2) Iatrogenic factors
Pelvic surgery and chemoradiotherapy can lead to premature ovarian failure, and pelvic surgery may directly damage the ovaries or affect their blood vessels, leading to ovarian function decline.
The probability of premature ovarian failure with pelvic radiotherapy is relatively high, of course, mainly depends on the extent of radiotherapy, and the age of the patient and the dose of radiotherapy are also important risk factors.
The damage of chemotherapy drugs to the ovaries is mainly related to the age of the patient, the choice of chemotherapy drug type, the dose, and the total time of medication.
(3) Autoimmune factors
About 30% of premature ovarian failure is associated with ovarian autoimmune disease, which is thought to be a manifestation of autoimmune disease involving the ovaries.
Autoimmune diseases associated with premature ovarian failure include Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Addison's disease (primary chronic adrenal insufficiency), chronic active hepatitis, Crohn's disease, glomerulonephritis, type 1 diabetes, systemic lupus erythematosus, myasthenia gravis, rheumatoid arthritis, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, etc.
(4) Environmental factors
Due to daily bad life Xi: long-term stay up late, lack of sleep; mood swings, long-term mental tension, excessive pressure; smoking and alcohol and other bad habits. Induced abortion, environment, and infection induce ovarian decline.
Fourth, keep in mind three points to prevent premature ovarian failure
In terms of diet, it is necessary to ensure diversification, consume a variety of vegetables every day, appropriately consume more high-quality protein, eggs and milk foods, do not over-diet to lose weight, picky eaters, and eat as little as possible fried and high-salt and high-energy foods. In daily life, we must learn to self-regulate our emotions, release stress reasonably, and don't be irritable. It is necessary to maintain good living Xi, such as not smoking and drinking, so that the ovaries can secrete enough steroid hormones and maintain good ovarian function.
Adequate sleep helps the body's organs get the necessary rest, which helps to eliminate fatigue, stabilize mood, and boost immunity. In addition, women are advised to avoid sitting still for long periods of time and should do a moderate amount of aerobic physical activity such as brisk walking, jogging or walking every day, which is essential for maintaining ovarian health.
If some women have symptoms of premature ovarian failure that have affected their normal life, they must seek medical attention in time, and under the guidance of a doctor, appropriate hormone replacement therapy can play a role in relieving discomfort.
summary
Premature ovarian failure is a relatively common gynecological disease, which has a certain impact on women's physical and mental health.
Therefore, when the above abnormal symptoms occur, female friends should not shy away from the disease, go to the hospital for examination in time, find the problem in time, and treat the symptoms.
Understanding the structure and function of the ovaries, as well as ways to keep them healthy, is crucial for every woman.