Premature Ovarian Failure

　　Mostly related to genetics, gonadal dysgenesis, endocrine, and immune diseases. Some patients with premature ovarian failure may have autoimmune endocrine disorders, such as adrenal insufficiency, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, or hypothyroidism, which can cause premature ovarian failure.

　　1. Genetic Factors

　　Genetic factors account for 10%, and are one of the important factors in premature ovarian failure;

　　2. External Factors

　　External factors such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunosuppressants, and surgery can have a certain impact on ovarian function;

　　3. Reproductive Factors

　　It is related to the number of deliveries and long-term menstrual disorders in patients. Childbirth can reduce the risk of POF, and the risk of early menopause in women who have not given birth increases. In addition, multiple abortions can increase the risk of POF;

　　4. Psychological and Social Factors

　　Strong mental stimulation, such as long-term anxiety, depression, sadness, anger, fear, and other negative emotions, or sudden changes in living environment, can stimulate the central nervous system, and in severe cases, affect ovarian function;

　　5. Living Environment Factors

　　Many environmental toxins such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from the burning of plastic in the living environment, nicotine in cigarettes, etc., will damage the follicles and harm human reproductive function;

　　6. Excessive Weight Loss

　　Excessive weight loss in women can lead to a sharp decrease in body fat. If the fat ratio is too low, it will affect the level of estrogen in the body. Since the main raw material for the synthesis of estrogen is fat, when the body fat is insufficient, it will lead to insufficient estrogen. Once estrogen decreases, it will cause menstrual disorders, and in severe cases, even amenorrhea. This will further affect the ovarian function, leading to premature ovarian failure.

　　7. Infection factors

　　Diseases such as viral parotitis of the ovary in childhood and adolescence, chickenpox virus, cytomegalovirus infection, and severe pelvic tuberculosis, gonorrheal and purulent pelvic inflammation, and other diseases can lead to partial or complete loss of ovarian function.

　　Premature ovarian failure refers to the phenomenon of menopause before the age of 40 due to ovarian failure. This disease can trigger the following complications:

　　1. Infertility:Premature ovarian failure can affect the development of follicles, causing women not to ovulate during the ovulatory period, leading to female infertility.

　　2. Amenorrhea:Under the regulation of estrogen secreted by the ovaries, the endometrium proliferates and sheds cyclically, forming menstruation. If a woman has premature ovarian failure, she may experience oligomenorrhea and eventually amenorrhea.

　　3. Other:Women with premature ovarian failure may also experience symptoms such as lack of elasticity in the skin and mucous membranes, atrophy of the breast, reduced vaginal secretion, atrophy of the vulva, and decreased sexual function.

　　Clinical manifestations are accompanied by varying degrees of hot flashes, vaginal dryness, decreased libido, and other symptoms before and after menopause. In addition to amenorrhea, only a few people with premature ovarian failure show symptoms similar to menopausal syndrome. The typical symptoms of premature ovarian failure mainly include the following aspects:

　　1. Infertility

　　Some women are diagnosed with premature ovarian failure due to infertility.

　　2. Decreased libido

　　Interest in sex becomes indifferent. Pain during sexual intercourse. Frequent occurrence of vaginitis or urinary system infection.

　　3. Irregular menstrual cycle

　　The manifestations of menstrual changes can be roughly divided into three types: First, the menstrual interval is long, the duration of menstruation is short, the amount of menstrual blood is reduced, and then menopause gradually occurs; second, the menstrual cycle is irregular, some people have a long menstrual period, a large amount of menstrual blood, or even vaginal hemorrhage, while others have intermittent bleeding, which gradually decreases until menopause; third, menopause occurs suddenly. For example, if the menstrual cycle is usually regular and there is no special discomfort before the menstrual period, there may be breast swelling, mood instability, insomnia, dreaming, headache, abdominal distension, and limb edema during the premenstrual syndrome.

　　4. Low estrogen symptoms

　　Common symptoms include hot flashes, excessive sweating, facial redness, low libido; some women may also experience atrophic vaginitis and symptoms of atrophic urethritis such as frequent urination and dysuria.

　　Premature ovarian failure has a bad effect on the appearance, skin, and body of beautiful women, and for women who love beauty, premature ovarian failure is a serious disease. To prevent premature ovarian failure, the following points should be followed:

　　1. In terms of lifestyle

　　Pay attention to nutritional balance, keep drinking milk regularly, and consume foods such as fish, shrimp, vegetables, fruits, lotus seeds, and black fungus, as well as regularly exercising the body. Pay special attention to quitting smoking in public places and at home to reduce passive smoking.

　　2. Pay attention to contraception

　　Reducing the occurrence of induced abortions, repeated multiple induced abortions often disturb the reproductive endocrine function and may have a certain impact on the ovaries.

　　3. Actively carry out etiological treatment

　　Active treatment should be carried out for diseases such as pelvic diseases, viral infections, and autoimmune system diseases to prevent their impact on ovarian function.

　　4. Emotion regulation

　　The central nervous system and endocrine system are interconnected and influence each other. Therefore, women should learn to maintain a good mindset, learn to release negative emotions, and avoid reducing the body's ability to resist diseases, leading to the occurrence of premature ovarian failure.

　　5. Establishing a scientific way of life

　　Monotonous life is one of the causes of many diseases. Establishing a civilized, healthy, and scientific way of life is crucial for improving physical quality and preventing diseases from accumulating due to overwork. Reasonably arrange the rhythm of life, and ensure regular living, sufficient sleep, and a combination of work and rest.

　　6. Proper use of hormone drugs or health products

　　Improper hormone supplementation and poor health care can lead to overstimulation of the ovaries, causing certain side effects.

　　7. Promoting breastfeeding after childbirth

　　Try to extend the breastfeeding period to allow the ovaries to rest appropriately, which is beneficial for the recovery of ovarian function.

　　8. Preventive treatment

　　Ovaries may experience functional abnormalities before functional failure, which may last from a few years to a decade. Indirectly understanding the ovarian state through ovarian reserve function monitoring indicators can help. Timely application of cyclic treatment or traditional Chinese medicine for ovarian function protection can, to some extent, alleviate or slow down the progression of ovarian function failure.

　　9. Reducing the impact of external factors

　　Try to minimize contact with toxic and harmful substances. Radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and pelvic surgery can, to a certain extent, solve health problems, but their excessive use may also have an impact on the ovaries. Therefore, rational medication and standardized treatment should be practiced with awareness of protecting ovarian function.

　　The phenomenon of amenorrhea before the age of 40 due to ovarian failure is called premature ovarian failure, and the following examinations are needed to diagnose it:

　　1. Measurement of sex hormone levels

　　Serum hormone level measurements show elevated FSH levels and decreased estrogen levels as the main characteristics and diagnostic criteria for POF patients, generally FSH>40U/L, estradiol

　　2. Ultrasound examination

　　Most POF patients show a decrease in the size of the ovaries and uterus on pelvic ultrasound, with no follicles in the ovaries;

　　3. Bone mineral density measurement

　　Patients with POF may exhibit low bone mass and osteoporosis due to low peak bone mass and increased bone loss rate;

　　4. Measurement of autoimmune and endocrine indicators

　　The clinical significance of this method is not yet certain. There is no correlation between anti-ovarian antibodies and the severity of ovarian inflammation, and it cannot predict whether or when ovarian function decline will occur.

　　5. Ovarian biopsy

　　If there are still follicles present, it may be due to a lack of FSH receptors in the ovaries, lack of response to gonadotropins, a condition known as ovarian insensitivity syndrome. Since ovarian insensitivity syndrome is relatively rare and the opportunity for pregnancy is very low, it is generally not recommended to perform ovarian biopsy.

　　7. Laparoscopic examination

　　Premature ovarian failure patients may show small, atrophic ovaries with不明显 follicles, no primordial follicles visible under the microscope, and ovarian stromal fibrosis.

　　Patients with premature ovarian failure can eat more high-quality protein, B vitamins, folic acid, iron, calcium, and other nutrients, such as eggs, milk, soy products, fresh vegetables, mushrooms, black fungus, kelp, and seaweed, etc., while avoiding overly greasy, salty, or sweet foods. Eating should be regular, with meals taken on time, and no overeating or fasting. In addition to traditional Chinese and Western medicine treatment, the following dietary methods can also effectively improve the symptoms of patients with premature ovarian failure.

　　1. Lotus Lily Glutinous Rice Congee

　　Rice and glutinous rice each 30 grams, lotus seeds 50 grams, lily 100 grams. Wash the rice clean, remove the core of the lotus seeds, put them in a pot, add 1000 milliliters of water, and cook the congee over low heat. After cooking, divide and eat in two servings. It can also be cooked with芡实、red dates. This congee is suitable for those with premature ovarian failure and kidney yin deficiency.

　　2. Shanyao congee

　　Shanyao meat 16 grams, glutinous rice 50 grams, sugar to taste. The three ingredients are cooked together in a pot, with an appropriate amount of water added, and cooked over low heat until the congee is thickened. Season and eat, take one dose in the morning on an empty stomach, and take for 10 days as one course of treatment. This congee is suitable for those with premature ovarian failure and kidney yin deficiency.

　　The treatment principles for premature ovarian failure include removing the cause, treating the primary disease or accompanying diseases, restoring ovarian function, correctly supplementing estrogen, preventing and treating damage caused by estrogen deficiency, and assisting patients in achieving fertility. Oral progesterone and Difene can be taken.

　　1. Estrogen Therapy

　　Premature ovarian failure is often caused by a lack of estrogen in the body, which can stimulate follicle development; indirectly, the level of estrogen in the blood can promote or inhibit the release of gonadotropins, thereby indirectly affecting ovarian function. For most women, oral and direct placement supplementation are more common.

　　2. Artificial Cycle

　　Women can avoid epithelial atrophy of the reproductive organs and calcium loss by taking some health products containing estrogen, and can also protect the cardiovascular system and prevent changes in lipid metabolism.

　　3. Immunosuppressants

　　Corticosteroids can be used to treat patients with adrenal cortical insufficiency.

　　4. Embryo Transfer

　　Embryo Transfer is mainly for women who wish to have children through in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer or egg donation, thus making pregnancy possible for women.