Causes of Premature Ovarian Failure in TCM
According to TCM, disease is expressed as patterns of disharmony (bian zheng), such as Kidney Yin Deficiency, Kidney Yang Deficiency, and Kidney Essence Deficiency, etc. However, it is important not to confuse the pattern for the cause of the disharmony. TCM looks to the cause of disharmony in imbalance or intemperance in the person’s life; or, inherited weaknesses from the parents (genetics); or, emotional disturbances of a prolonged or excessive nature.
Some of the factors that may result in imbalance in the person’s life, and sub-sequently the development of disease or disharmony are: exposure to severe cli-mate, or out-of-season climate; poor diet; excessive work or overexertion; trauma; poisonous chemicals or para-sites; excessive sexual activity; and, wrong treatment (iatrogenesis).

How do emotions, constitution, and lifestyle imbalances relate to POF as causative factors? Firstly, we know that prolonged stress – emotional, work related, or otherwise – can lead to dys-function of the hypothalamus and atro-phy of the pituitary – both of which are vital to the proper functioning of the ovaries. Because stress stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, which in turn stimulates the adrenals to secrete adrenaline and cortisol in excessive amounts and inappropriate times, thereby leading to fluctuating insulin levels, the Hypothalamus – which functions like a thermostat in reading blood levels of cir-culating hormones – begins to malfunc-tion. Because the Hypothalamus secretes gonadatropin releasing hormones (GnrH) to prompt the pituitary to secrete FSH, any malfunction of this relationship will cause a disruption of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Ovarian axis.

Constitution as a causative factor in POF is obviously related to genetics. Those women whose genetic makeup is lacking certain chromosomal factors – such as in Turners Syndrome – may have developmental issues related to reproduction and normal gynecological function. Gene mutations could also fall into this category.

Lifestyle factors influencing POF are perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this discussion from a TCM perspective. TCM believe that it is more important to understand life, than to understand disease, because disease usually comes from life. Science has demonstrated in numerous studies that poor diet, overwork, exposure to environmental toxins (whether chemical or electromagnetic), and improper med-ical treatment/iatro-genesis (i.e., incorrect or excessive medications), can each lead to malfunction of the human organism and disease – often in the form of the person’s own immune system attacking itself.