Can we predict menopause?? What is premenopuse??

 Deep clouds before thunder and torrential shower!!! Premature menopause is diagnosed   retrospectively: But can we predict its onset?? How ?? Ans:-Firstly, let me say & confess that “There is no agreed precise definition of POI and it may be regarded as the initial phase of  POF/ DOR “ and  which S/S eventually lead to a continuum that ultimately results in premature menopause.

 Is it true always  that the  POF (DOR)  is defined as the complete loss of ovarian function occurring before the age of 40(according to some authorities it is 35 yrs)  and is a diagnosis that is usually made retrospectively when a woman presents with oestrogen deficiency symptoms, amenorrhoea of more than 1 year, an elevated FSH and reduced serum oestradiol. Premature ovarian failure or premature ovarian insufficiency is that phase when there is some loss of ovarian function associated with impaired fertility and impaired hormone production. While a woman may have normal periods and be able to conceive, this phase is often associated with some degree of infertility and irregular menstrual cycles.

Causes of POF

There are many causes of premature ovarian insufficiency but in the majority of cases the cause remains unknown. An increasing number of young women and girls are surviving cancer treatment and there is, therefore, a growing number of women with iatrogenic ovarian failure. It is estimated that 5 % of women will experience the menopause by the age of 45, 1 % before the age of 40 and 0.1 % before the age of 30.