What is PCOS?
PCOS stands for Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome which is the most common and misunderstood health problem for the women. This is hormonal disorder problem during the reproductive age, in which many small fluid-filled sacs start to grow inside the ovaries. “Poly” means “many” and “cystic” means “cysts”. This is the most common cause of women infertility. You can consult your gynecologist to get proper treatment which is based on your symptoms and if you are trying to get pregnant. Early diagnosis and treatment along with weight loss can reduce the chances of having this problem.
Who can get PCOS?
Anyone can get PCOS anytime after puberty but most of the women are diagnosed when they try to conceive. If a woman who is overweight or obese or a family history of having PCOS, then that woman have higher chances of getting this problem.
What are the Causes?
Although the exact causes of having this problem are unknown yet some of the most common causes are enumerated below:
- Excess Insulin: – When insulin increases in your body, then ovaries start to make and release male hormones i.e. androgens. Those increased androgens suppress ovulation and contribute to other symptom of PCOS. Excess insulin can lead to diabetes.
- Low-grade Inflammation: – If there is low production of white blood cells then it becomes a little bit difficult to fight with infection. Women who are having PCOS problem produce more androgens that can create problem for heart and blood vessels.
- Heredity: – Women who have family history of PCOS have higher chances of occurring this problem in them.
What are the Common Symptoms of PCOS?
Different symptoms can be seen in different people in different ages such as some women notice the symptoms around their periods whereas some others come to know they gain weight excessively or they face problem while getting pregnant.
Most common symptoms are described below:
Irregular periods: – When there is lack of ovulation then it stops shedding every month to the uterine lining. Some of the women experience irregular periods due to having PCOS and have fewer than eight periods in a year or none at all.
Heavy Bleeding: – Due to lack of ovulation, uterine lining builds up for a longer period of time and because of that periods are heavier than normal.
Hair Growth: – Women who are having this kind of problem notice excess hair on their face, body, back, belly and chest. This excessive growth of hair is called hirsutism.
Weight Gain: – PCOS affected women experience excessive weight gain or having obesity problem. So this is also one of the most common symptoms of this problem.
Darkening of Skin: – You can also experience dark patches on body creases such as on the neck, on the waist or under the breasts.
Headaches: – When there are hormonal changes in women, they can experience headaches. This can be the symptom of having PCOS.
What are the Common Medical Treatments?
It depends upon your individual concerns like infertility, hirsutism, acne or obesity. Lifestyle changes and medications are specific treatments.
Lifestyle Changes
If you change your lifestyle such as take low-calorie diet and exercise can be helpful in losing your weight which is recommended by doctor then it can improve your condition. Less weight can also increase the effectiveness of medications recommended by doctor for PCOS, and can help with infertility.
Medications
- Birth Control Pills
- Progestin Therapy
- Clomiphene
- Letrozole
- Metformin
- Gonadotrophins
- Spironolactone
- Eflornithine
- Electrolysis
The problem of PCOS can disrupt a woman’s menstrual cycles and create problem while getting problem. When there are excessive male hormones are present in a woman’s body then that can lead to unwanted hair growth on the face and body.