Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal disorder in females, where ovaries produce higher level of male hormones (androgen). It’s a common disorder in women and a lot more research is to be done on it. However, it is getting common as it affects 1 in 10 women at reproductive age. Mostly cases of PCOS remain undiagnosed and unmanaged in most women who have it but if you have it, it will usually occur as soon as you have your first period. The exact cause of PCOS is unknown however genetics play an important role in its cause.
Symptoms of Pcos:
There are many symptoms of Pcos. A diagnosis is made when you experience at least two of these symptoms.
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Irregular Periods
The first and most common symptom in PCOS is irregular periods or even no periods at all. Lack of ovulation prevents the uterine lining from shedding every month. If you get less than 9 periods a year, you are most likely suffering from it.
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Heavy bleeding or Light bleeding
In some cases the bleeding can be heavier than normal, it’s caused by low levels of progesterone. In some cases the bleeding is light or even sometimes the flow is so light that you don’t need a pad or anything. So if you notice unusual signs of bleeding in your periods you need to get your hormones level checked.
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Excessive hair growth
Excess hair growth is known as hirutism. 70% of women suffering from this condition have extra facial hair and body hair mostly on neck, chest, belly or back.
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Obesity
Your PCOS symptoms tend to get worse if you are overweight. One of the biggest concerns with PCOS is weight gain and difficulty losing excess weight. The main cause for excess weight with PCOS is insulin resistance. Insulin helps in maintaining normal blood sugar levels but due to insulin resistance, the body is not able to absorb the sugar, instead it starts to build up in the bloodstream. Which increase the level of insulin in the body and triggers excessive production of the male hormone androgen by the ovaries. This causes weight gain mostly around abdomen.
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Acne
Too much testosterone male hormones increases skin sebum production which tends to make skin more oily that causes skin to breakout.
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Male pattern baldness
Women suffering from pcos may experience hair loss and hair thinning.
These are some of the most common symptoms for PCOS there are some other symptoms like skin tags or darkened skins, mood changes and stress.
Complications of PCOS on your body
PCOS if left untreated can cause serious prolonged complications in your body.
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Infertility
The most common cause of infertility in women is PCOS. It is difficult to get pregnant if you’re suffering from it. Every month after your periods and during your ovulation period an egg releases but in pcos the ovulation can occur or it might completely stop therefore an egg might be or might not be released every month which leads to infertility. But women with pcos can still get pregnant with the help of some treatments.
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Cardiovascular risks
Women with PCOS have higher risks of cardiovascular diseases. Cardiovascular diseases include factors high cholesterol, high levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol which increases the risk of developing heart diseases high blood pressure.
The risks of these diseases are increased with obesity, being overweight is a major cause for these health complications. These risk factors can be reduced significantly by a healthy lifestyle – plenty of physical activity and a nutritious and healthy diet – and the prevention of weight gain, or management of excess weight.
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Sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is a sleeping disorder that can lead to serious health complications. Sleep apnea causes breathing problems during sleep which disturbs your sleep that leads to sleep loss, fatigue and daytime tiredness.
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Endometrial cancer
Regular periods prevents thickening of uterine lining. Not having regular periods can build up to abnormal cells inside uterus that can lead to endometrial cancer. So if you have fewer than 4 periods in a year, discuss it with your doctor.
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Diabetes
Now what can you do?
Medications help control your symptom. Birth control pills and metformin can both restore more normal menstrual cycles and relieve PCOS symptoms.
But Diet and lifestyle changes can also help overcome your symptoms. Treatment for pcos is adapting to a healthy lifestyle. Healthier life choices will help you lose weight and losing about even 10% of your body weight can help you fight PCOS. It will improve all your symptoms like regulate your menstrual cycle, improve your cholesterol level and reduces heart diseases and diabetes risks.
Exercise is a great way to lose weight in PCOS. A few studies have found that 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise at least 3 days a week can help women with PCOS lose weight. Losing weight with exercise also improves ovulation and insulin levels, but with exercise we also need diet control and low carbohydrate diet is proven to be beneficial for PCOS. Sadly there is no cure for it but with proper guidelines you can manage your symptoms and even help beat it.
Author: Maria Sarfraz (mariaa.sarfraz)
