The hormonal disorder polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) affects women during their reproductive years. It has the potential to affect your ability to conceive (your doctor will call it your fertility). This can stop or alter the frequency of your periods, cause acne as well as unwanted body and facial hair. You’ll be more likely to acquire other health problems, including diabetes and high blood pressure.
Treatments are available for the symptoms. You may also be able to conceive. However, you may need to take fertility medications to do so. Some women with PCOS develop cysts on their ovaries. It’s this reason that it’s referred to as “polycystic.” Many women with PCOS, on the other hand, do not develop cysts. As a result, the moniker is misleading.
Curious to know more about this problem? Scroll down the page and get complete details of the same.
What Role Do Hormones Play in PCOS?
Your reproductive hormones are unbalanced when you have PCOS. That can cause ovarian difficulties, including missing or not getting your period.
Hormones get produced by your body to cause various events. Some have an impact on your menstrual cycle, while others get linked to your capacity to conceive. PCOS gets involved by a variety of hormones, including:
Androgens. Male hormones get commonly referred to as such, yet they also exist in females. PCOS women have higher amounts than other women.
Insulin. This hormone controls your blood sugar levels. If you have PCOS, your body may not respond to insulin as it should.
Progesterone. This hormone may be in short supply in people with PCOS. You may go without your period for a long time or have difficulty estimating when it will arrive.
What Are PCOS Symptoms?
Missed, irregular, infrequent, or lengthy periods are the most common PCOS symptoms. Excess androgens can lead to hair loss, unwanted hair growth (such as on the face), and acne. The following are some other symptoms:
- On the neck and in the armpits, darkened skin or extra skin (skin tags)
- Feelings shift
- Pain in the lower abdomen
- Gaining weight in the midsection
What Are the Causes of PCOS?
Doctors aren’t sure why some women get PCOS. PCOS is more likely to affect you if your mother or sibling has it. It could also get linked to problems that lead your body to produce too much insulin, preventing your ovaries from ovulating (or releasing eggs).
What are the Consequences of PCOS?
You’re more prone to suffer a range of problems if you have PCOS and your androgen levels are too high. These can differ from one lady to the next and include the following:
- Having difficulty conceiving
Ovulation can get hampered by cysts in the ovaries. Each month, one of your ovaries will release an egg. You won’t conceive if a healthy egg isn’t available to be fertilized by sperm. If you have PCOS, you may still be able to have children. However, you may need to take medication and work with a reproductive doctor to achieve your goals.
- Diabetes and insulin problems
Insulin resistance may lead your body to produce an excessive amount of androgens. The cells in your muscles, organs and other tissues don’t absorb blood sugar properly if you have insulin resistance. As a result, your bloodstream may contain an excessive amount of sugar. Diabetes is a medical term for a condition that affects your cardiovascular and nervous systems.
- Metabolic syndrome
The risk of cardiovascular disease gets increased by this collection of symptoms. Elevated triglyceride and low HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels, as well as high blood pressure and blood sugar levels, are all indications.
- Other frequent PCOS problems include:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Uterine bleeding and an increased risk of uterine cancer
- Problems with sleep
- Liver inflammation is a condition in which the liver becomes inflamed.
How Is PCOS Diagnosed?
PCOS cannot get diagnosed by a single test. Your doctor will begin by inquiring about your symptoms and medical history, as well as conducting a physical examination and potentially a pelvic examination.
They may conduct blood tests to assess hormone levels, blood sugar levels, and cholesterol levels. An ultrasound can detect cysts in your ovaries, screen for malignancies, and measure your uterine lining.
What is the Treatment for PCOS?
The treatment you receive will get determined by your symptoms, age, and whether or not you wish to become pregnant. If you’re overweight, even a loss of 5 percent to 10% of your body weight can help you feel better. It may also boost your fertility and help your drugs operate better.
To lower insulin resistance, regulate ovulation, and aid weight loss, your doctor may prescribe metformin (Glucophage).
If you don’t want to get conceived, your treatment may involve hormonal contraception, a skin graft, or a tablet. These medications can help you manage your cycles, clean up pimples, and care of unsightly hairy legs while lowering your risk of developing cancer. Reproductive medicines can assist your ovary discharge eggs if you wish to become conceived.
Consult your doctor regarding body hair and pimple medicines.
If you have any of the following symptoms, you should see a doctor:
- Periods of ambiguity
- Mood changes
- Unknown cause of weight increase
- Changes in the hair or skin
These signs and symptoms may not get caused by PCOS, but they could point to other serious health issues.
Conclusion
PCOS is a hormonal condition that affects many women of reproductive age. Patients with PCOS may experience irregular or lengthy menstrual cycles, as well as increased levels of the male hormone androgen. The ovaries may create a significant number of little fluid collections (follicles) before stopping egg production regularly.
This problem has no recognized cause. Weight loss, early detection, and treatment of long-term illnesses like type 2 diabetes and heart disease, can assist in minimizing the risk of long-term ailments.
