Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects the hormonal levels of a woman. In this medical condition, women produce higher amounts of male hormones. The hormonal imbalance makes the body skip menstrual periods and makes it difficult for the woman to get pregnant. It also leads to hair growth on the body and face, along with baldness. It might lead to long-term health issues like heart disease and diabetes.
Diabetes drugs (to combat insulin resistance) and birth control pills are PCOD problem treatment that can help in fixing the hormonal imbalance.
Symptoms
Many women start noticing the symptoms right at the time of the first period. Others discover it after they gain excess weight or have issues with pregnancy. The most common symptoms of the condition are:
- Irregular periods
- Heavy bleeding
- Excess hair growth
- Acne and breakouts
- Weight gain
- Male pattern baldness
- Skin darkening and body creases
- Hormonal changes causing headaches
Causes
Doctors believe that higher levels of male hormones stop the ovaries from hormonal production and normally making eggs. Excessive androgen production comes from genetic issues, inflammation, and insulin resistance.
Genetic issues:
PCOS is seen to be running in families. So, one or a combination of genes might cause the condition.
Insulin resistance:
Pancreas produces the hormone insulin to let the body utilize sugar from their foods for energy. When cells are unable to use insulin properly, the body demands more insulin. The pancreas has to make more insulin for compensation, which makes the ovaries produce more male hormones. Obesity is also a cause of insulin resistance.
Inflammation:
High level of inflammation is also common in case of PCOS. Being overweight can lead to inflammation, which might lead to high androgen levels.
Complications
Following are the complications associated with PCOS:
Infertility:
You need to ovulate to get pregnant. The ones who do not ovulate normally do not release enough eggs to be fertilized. PCOS causes infertility in women in this way.
Metabolic syndrome:
A majority of women with PCOS are obese or overweight, which increases the risk for:
- Diabetes
- Hypertension
- Low level of good cholesterol
- High level of bad cholesterol
PCOD problem treatment focus also on curing these metabolic syndromes that increase the risk for:
- Stroke
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
Sleep apnea:
The condition leads to continuous pauses in breathing at night that ends up interrupting sleep. It is commonly seen in overweight women who have PCOS. In fact, the risk for sleep apnea increases at least five times in obese women with PCOS than the ones without PCOS.
Endometrial cancer:
The uterine lining starts shedding during ovulation. The lining builds up when you do not ovulate each month. The thickened lining increases your chances of getting endometrial cancer.
Depression:
Your emotions get negatively affected by hormonal changes and other symptoms like unwanted hair growth. Thus, women suffering from PCOS also experience anxiety and depression.
Endnote
If you are suffering from any of the symptoms of PCOD, wait no more and contact a doctor right away. You can control PCOD with the right treatment.
