All About PCOS

Have you ever heard of PCOS? In your friend group there must be at least one that has mentioned it. Although there are a number of people who have now been educated of the condition, there are still women who are unaware that they have PCOS. According to one study, up to 70% of women with PCOS had never been identified.Being informed that a lot of women experiencing this is not enough it is best for women to be educated on what PCOS is and its symptoms. For PCOS month, let us dive deeper to the topic!

PCOS or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, is a hormonal disorder that affects women during their reproductive years (ages 15 to 44). PCOS affects between 2.2 and 26.7 percent of women in this age group. PCOS causes hormonal imbalances and metabolism issues in women, which can have an impact on their overall health and attractiveness. Infertility can also be caused by PCOS, which is a common and treatable condition. PCOS is a condition that affects a woman’s ovaries, which are reproductive organs that generate estrogen and progesterone, which regulate the menstrual cycle. Male hormones termed androgens are also produced in modest amounts by the ovaries. PCOS is a collection of symptoms affecting the ovaries and ovulation. It has three key characteristics: cyst in the ovaries, excessive amount of male hormones and irregular period.

The exact cause of the syndrome is yet to be found out. Several variables, however, may influence whether or not you get PCOS. Some of the reasons are :

Hereditary. You’re more likely to develop PCOS if you have PCOS in your family or if you have a history of diabetes.
There’s too much insulin in your system. When your cells are exposed to too much of this hormone, they develop resistance to it. This can result in an increase in testosterone production as well as difficulties ovulating.
Androgen levels are high. You can get hirsutism and acne if your ovaries generate too much androgen.
Inflammation. PCOS is a form of low-grade inflammation in which your ovaries are stimulated to generate androgens.

Here are the most common symptoms of PCOS :

Irregular Period.The uterine lining is not shed every month due to a lack of ovulation. Some women with PCOS have fewer than eight or no periods per year
Excessive Bleeding. Because the uterine lining develops over a longer length of time, your periods may be thicker than usual.
Weight Gain. PCOS affects up to 80% of women who are overweight or obese. Some women also have a hard time losing weight because of this.
Too much hair growth. Hair grows on the face and body of more than 70% of women with this disease, including the back, belly, and chest. Hirsutism is the term for excessive hair growth.
Acne. Male hormones can induce breakouts on the face, chest, and upper back by making the skin oilier than usual.
Skin discoloration. In bodily creases such as the neck, groin, and beneath the breasts, dark patches of skin can develop.
Headaches. Some women get headaches as a result of hormonal changes.

We hope you have a better and deeper view of PCOS. As some of the symptoms of PCOS are also visible like weight gain, acne and hair growth on different parts of the face and body, we hope for a change of mindset and judgment towards other women as well.

If you or if you know anyone close to you that has been experiencing these symptoms, it is best to consult your OB for you to be given the right treatment.

Person, Olsen, T. G., 320, ImageObject, & Tandy G. Olsen, M. D. is an O. B. G. Y. N. at I. B. C. in L. (2018, May 3). Signs and symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome. intermountainhealthcare.org. Retrieved September 11, 2021, from https://intermountainhealthcare.org/blogs/topics/live-well/2018/05/signs-and-symptoms-of-polycystic-ovary-syndrome/.

Watson, S. (2021, April 19). Polycystic ovary syndrome (pcos). Healthline. Retrieved September 11, 2021, from https://www.healthline.com/health/polycystic-ovary-disease#symptoms.

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