Polycystic ovarian syndrome, also known as Pcos, is a hormonal disorder. Women suffering from PCOS have an imbalance of female hormones and produce male hormones.
Why PCOS is a most common disorder in females and yet under-recognized:
PCOS can affect any female aged 15 to 44; approximately 26% of females worldwide suffer from PCOS at any time.
Most women never get diagnosed with PCOS and so never receive any medical treatment for PCOS. According to a study, 70% of women never had a proper diagnosis and medical treatment for PCOS. It is the most under-recognized reproductive disease in females, although it can cause various complications.
What is PCOS?
PCOS usually affects the female reproductive organ ovaries, leading to imbalanced levels of female hormones, estrogen, and progesterone. These two hormones also regulate menstrual cycles. Your ovaries also produce male hormones known as androgens in small amounts. Ovulation is the release of an egg from your ovaries each month.
PCOS is a group of disorders, so it is a syndrome that affects your ovaries' normal functioning. The three main complications of PCOS include:
- High levels of male hormones, i.e., androgens
- Irregular or absence of menstrual cycle
- Cysts on your ovaries
In PCOS, polycystic means the formation of multiple cysts in your ovaries. These cysts are immature eggs, and they do not undergo ovulation. The absence of ovulation will disturb your hormone level, increasing the levels of male hormones. High levels of male hormones will disrupt your menstrual cycle, so females with PCOS have irregular or no menstrual cycle.
What are the causes of PCOS:
There is no single cause of PCOS. There are a group of risk factors genes, insulin resistance, and inflammation.
What are the common signs and symptoms of PCOS:
Excessive hair growth on your body: PCOS can make you wax your body more often. More than 70% of females with PCOS grow excessive hair growth on their face, neck, chin, back, belly, and chest. It is known as hirsutism.
Weight gain:
PCOS can lead to weight gain. Approximately 80% of women with PCOS are obese.
Irregular periods:
Absence of ovulation during PCOS can lead to no to irregular periods. Many females have eight or less than eight periods per year.
Hair loss:
Hormonal imbalance can cause chronic hair loss, and it may lead to male pattern baldness.
Acne:
High levels of male hormones in the body can lead to acne breakouts on your face, chest, and back.
Dark patches:
In PCOS, dark patches can be seen on the neck, under your breast, and in the groin.
When you should visit your healthcare physician:
You should consult your doctor if:
- You have missed your periods, and you are not pregnant.
- You have excessive coarse hair growth on your face and body.
- You are unable to get pregnant.
- You are having symptoms of diabetes, such as unintentional weight loss, excessive thirst, and blurred vision.
Breast cancer is a more severe disease than PCOS. But PCOS is a much under-recognized syndrome and it affects health of women. It is important to create awareness so women can understand their symptoms better and get diagnosed and treated at right time to prevent further complications which may lead to ovarian cancers and infertility!
References:
- https://www.healthline.com/health/polycystic-ovary-disease
- https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/84/6/1897/2864436
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5916073
