Title: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS): Causes, Symptoms and Treatment - Carefirst: Online Doctor Consultation
1- By Dr. Ambika Shankar (MBBS, MS Obstetrics and
Gynecology), Senior Consultant (Obstetrics and
Gynecology). Dr. Ambika Shankar has expertise in
High-risk Obstetrics, Contraception and Family
planning, Hormonal problems like PCOS, Adolescent
and menopausal issues, Menstrual problems- heavy
menstrual bleeding, irregular periods, painful
periods, missed periods, etc, Foetal medicine,
Advanced Obstetric and Gynae ultrasonography and
Infertility. - What is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)/PCOD
- Have you ever had trouble losing weight or suffer
from anxiety or depression? Have you experienced
chronic acne, put up with troublesome periods, or
even experienced infertility? - If you are facing a combination of these
symptoms, you may be suffering from PCOS
(Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome). Every other woman
coming to a gynecologist nowadays has PCOS. - Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a problem
with hormones that happens during the
reproductive years. Polycystic ovarian syndrome
is the most common endocrinopathy affecting
4-12 of the reproductive age group women. It not
only has an adverse effect on fertility but also
on the quality of life. In fact, South Asian
women are more predisposed. In India, the
prevalence is 4 - 22. - What is PCOS?
- PCOS or polycystic ovarian syndrome is a disorder
where the ovaries fail to release an egg every
28-35 days i.e., there is no ovulation causing
accumulation of unruptured follicles giving its
characteristic appearance polycystic. As a
result, the ovaries produce an excess of only
certain hormones estrogen and androgens causing
menstrual irregularities and a plethora of other
symptoms, which well talk about in the post. - It is mainly caused due to imbalance in the
hormones in the hormonal axis involving our
hypothalamus, pituitary, and ovaries these are
the organs producing the hormones needed to
maintain a normal menstrual cycle. - Are PCOS and PCOD different?
- Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) or Polycystic
ovarian disease (PCOD). People confuse these two
conditions to be different. However, PCOS was
earlier referred to as - PCOD.
2- known as a polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD). A
significant percentage of the female population
showed symptoms of androgen excess, such as
hirsutism, acne, and oily skin. Many women also
had associated insulin resistance, excess insulin
levels in the blood, and excess levels of
cholesterol. Given this condition had
multi-systemic involvement, it was re-termed as
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) - What causes PCOS in women? Causes of PCOS
- Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is caused by a
hormonal imbalance that affects various processes
in the body. At this point, we do not fully
understand what initially contributes to the
imbalance. However, certain factors predispose a
woman to develop PCOS. - Family history-polygenic genetic predisposition.
- Insulin resistance when the cells in your
muscle and liver dont respond to the hormone
insulin secreted by your pancreas, it leads to
high levels of unused sugar in the blood and can
be a risk factor for developing PCOS. - Obesity or higher than normal body weight also
predisposes to PCOS - Stress affects the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian
axis and disrupts the normal menstrual cycle. - You may have the genetic predisposition but its
your lifestyle that precipitates it. - So, how do you know that you have PCOS?
- Symptoms of PCOS
- Irregular periods your menstrual cycle is not
regular, and you may skip your periods in
between or might have them twice in a month - Long prolonged periods of missed periods followed
by heavy bleeding or scantly bleeding - Unusual gain in weight. And the difficulty in
losing weight - Sudden periods of intense craving for food
3though signs of extra androgen and menstrual
abnormalities must be present as well. Some
women with PCOS do not have cystic ovaries at all.
- Complications of PCOS
- Higher than normal levels of estrogen and
androgens (male hormones) for long associated
with PCOS can lead to complications like - Abnormal uterine bleeding bleeding from the
uterus other than your periods or bleeding that
lasts longer than usual - Infertility or inability to conceive despite
carefully timed unprotected sex for a year or
longer - Repeated miscarriages
- Increased risk for high blood pressure, high
blood sugar, and heart diseases - Sleeping disorder where breathing starts and
stops repeatedly while you are in bed, known as
sleep apnea - Depression, persistent feelings of sadness and
loss of interest in life and other activities,
which seriously impairs day-to-day life - Endometrial cancer cancer affecting the inner
lining of the womb
Pregnancy PCOS PCOS is one of the common
reasons for difficulty in conception by women.
Thats because ovaries are not releasing eggs
every cycle due to hormonal imbalance. when there
is no egg, how can you get pregnant? However,
with the right treatment, women with PCOS can get
pregnant and deliver a healthy baby. A study
revealed a 44.6 success rate in pregnancy with
PCOS.
How do you treat PCOS? Though there is no
permanent cure for PCOS, there are various ways
to manage the symptoms and control the
complications. Lifestyle changes remain the
mainstay of treatment as mentioned
4- below. If you are obese or overweight maintaining
a healthy weight through food and exercise is
crucial even a 5 10 weight reduction can make
a major impact - Regular exercise for 30-40 minutes every day can
manage weight and mood issues associated with
hormonal imbalances in PCOS. Choose exercises of
your choice like yoga, Pilates, brisk walking,
etc. - 8 hours of sleep.
- Eat a diet rich in whole grains, fruits, and
vegetables, and low in processed products can
help keep your blood sugar low. - Include lots of fruits like oranges, cherries,
blueberries, and green vegetables in your diet.
Nuts like almonds and pistachios are also healthy
sources of fiber - Opt for whole grains to regulate your blood sugar
and get healthy carbs - Consume fish high in Omega-3 fatty acids like
salmon, mackerel, and sardines - Avoid foods rich in refined carbohydrates like
white bread and muffins, sugar-laden food and
drinks, processed and red meat, and foods made
with white flour - Always read your food labels while buying them
and beware of sugars various names like - fructose, sucrose, dextrose, and high fructose
corn syrup. Avoid buying such food items. - Adopting a disciplined and healthy lifestyle is
the way to control PCOS. It needs a lot of
determination, but the devil called PCOS can be
controlled when we control our vices. - The right diagnosis and the right treatment are
needed with consistency and PCOS has both
short-term and long-term effects. - What should you do if you suspect you have PCOS?
- You may make an appointment with your doctor and
discuss the symptoms and the challenges being
faced. Your doctor may like to order some blood
tests to assess your hormone levels. PCOS may
sometimes need short-term implementation of
hormonal supplements. with proper treatment,
women can usually manage their symptoms, and many
are able to get pregnant if they decide to do so.
Book an appointment for a virtual consultation
with our experienced gynecologists at CareFirst
for understanding and manage your menstrual
problems.