Also known as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome or PCOS, It's a condition of the endocrine system in women of reproductive age. It usually occurs due to a hormonal disorder in women, which causes the production of high levels of male hormones called androgen in women. Hence, many women mistakenly believe that it's nothing more than a common hormonal imbalance in women that only affects their menstrual cycle and fertility. However, PCOS is a complex disorder that can impact their whole body systems.
Most women with PCOS have enlarged ovaries due to cysts filled with fluid. These cysts cause hormonal imbalances, making it difficult for women to get pregnant, and also cause unwanted changes in the way one looks. If not treated, PCOS can cause serious health problems like diabetes and heart disease, which are long-term effects of this condition. Nowadays, PCOS has become increasingly common and usually gets referred to as the pre-diabetes state. But in a lot of cases, its symptoms only begin to show soon after a woman begins having her periods while in some cases it may develop later.
Symptoms:
- Unexpected Weight Gain
- Weakness and Fatigue
- Unwanted Hair Growth
- Hair Getting Thinner
- Infertility
- Acne
- Mood Swings
- Difficulty in Sleeping
- Recurring Pelvic pain
- Headaches
- Skin Darkening
- Deeper voice
While PCOS initial symptoms usually start soon after puberty, they can also develop during late teens and early adulthood. Women with PCOS have irregular or missed periods frequently. They may also experience other health problems like diabetes, high cholesterol and hypertension. Although, they are not symptoms, but rather a complication of this disease.
Causes & Risk Factors:
The exact cause for PCOS remains unknown, but it has been associated with several risk factors, such as excessive insulin in the body and low-grade inflammation. Common risk factors of PCOS are:
- Excess Insulin: Insulin is a hormone that helps the cells convert food into energy and then store it in the form of glucose for future use. Insulin resistance happens when the cells in the body stop responding, resulting in high levels of insulin and sugar in the body. This condition of excess insulin may increase the production of androgen, causing disturbances in ovulation.
- Family History: Some specific genes are related to the development of polycystic ovaries. A family without diabetes mellitus is a strong contributing factor.
- Inflammation: Patients with polycystic ovaries usually have high levels of inflammation in the body, and this is also linked to the excess production of androgen hormone in the body.
Diagnosis:
A lot of other conditions can mimic PCOS, so diagnosis requires careful hormone work-up. Once doctors detect the symptoms and complications related to polycystic ovaries in a woman, they recommend various diagnostic tests to ensure the presence of the hormonal disorder. They'll ask the patient about the symptoms and then move forward for the pelvic exam.
The diagnostic process also involves blood tests and an ultrasound. Blood tests are performed to check the presence of high levels of male hormones. Moreover, an ultrasound test is performed to identify abnormal follicles and other complications in the uterus and ovaries.
Treatment:
- Lifestyle changes: Losing excess weight and staying fit by exercising can alleviate many symptoms of PCOS.
- Medications: Different medications to alleviate different symptoms of PCOS like:
- Irregular or absent periods can be cured by giving contraceptive pills or progesterone tablets.
- Fertility: Most women with PCOS can get pregnant with the help of medication.
- Unwanted hair growth and hair loss can be controlled with medication.
- Cholesterol can be lowered using medications.
- Surgery: Ovaries can be surgically treated by heat and laser to destroy androgen producing tissue.
Why Eternal Hospital?
At Eternal Hospital, we have a highly qualified and dedicated team of urologists who are always committed to providing the latest and most advanced medical care to all our patients. Being a trusted name in healthcare, we act compassionately while ensuring confidentiality to those who need it. We have set high standards in patient-centric premium care along with outstanding patient safety and exceptional maintenance in a timely manner. We adhere to the use of up to the minute innovations to offer state-of-the-art treatments to our patients with unparalleled results.
