What’s PCOS And How Does It Affect Health?

Are you having irregular periods? Or does it happen twice a month? Do you have excessive hair growth and acne? Are you having trouble losing weight? Well, all these might be the signs you have PCOS. PCOS is a condition among women that affects not only their health but their reproduction as well. What’s sad about this medical condition is that not everyone is aware of its symptoms so, apparently, they don’t know what to do or how to fight and regulate this condition (it doesn’t help that PCOS doesn’t have a permanent cure). If you suspect you have PCOS, let’s educate ourselves about the condition starting to understand our body better, as we list essential things you should know about PCOS.

What is PCOS?

PCOS is an acronym that refers to Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. This medical condition naturally refers to a hormonal imbalance in your body. In a normal woman’s body, ovaries produce “male” hormones called androgens. However, in women with PCOS, they are producing more androgen hormones than necessary, causing them to miss some periods, have excessive hair growth, acne, and gain weight. In a normal cycle, a follicle is supposed to break open to release the egg cell. However, in women with PCOS, the follicle does not mature enough to release the egg and instead, it sticks around to your ovary like a tiny cyst. This interferes with your ovulation and sometimes may even cause infertility.

What’s worse is that these follicles or tiny cysts also produce androgens, wrecking your hormones once more. And it’s not clear whether the androgens produced from tiny cysts were the ones causing you to miss some periods or it’s just an excess of androgens to begin with.

The PCOs Condition Might be Overlooked Until You Try to Get Pregnant

Obgyne Discusses Medical Diagnosis With a PCOS Patient

Because the symptoms of PCOs aren’t life-threatening, most women tend to overlook this medical condition. In fact, even the doctors and medical health professionals sometimes have a problem diagnosing this condition. Let’s say, for example, a dermatologist can treat your acne but they will not ask about your irregular period (which was the culprit behind your acne in the first place). Or your gynecologist may take note of your irregular periods but won’t take note of your excessive hair growth or acne. The symptoms of this condition can be treated differently, but it’s not until such time that you and your husband start planning a family that you realize that you had this underlying condition all the time.

If you don’t get a period every month, then you’re not ovulating every month,” Dokras says. “So the chances of getting pregnant go down. You may need help from a fertility doctor or ob-gyn

Insulin May Play a Role In Your PCOS

PCOS Awareness Infographic

It’s also revealed that PCOS is closely linked to insulin resistance since most patients are also diagnosed with pre-diabetic symptoms. If you’re insulin resistant, this causes your body to produce more androgens which cause your hormonal imbalance. The doctors recommended you to take metformin, a medication which can help regulate your PCOS symptoms by controlling your sugar levels. If you don’t want to take medication, we suggest you avoid or reduce your sugar intake the natural way. Reduce eating sweet treats, even drinking soda as they’re the main culprit behind your increased blood sugar levels.

PCOS Has No Cure But Healthy Lifestyle Will Help Regulate Your Condition

Healthy lifestyle is the key to treat PCOS.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for PCOS at the moment because of the complexity of this medical condition. It covers many areas that affect one another, making it more difficult for you to treat the condition scientifically. However, further studies and research revealed that a healthy lifestyle may regulate PCOs condition. The most recommended one is any kind of diet that helps regulate your blood sugar levels. You can take a low glycemic diet, high-protein diet, or a low-carb diet which aims to lower your blood sugar until it reaches the normal level. If your insulin level gets regulated, your hormones will start correcting too and your menstrual cycle will be normalized. The good thing is that most women with PCOS are said to have healthy egg cells, so you need not worry about being fertile. You only need to correct your cycle so that it comes back to track.