Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
Many women who are in the reproductive ages can develop polycystic ovarian syndrome. It is a common hormonal disorder in women in which the ovaries become big in size containing several tiny cysts in them. These cysts are found along the outer corner of each ovary in the uterus. Women who have excess of hair growth, who have hormonal problems and women who are obese can develop polycystic ovarian syndrome.
Absence of regular menstrual cycles can indicate the presence of cyst in adolescent ages and for middle aged women unexplained increase in weight can become the first symptom of PCOS. Undue delay in treating PCOS can cause heart problems and diabetes. One in every 15 women will get affected with this problem.
Hormonal Imbalance :
There are various glands in the body that secretes hormones and each hormone have a definite function in the metabolism. Hormones are chemical particles that are responsible for growth of the body and production of energy. There are certain hormones that trigger the secretion of other hormones. Polycystic ovarian syndrome occurs when sex hormones are produced in haphazard manner.
Each ovary of the women will secrete small amount of male sex hormones called androgens but during PCOS more quantities of male hormones are produced. This in turn will stop ovulation process leading to missing of periods. It may also cause excess of hair growth in the face and body. For some women insulin hormone is not produced sufficiently causing insulin resistance which can lead to diabetes.
Symptoms :
The first sign of PCOS may begin once the menstrual cycle starts in a woman. For some women it can occur in middle age due to increased weight. There will be loss of regular menstrual cycles or there will be heavy menstrual periods with spotting. Some women may miss 4 or more periods which can be due to PCOS and for others there can be menstrual cycle for long periods causing heavy bleeding.
Sudden growth of hair (Hirsutism) in your face and other body parts can be an indication for polycystic ovarian syndrome. It can cause acne in adults and even androgenic alopecia (loss of hair in your scalp leading to baldness) due to excess of androgen secretion. But the level of androgen secretion varies with women based on ethnic background. Some women will have number of cysts in their ovaries which can be detected in ultrasound testing. There will be sudden weight gain for many women with this problem due to missing periods. For adult women there will be fertility problems making it difficult to become pregnant.
Causes :
Exact cause of PCOS is unknown. But experts believe that it can be caused due to the following factors:-
Increased Insulin Production :
Some women will develop insulin resistance gradually which triggers the Pancreas to produce more insulin hormone. This excess of hormone can boost the production of androgen (male hormone) in the ovaries causing PCOS.
Low Grade Inflammation :
Certain foods will induce an inflammation in some women making the white blood cells to discharge more of substance that can cause increased accumulation of cholesterol in your blood vessels leading to atherosclerosis. Women with PCOS will have low grade inflammation.
Genetic Factor :
PCOS can develop due to hereditary factor following your mother’s trait.
Tests and Exams :
Your doctor will ask you many questions and confirm about abnormality in menstrual cycle. He would ask for other symptoms and check for weight gain. He may conduct pelvic examination to ascertain the presence of any abnormal growth. A pelvic ultrasound scan will reveal the thickness of inner lining of uterus and appearance of ovaries. Blood test is done for checking the level of various hormones and for checking the cholesterol and triglyceride levels. He may order for other testing procedure also to rule out thyroid abnormality.
Complications :
Having polycystic ovarian syndrome is likely to cause Blood Pressure and diabetes in adult women. It will increase your weight and make you prone to diabetes. For some women it can cause fatigue and Depression and abnormal bleeding in the uterus.
Treatment :
Medications are prescribed to set right the abnormal menstrual cycle. Oral contraceptive pills are given for treating PCOS. It reduces the production of androgen and relieves you from the symptoms of facial hair and acne. It is effective in repairing abnormal bleeding. Progesterone is given for two weeks in a month for regulating abnormal periods.
For managing high blood sugar level drugs like glucophage or glucophage XR is given. Gradually this drug will improve ovulation process and the affected women will get normal menstrual periods. It would also help in reduction of weight. If there is trouble in becoming pregnant due to irregular periods you will have to take medications for streamlining ovulation. Anti estrogen drugs like Clomiphene citrate is given for inducing ovulation. Alternatively gonadotropins are given in the form of injection which facilitates fertility.
Oral birth control pills are prescribed for decreasing androgen production which will control excess of hair growth. Surgery is done only if other treatment methods are not efficient to resolve the problem. Laparoscopic ovarian drilling is done on the outpatient ward for some women. In this process, the surgeon will make small incision on the abdomen to insert a small tube with camera. It will give complete images of your ovaries and pelvic regions. Further the surgeon uses laser beam for fixing the holes on the surface of ovaries which will induce ovulation process.
Lifestyle Changes :
• Make all possible efforts to reduce your weight. Do regular exercise and engage in physical activity.
• Eat a healthy balanced diet and include lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Restrict taking foods that contain saturated fats and sweets.
• Reducing weight will help you to streamline the hormones which will bring normal menstrual cycle.
• You need to work with your doctor and dietician to lose extra pounds.
• You can take little of complex carbohydrates and more of foods rich in fiber content.
• Quit smoking and drinking alcohol.
Prevention :
You cannot prevent getting polycystic ovarian syndrome if you are predisposed or genetically trained to receive it. Managing your weight and following diet schedule with physical exercise can help you to get regular ovulation.
Many women who are in the reproductive ages can develop polycystic ovarian syndrome. It is a common hormonal disorder in women in which the ovaries become big in size containing several tiny cysts in them. These cysts are found along the outer corner of each ovary in the uterus. Women who have excess of hair growth, who have hormonal problems and women who are obese can develop polycystic ovarian syndrome.
Absence of regular menstrual cycles can indicate the presence of cyst in adolescent ages and for middle aged women unexplained increase in weight can become the first symptom of PCOS. Undue delay in treating PCOS can cause heart problems and diabetes. One in every 15 women will get affected with this problem.
Hormonal Imbalance :
There are various glands in the body that secretes hormones and each hormone have a definite function in the metabolism. Hormones are chemical particles that are responsible for growth of the body and production of energy. There are certain hormones that trigger the secretion of other hormones. Polycystic ovarian syndrome occurs when sex hormones are produced in haphazard manner.
Each ovary of the women will secrete small amount of male sex hormones called androgens but during PCOS more quantities of male hormones are produced. This in turn will stop ovulation process leading to missing of periods. It may also cause excess of hair growth in the face and body. For some women insulin hormone is not produced sufficiently causing insulin resistance which can lead to diabetes.
Symptoms :
The first sign of PCOS may begin once the menstrual cycle starts in a woman. For some women it can occur in middle age due to increased weight. There will be loss of regular menstrual cycles or there will be heavy menstrual periods with spotting. Some women may miss 4 or more periods which can be due to PCOS and for others there can be menstrual cycle for long periods causing heavy bleeding.
Sudden growth of hair (Hirsutism) in your face and other body parts can be an indication for polycystic ovarian syndrome. It can cause acne in adults and even androgenic alopecia (loss of hair in your scalp leading to baldness) due to excess of androgen secretion. But the level of androgen secretion varies with women based on ethnic background. Some women will have number of cysts in their ovaries which can be detected in ultrasound testing. There will be sudden weight gain for many women with this problem due to missing periods. For adult women there will be fertility problems making it difficult to become pregnant.
Causes :
Exact cause of PCOS is unknown. But experts believe that it can be caused due to the following factors:-
Increased Insulin Production :
Some women will develop insulin resistance gradually which triggers the Pancreas to produce more insulin hormone. This excess of hormone can boost the production of androgen (male hormone) in the ovaries causing PCOS.
Low Grade Inflammation :
Certain foods will induce an inflammation in some women making the white blood cells to discharge more of substance that can cause increased accumulation of cholesterol in your blood vessels leading to atherosclerosis. Women with PCOS will have low grade inflammation.
Genetic Factor :
PCOS can develop due to hereditary factor following your mother’s trait.
Tests and Exams :
Your doctor will ask you many questions and confirm about abnormality in menstrual cycle. He would ask for other symptoms and check for weight gain. He may conduct pelvic examination to ascertain the presence of any abnormal growth. A pelvic ultrasound scan will reveal the thickness of inner lining of uterus and appearance of ovaries. Blood test is done for checking the level of various hormones and for checking the cholesterol and triglyceride levels. He may order for other testing procedure also to rule out thyroid abnormality.
Complications :
Having polycystic ovarian syndrome is likely to cause Blood Pressure and diabetes in adult women. It will increase your weight and make you prone to diabetes. For some women it can cause fatigue and Depression and abnormal bleeding in the uterus.
Treatment :
Medications are prescribed to set right the abnormal menstrual cycle. Oral contraceptive pills are given for treating PCOS. It reduces the production of androgen and relieves you from the symptoms of facial hair and acne. It is effective in repairing abnormal bleeding. Progesterone is given for two weeks in a month for regulating abnormal periods.
For managing high blood sugar level drugs like glucophage or glucophage XR is given. Gradually this drug will improve ovulation process and the affected women will get normal menstrual periods. It would also help in reduction of weight. If there is trouble in becoming pregnant due to irregular periods you will have to take medications for streamlining ovulation. Anti estrogen drugs like Clomiphene citrate is given for inducing ovulation. Alternatively gonadotropins are given in the form of injection which facilitates fertility.
Oral birth control pills are prescribed for decreasing androgen production which will control excess of hair growth. Surgery is done only if other treatment methods are not efficient to resolve the problem. Laparoscopic ovarian drilling is done on the outpatient ward for some women. In this process, the surgeon will make small incision on the abdomen to insert a small tube with camera. It will give complete images of your ovaries and pelvic regions. Further the surgeon uses laser beam for fixing the holes on the surface of ovaries which will induce ovulation process.
Lifestyle Changes :
• Make all possible efforts to reduce your weight. Do regular exercise and engage in physical activity.
• Eat a healthy balanced diet and include lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Restrict taking foods that contain saturated fats and sweets.
• Reducing weight will help you to streamline the hormones which will bring normal menstrual cycle.
• You need to work with your doctor and dietician to lose extra pounds.
• You can take little of complex carbohydrates and more of foods rich in fiber content.
• Quit smoking and drinking alcohol.
Prevention :
You cannot prevent getting polycystic ovarian syndrome if you are predisposed or genetically trained to receive it. Managing your weight and following diet schedule with physical exercise can help you to get regular ovulation.
I first had symptoms when i was 17 and was told that i had PCOS (thin people type PCOS) and was officially diagnosed at 22 ans now i am 35. I have always had regular periods and unless on birth control pills were they irregular at times and I had a hard time getting pregnant because of the absent periods. I was always told by doctors that I would have a hard time conceiving so I would only go on the pill periodically which i did for more than 4 years, not for protection against getting pregnant, but just to get a period (since I was told it's not healthy to have less than 4 or so periods a year). Last time I went on a 3 month birth control pill and then stopped again because the medicine was not curing my pcos nor making me get pregnant. I went in search for a cure and ended up with so many drugs, medicine and even soaps that didn't work. I actually thought at a point that i was cursed that there is no cure for it, i was prepared to live like that till i read a testimony of a patient who suffered from pcos whose case was even worse than mine and how she was cured completely, I was amazed and at thesame time anxious and curious so i had to contact the doctor with the contact details that she left on the note. The doctor gave me so much hope and confidence with her kind words of encouragement to believe in myself and i was lifted because no one has ever given me hope like that before. I ordered the medicine, took it for 8 weeks and to my complete surprise, all the facial hairs, weight gain and all disappeared within 4 weeks and I ended up getting pregnant within a few weeks of completing the treatment! I was in shock. I think the main reasons it happened was that I never gave up and was ready to try alternative treatment so my body was back to normal. Before now i never enjoyed sex because it was very painful but now i do and my husband is the best thing that ever happened to me.. I hope this inspires some of you because I never in a million years would have thought that I would get pregnant and was getting frustrated and now our baby is due next month! You can reach her on aletedwin@gmail.com if you find yourself in a similar situation.
ReplyDeleteAre you finding it difficult to get PREGNANT as a result of POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME (PCOS) or FIBROID? Dr. Uduehi has the cure to your problem, he cured me of PCOS and my sister of Fibroid. I was diagnosed of PCOS and I have battled with infertility for years even with the help of fertility drugs there were still no pregnancy, some months ago my husband came with the ideal of contacting a doctor he was told about. We contacted him and he did administered his medication on me and after the encounter I became well and am pregnant at the moment. Here is the contact to reach him: uduehiherbalcare@gmail.com phone/WhatsaPP: +2347084878384
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