Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a common disorder in women that can affect from the age of teens till menopause. It occurs in the reproductive phase of a woman’s life resulting in irregular menstruation among other symptoms. The signs and symptoms can differ from woman to woman in the intensity and severity. Obesity, diabetes and insulin resistance are all very closely related with the condition of PCOS.
Polycystic term means many cysts and it is called so because this condition causes cysts to grow on the ovaries in women. The ovary is not able to release eggs and thus eggs cannot be fertilized. The woman will not be able to ovulate therefore she has irregular menstruation cycle and becomes infertile. The symptoms of PCOS are the following:
1. Infertility: The absence of menses or irregularity of menses means less ovulation. This causes decrease in fertility and decrease in chances of the woman getting pregnant.
2. Hair growth: In many women excessive hair growth on the body and face is seen. This occurs due to the increase in the androgen hormone in the female. Usually this hormone is present in small amounts in the females. If the level of this hormone is disturbed, it increases and causes excessive hair growth.
3. Acne: Acne is another symptom of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.
4. Miscarriage: Hormonal imbalance can cause a rise in the level of LH which leads to miscarriages.
5. Obesity: Most of the women suffering from PCOS are obese.
6. Insulin resistant: Most of the women with this condition are insulin resistant causing increase in the blood sugar levels. This could also lead to diabetes.
The cause of polycystic ovary syndrome is basically the imbalance of the hormones in the female body. It could be an inherited problem as chances are that if your mother or sister has this, you may suffer from this condition too. Some environmental factors may cause it indirectly by creating imbalance of the hormonal levels. A malfunction of the blood sugar control system is related to PCOS. A high level of the male hormone called androgen is also associated with this condition. Low level of chronic inflammation in the body or exposure of the fetus to male hormones can also be linked to polycystic ovary syndrome causes.
For the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), medications are available to reduce the symptoms. These drugs help in reducing the irregularity of menses; obesity, male hormone androgen, hirsutism and some drugs provide stimulation of the ovarian follicles to grow. If the medications do not work for you, a surgery known as laparoscopic ovarian drilling is an option. The goal of this surgery is to reduce the androgen levels in the body so as to induce ovulation. Other than this one can go in for hormonal therapy which is used to control the hormones. Birth control pills, vaginal rings and patches may be used in this therapy. Some lifestyle changes in your diet can help in preventing and treating PCOS. Regular exercise and quitting smoking also aids in overcoming this problem.