Causes and Treatment for PCOS
PCOS/PCOD
PCOS or Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome is a very common hormonal problem.
It is most commonly seen in reproductive or childbearing women of age between 20-40 years. In India 1 out of every 5 women are found to have this disease. In this topic we will discuss the symptoms, causes, diagnosis and the treatment options of this disease.
1. Like irregular periods, if it comes late or fall short. If any women have less than 8 periods per year then it can be considered as a symptom of PCOD.
2. In some women, there is a chance to have heavy periods. Because if it happens after a long time then due to the shedding of thick uterus lining heavy period will occur.
3. Other than this there will be overweight and it is hard to reduce it and most commonly the obesity is found around the waist.
4. The next symptom is excessive hair growth that will occur on your face, chest, back or thighs.
5. Other than this there will be hair loss on the scalp or temple area.
6. In some peoples, there is a chance to have oily skin, it will cause pimples or acne to their face or body.
7. One more important symptom is the difficulty in getting pregnent. In PCOS because of hormonal disturbance, irregular egg formation will take place, due to these periods will come late and also there is a difficulty in conceiving too.
The second one is the genetic factor that is if anyone of your family, like your mother or sister has PCOS then you may have a high risk of having the disease.
The third one is Insulin resistance. In our body, there is a hormone called insulin, which digest glucose. In PCOS low-quality insulin will produce because of this, you need to secrete more insulin to digest the same sugar due to this your insulin level will increase and that leads to weight gain.
The first one is lifestyle changes. And the second one is medications. We are trying to give you more lifestyle changes so that your medicine intake can be reduced. The first one among this is weight loss. If you have overweight then by weight loss your insulin quality, hormone levels will improve egg formation will take place itself and if you are planning for pregnancy that will also get benefited.
It is most commonly seen in reproductive or childbearing women of age between 20-40 years. In India 1 out of every 5 women are found to have this disease. In this topic we will discuss the symptoms, causes, diagnosis and the treatment options of this disease.
Symptoms of PCOS
Firstly, I want to clarify that both PCOS and PCOD, Polycystic ovarian syndrome and polycystic ovarian disease are the names of the same disease. since it has multiple symptoms, it is called as syndrome.1. Like irregular periods, if it comes late or fall short. If any women have less than 8 periods per year then it can be considered as a symptom of PCOD.
2. In some women, there is a chance to have heavy periods. Because if it happens after a long time then due to the shedding of thick uterus lining heavy period will occur.
3. Other than this there will be overweight and it is hard to reduce it and most commonly the obesity is found around the waist.
4. The next symptom is excessive hair growth that will occur on your face, chest, back or thighs.
5. Other than this there will be hair loss on the scalp or temple area.
6. In some peoples, there is a chance to have oily skin, it will cause pimples or acne to their face or body.
7. One more important symptom is the difficulty in getting pregnent. In PCOS because of hormonal disturbance, irregular egg formation will take place, due to these periods will come late and also there is a difficulty in conceiving too.
Causes of PCOS
The first one is hormonal imbalance our ovaries will make both male and female hormones but in this disease the level of testosterone will increases. Other than this the prolactin and luteinizing hormone levels will increase and sex hormone-binding globulin will decrease all these will alter the normal ovary function.The second one is the genetic factor that is if anyone of your family, like your mother or sister has PCOS then you may have a high risk of having the disease.
The third one is Insulin resistance. In our body, there is a hormone called insulin, which digest glucose. In PCOS low-quality insulin will produce because of this, you need to secrete more insulin to digest the same sugar due to this your insulin level will increase and that leads to weight gain.
Conform PCOS Diagnosis
If you are feeling some symptoms of PCOS then you should consult a Doctor your Doctor will ask about the medical history and symptoms like your cycle, skin changes, hair loss, weight gain, and family history. Then we will prescribe you certain blood tests that you have to do in empty stomach or during the 2nd day of your periods. And the name of the test is FSH ie, follicle-stimulating hormone, LH ie, luteinizing hormone, lipid profile, Glucose tolerance test to measure your insulin resistance, Thyroid and prolactin test and if you have acne or hair fall then free testosterone will also be tested. We will also do the ultrasound scanning to check your ovaries and if your ovaries have small cysts ie, polycystic ovaries that will help us for the diagnosis.Treatment for PCOS
It has two types of treatmentsThe first one is lifestyle changes. And the second one is medications. We are trying to give you more lifestyle changes so that your medicine intake can be reduced. The first one among this is weight loss. If you have overweight then by weight loss your insulin quality, hormone levels will improve egg formation will take place itself and if you are planning for pregnancy that will also get benefited.
The second one is to follow healthy diet.
Not to eat in PCOS
Usually, I will advise my patients to avoid sweet items like cool drinks, jaggery, honey and even to avoid sweet fruits like sapodilla, mango etc. And other than that you should avoid white flour-based products like biscuits, pizza, burger etc. And you should take starch-rich foods like potato, rice etc in a limited manner. And you should limit the intake of tea and coffee.
Eat in PCOS
In PCOS you can eat protein-rich foods like chickpea, beans, black-eyed peas, eggs, non-vegs etc. Ther than that you can eat green leafy vegetables and nuts like walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseed etc. And in oils, you can take rice bran and canola oil.
The third one is excercise.
Doing exercise in PCOD will improve the quality of your insulin and also reduce insulin resistance you can do any type of exercise, and our recommendation is you should do that 30-45 min in a week for at least 5 days. you can do yoga, Zumba, cross-fit, hit anything you likes but do that regularly.
And the fourth one is proper sleeping, sleep for at least 8 hours, eat timely, reduce the stress that is also very important in PCOS treatment.
Medicines in PCOS
In PCOS the choice of treatments depends on the symptoms that you have. If you have menstrual disturbances we will give you oral contraceptives that are also called birth control pills. This you have to take for 3 weeks and when you complete it you will get periods in the next week like this you have to take it for 3-6 months after that your periods will occur naturally. (What is birth control pills).
If you have weight issue then we will give you Metformin or Myoinositol that helps to reduce your weight and also improves the insulin quality.
If you have acne or hair related problems then we will give you anti-testosterone medicines like spironolactone, Flutamide or Finasteride. The long term use of this improves your hair issues.
If you are planning for pregnancy then your Doctor will give you Clomiphene or Letrozole this will help in egg formation and it starts from the 2nd or 3rd day of periods. It will reduce the estrogen level and increase the FSH that will improve the egg formation and that will help you to become pregnant easily.
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