Polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS, is a widespread hormonal condition in women. Women with PCOS can toil to become pregnant and are at elevated risk of developing complications during pregnancy and lead to infertility. PCOS preponderance of infertility in women with PCOS varies between 70 and 80%. Doctors name it infertility if a woman is not pregnant after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sex. Women with PCOS are three times more inclined to have a miscarriage, as compared to women who don’t have PCOS.
They are also more plausible to develop preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and have a bigger baby and premature delivery. This could lead to difficulty during delivery or a C-section. If you are suffering from any of the signs and symptoms of PCOS, it is significant to talk to your doctor about it and follow an adequate course of treatment. While PCOS is not a curable condition, symptoms of PCOS are quite manageable and oftentimes the treatment doesn’t even involve medications.
Let’s understand the signs, symptoms, effects, and treatment of PCOS in detail:
What is PCOs?
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome or PCOS is a widespread medical condition that results in hormonal disorders common among women of reproductive age. It’s a condition where the ovaries generate higher than normal levels of male hormones (androgens). What PCOS does is, results in enlarged ovaries filled with fluid-filled sacs including an immature egg that does not mature enough to be released, leading to no ovulation, thereby blundering the regular menstrual cycle. Though the PCOs are not curable you can manage them even without the medication.
- What Are The Effects Of Pcos?
- Insulin Resistance
Nearly 70% of women with PCOS are insulin-resistant, which signifies that their cells don’t take in glucose the way they should. This can lead to high blood sugar.
Insulin resistance is also related to depression, although it isn’t evident why? The single theory is that insulin resistance alters how the body prepares specific hormones that can lead to increased anxiety and depression.
Inflammation
PCOS is also related to inflammation throughout the body. It is evident that PCOS is correlated with a substantial elevation of multiple markers of inflammation including CRP, IL-18, MCP-1, and white blood count. Increased inflammation is associated with high cortisol levels, which bolsters stress and depression. Increased cortisol also increases the hazard of insulin resistance, which in turn can cause depression.
Obesity
Women with PCOS are more inclined to be obese than women without PCOS.
Obesity is related to depression, regardless of whether or not it’s associated with PCOS. Though, this inclined has an insignificant effect on the association between depression and PCOS.
Infertility
Infertility is widespread. PCOS is one of the most common, but treatable, causes of infertility in women. It is the major cause of hyperandrogenism and oligo-anovulation at reproductive age and is often related to infertility and clinical and metabolic disorders. The hormonal imbalance infringes on the growth and furlough of eggs from the ovaries (ovulation). The common understanding is that if you don’t ovulate, you can’t get pregnant.
Ovarian cysts
PCOs may cause ovarian cysts. An ovarian cyst is a fluid-filled sac in the ovary. They are ordinary in women with regular periods. They are usually not cancerous; though some are. The most ordinary non-cancerous ovarian cysts are follicle cysts and corpus luteum cysts. Sometimes cysts can bust open and cause heavy bleeding. If you have pain with fever and vomiting, severe abdominal pain, faintness and abrupt breathing, seek medical attention instantly.
Pregnancy
Having PCOS can raise your risk of some complications during pregnancy, such as:
•miscarriage
•high blood pressure induced by the •pregnancy
•gestational diabetes
•premature birth
Women with PCOS also have an elevated likelihood of having a caesarean delivery because their babies might be higher than anticipated for their gestational age. Newborns born to women with PCOS have a considerable risk of dying around the time of delivery and of being admitted to a newborn intensive care unit. If you have PCOS and are pregnant, it is significant you discuss it with your doctor. The risk of these complications can be lessened by monitoring PCOS symptoms and taking additional care during your pregnancy.
What Treatments Are Available For Pcos?
Even though PCOS can be a serious issue, it is completely manageable and the treatment for PCOS
Lifestyle Changes
The treatment for PCOS includes making intense lifestyle changes. Reducing surplus sugar and junk food from the diet and replacing it with healthy, nutritious food that is low in carbohydrates can lead to considerable weight loss. This assists in regulating the menstrual cycle and curing the PCOS reasons and symptoms.
Rounding off a healthy diet with at least 30 minutes of moderate to high-intensity workout has been indicated to aid with PCOS enormously. Along with monitoring the menstrual cycle, these lifestyle changes also lessen the risk of developing diabetes.
Medication
Combination oral contraceptives, particularly those with progestins of norgestimate, desogestrel, or drospirenone are among the most generally used medications for hirsutism in women with PCOS. These medications aid in regulating the menstrual cycle and treating other symptoms of PCOS such as acne and facial hair growth. Even though PCOS is a drastic condition, with constant efforts and medical intervention it is definitely treatable.
Surgery
In limited cases, when none of the treatments works, doctors might prescribe a surgical intervention. Laparoscopic ovarian drilling is a surgical treatment that can activate ovulation in women who have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Electrocautery or a laser is used to demolish parts of the ovaries. This surgery is not generally used. But it can be an alternative for women who are still not ovulating after losing weight and undertaking fertility medicines.