PCOS also known as polycystic ovarian syndrome is a hormonal disorder which affects a large section of women between their teenage years up to menopausal age. It is a condition where a woman faces imbalance in her hormonal levels due to malfunctioning of her ovaries resulting in infertility issues. It is one of the most common endocrine problems faced by a woman during her reproductive years.
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In PCOS, either a woman’s ovaries are not fully developed or they do not function normally. Hence they produce low levels of hormone estrogen. Also every woman produces the male hormone androgen too but in very small quantities. The main indicators in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome is complete absence or irregular menstrual bleeding, ovary having multiple cysts in it and having higher levels of androgen hormone in the body resulting in a woman developing male characteristics. Though the onset of this disease can set in at any age and varies from one person to another, but sign and symptoms are not always visible to all and often go undetected. The most common symptoms of PCOS are
- Periods are very irregular and can occur sometimes once in a few months and sometimes quite a few times in a month.
- Drastic weight loss or weight gain would be observed.
- Formation of acne or pimples on face would be observed in some cases.
- Development of facial hair would be prominent also called as hirsutism.
- Patches of dark skin are noticed especially on the back part of neck.
TREATMENT OF PCOS:
When a woman is diagnosed having PCOS she gets very worried thinking about her fertility and other related problems. PCOS cannot be totally curable but it can be treated in an effective manner so that the person leads as normal life as possible.
The first and foremost step to take to treat PCOS involves a change in the lifestyle of the patient. If a woman is obese then it is better for her to lose weight and also to shift to a low calorie diet and include walking or exercising in their daily regime. A change in the diet and weight of a woman is expected to bring good results and change her condition.
The second step is to regularize your Menstrual cycle by visiting the doctor and starting medication which would decrease androgen levels in the body and boost up your estrogen levels. Stronger dosage of female hormone in body plays a role in proper functioning of ovary and systematic and regular monthly periods.
An oral medication called as metformin is also prescribed by the doctor to decrease levels of insulin in body and help with proper ovulation thereby leading to regular menstrual cycles.
Myo – Inositol for PCOS:
Myo-inositol is a form of inositol which belongs to the B complex family of vitamins. It is not an essential vitamin and can be easily manufactured by a person’s body. But with woman suffering from PCOS , there body seems to be deficient in this vitamin and maintaining regular insulin in blood can regulate ovulation in their life thereby treating infertility.
