PCOS- A PROBLEM WHICH 6 OUT OF 10

WOMEN SUFFER DAILY!!!

WHAT IS BASICALLY PCOS?

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition in women that disturbs their hormonal levels.
PCOS is the disturbance of reproductive hormones in women. PCOS not only disturbs the hormonal
levels in women it also effects the metabolism of women and affecting their overall health and
appearance. In simple words, PCOS is the production of higher than normal number of male hormones
in women, disturbing their hormonal levels and ovaries. It mostly effect women in their childbearing age
that is 15-44 years probably. PCOS is not any new problem but day by day it is increasing in very vast
number in women. In decades, the percentage of women having PCOS has increased from 2.2 to 29.8.
and almost every girl faces this problem today so the percentage may increase very rapidly and very
early.

WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF PCOS?

Even till today doctors are not on exact agreement that what causes PCOS. But most considered
three factors are:

 HIGH LEVEL OF MALE HORMONES IN WOMEN:

Every woman produces some number of male hormones, but women with
PCOS produce higher than normal number of male hormones. These higher number of
male hormones prevent ovaries from ovulation in their monthly mensuration cycle
which causes imbalance or skipped periods, extra hair growth on inappropriate parts
and probably acne too.
 HIGH LEVEL OF NSULIN:
Insulin is a hormone that basically controls how the food in our body is
changed into energy. When our body’s cells don’t respond as they should normally to
insulin, it increases the insulin blood level. This insulin resistance is considered to be one
of the causes of PCOS. Insulin resistance s mostly in women who are overweight and
obese, who don’t get enough physical activity or they have eating disorders.
 Genes:
The third cause of PCOS maybe through genes. If your mother or grandmother or
other women of family tackle the problem of PCOS than the rate is higher of your
getting PCOS too.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF PCOS?

There are many symptoms of PCOS which women usually go through when they have PCOS.
Some of them are:

1. Imbalanced or Irregular periods is the most common symptom of PCOS and this is from where
you know it has started.
 2. Excessive hair growth on appropriate parts of skin such as your chin, your chest and stomach
etc. and hairs too that are hard and feels like the hair of a man.
3. Hair problems such as hair fall, baldness etc.
4. Gaining a lot of weight and the most common symptom of PCOS in women is that they face
difficulties losing weight. Their weight increases the twice of a normal person and their weight
drops half of the normal person.
5. Dark skin patches on neck, chest and your lower back

HOW PCOS EFFECT WOMEN?

1. The most common effect is infertility. Women with PCOS conceive very hardly and they get
difficulties getting pregnant.
2. Women with PCOS are mostly overweight which brings out diseases like high sugar, high blood
pressure and high cholesterol which increases the chances of heart attack and stroke in women.
3. Sleep Apnea is basically the stops in breathing disturbing sleep. Women with PCOS mostly face
sleep apnea which increases the risk of heart attack.
4. Depression and Anxiety is the most disastrous effect on women because your imbalance periods
and excessive hair growth leads you to depression.

HOW ARE PCOS TREATED?

There no such cure to PCOS but specialized gynecologists work on reducing your male
hormones in body, controlling your insulin, helping you to reduce weight and all of this takes place with
medicines prescribed by doctors and your diet controls.

SOME STEPS TO BE TAKEN TO TREAT PCOS AT HOME:

1. Losing weight helps a lot in curing PCOS. Researches believe that losing only 10% of your weight
can help you getting normal periods and decreasing the formation of male hormones.
2. Exercising is the most effective in PCOS even if its only 3 times a week. Exercising increases
ovulation and reduces insulin level.
3. Maintaining a very healthy diet and your eating order is very very important for PCOS because
what you eat, it works in your stomach that way. You need to cut off sugar from your food,
lessen the amount of chicken you eat and drink water as much as you can.

AN EXAMPLE OF A WOME WHO WENT THROUGH PCOS FOR

17 YEARS:
There is a woman known Fatimah, who lived in Karachi, she was a very independent and a
strong woman. Since her teenage she had PCOS and was under treatment since she was 13. Every
specialist gave her the treatments, she passed through many things since she was a single girl. Wen she
got married she was 19 years old and she faced the same problem. After her marriage she faced
problem conceiving due to PCOS and after her 11 years of marriage she got through PCOS and
conceived. According to Fatimah, what helped her most was her will and her lifestyle along with
treatment. She had treatments for years but she never changed her lifestyle, after her marriage, after 7
or 8 years she started bringing changes in her life. She started exercising everyday and that too cardio
exercises and exercises effective for PCOS patients, she controlled her diet for almost 3 years and that
was the time she went through extreme depression because of everything going on. After so much of
her dedication and willingness she conceived after 11 years of her marriage and gave a birth to a
daughter. So, where there is a will, there is a way, just a little of change and your constant efforts can
cure you from PCOS and bring immense changes.