What is PCOD and how can you treat its symptoms?

25 Dec What is PCOD and how can you treat its symptoms?

Polycystic Ovarian Disease (PCOD), also known as Polycystic Ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a very common ailment affecting 5% to 10% of females in the age group 12–45 years. It is an issue in which a lady’s hormones are out of balance. It can cause complications with menstrual periods and make it problematic for her to conceive. The main features include no ovulation, irregular periods, acne and hirsuitism. If not treated, it can cause insulin resistant diabetes, obesity and high cholesterol levels, leading to heart ailment.

Causes of Polycystic Ovarian Disease (PCOD)

Normally, the ovaries make female sex hormones and a minisculequantity of male sex hormones (androgens). These help standardize the normal development of eggs in the ovaries during every menstrual cycle. Polycystic ovary syndrome is related to a disparity in these sex hormones. In PCOS, they begin making marginally more androgens. This causes patients to stop ovulating, get pimples and grow superfluous facial and body hair. Follicles are sacs within the ovaries that encompass eggs. Normally, one or more eggs are released during every menstrual cycle. This is called ovulation. In polycystic ovary syndrome, the eggs in these follicles do not mature and are not released from the ovaries. Rather, they can form very small cysts in the ovary, henceforth the name polycystic ovaries. PCOS seems to run in families, so the probability of having it is higher if other females in the family have PCOS, irregular periods, or diabetes.

Symptoms

Symptoms incline to be mild at first. The most common symptoms are:

1. Acne
2. Weight gain and trouble losing weight.
3. Superfluous hair on the face and body. Often females get thicker and darker facial hair and more hair on the chest, belly and back.
4. Thinning hair on the scalp.
5. Irregular periods. Often females with PCOS have fewer than nine periods a year. Some females have no periods. Others have very hefty bleeding.
6. Fertility complications. Many females who have PCOS have trouble getting pregnant (infertility).

Examinations like blood sugar estimation, thyroid hormone tests, ultrasound of the stomach and pelvis are done. At times, serum androgens, luteinising hormone and other hormone estimates might be ordered.

Treatment

Medical treatment of PCOS is custom-made for the individual patients. The objectives of PCOD treatment in Gurgaon are:

• Lowering of blood glucose levels
• Restoration of fertility
• Treatment of hirsutism or acne
• Restoration of regular menstruation and prevention of endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial cancer

Losing weight (which can be challenging) has been shown to aid with diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Even a weight loss of 5% of entire body weight has been shown to aid with the unevenness of hormones and also with infertility.