PCOS is a hormonal disorder found to affect women of reproductive age. The predominant symptom of PCOS is weight gain leading to a string of other health conditions that are typically related with weight gain. When doctors notice small cysts develop and appear along the outer edge of the enlarged ovaries is when women are said to be diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.
Though the exact cause of PCOS isn’t known, researchers believe it can be caused due to several reasons from obesity itself, excess production of androgens, to heredity. Some women are affected with it before birth.
Overweight Causes PCOS or PCOS Causes Obesity?
The connection between PCOS and obesity is rather complex. One can be the cause for the other. While for women PCOS signs and symptoms of polycystic ovarian syndrome shows at an early age – when they begin to get their periods; for some it develops later…when they gain excess weight. Both eventualities hold equally true, that – obese women are at a greater risk for PCOS & women with PCOS are more prone to gaining weight or becoming obese. Excess production of androgens, a group of male sex hormones is also a cause of PCOS in some women.
When affected with PCOS, women either produce insulin in excess of what their body requires or insulin stops performing its function properly. Function of insulin is to help convert sugars and starches from foods into energy. When it does not function well, it triggers ovaries to boost androgen production. And because of this women with PCOS tend to gain weight. This leads to many health issues mainly disruption of menstrual cycle and ovulation cycle, making it difficult for women to conceive.
Low-grade inflammation is believed to be a potential factor that can cause PCOS because researchers found that women with suffering PCOS had low-grade inflammation. Heredity is also a factor. If your mother or sister has had PCOS, your chances of having PCOS are greater. Sometimes a woman may be affected by this condition before birth while in the womb of her own mother.
This condition is also called insulin resistance. This problem can cause insulin and sugar glucose to accumulate in the bloodstream, leading to heart condition in the long run. When weight gain begins and goes unnoticed or the victim does not bother to pay attention, it becomes that much more difficult to fight it later. Nobody needs to be told how excess weight can lead to a string of other problems, from simple cosmetic level issues like acne, abnormal facial hair growth, & baldness, to more grave problems like Type-2 diabetes, abnormal uterine bleeding, cholesterol abnormalities, metabolic syndrome, high blood cholesterol, blood pressure, to sleeplessness, and infertility.
How Seeing a Doctor on Time Can Help
Diagnosing & starting PCOS treatment early helps a lot as doctors can arrest symptoms at an early stage, reducing risk of the abovementioned long-term complications. There is no permanent cure for PCOS. However, when you see a doctor on time, she can tell you how to control it and bring your health back to normal. They can prescribe regular exercise, maintaining a healthy diet, losing extra pounds, quit smoking and may prescribe you medications to control hormones, as all these are important parts of treatment for PCOS.
Since PCOS is a complicated condition, it becomes all the more necessary to identify and see an experienced physician specializing in treating this ailment. She can examine your condition and prescribe a proper treatment to control and manage your symptoms to improve the quality of your life.
Book an appointment today and seek professional advice from Dr. Anshul Jain – + 91 7066310511 / + 91 7066580512
