Our lives have become highly fast-paced, and we are trying to achieve more and more goals now. Unfortunately, with this comes increased levels of stress. While this is good for our economic and personal growth, it might prove to be fatal for our health.
Several lifestyle diseases are now becoming increasingly common in the population because of our unhealthy lifestyle. One of the most common lifestyle diseases that occur in women is PCOS or PolyCystic Ovary Syndrome. You should consult only the best doctor for PCOS in Gurgaon
In today’s age, one out of five women in India suffers from PCOS. And these statistics are only increasing in numbers.
In this article, we aim to tell you everything that you need to know about PCOS. What is PCOS, why it happens, what are symptoms, and much more.
Table of Contents
Feel free to skip ahead if one topic catches your eye:
- What is PCOS?
- Common Symptoms of PCOS.
- Who is more likely to get PCOS?
- Risks and Complications.
- Can I get Pregnant with PCOS?
- Treatment of PCOS in Gurgaon.
What is PCOS?
As the name suggests, PCOS, or PolyCystic Ovary Syndrome, is a disease of the ovaries, resulting in problems in the entire female reproductive tract. Ovaries are the organs that are responsible for producing the eggs and the reproductive hormones in the woman’s body. They mainly produce estrogen and progesterone (the female reproductive hormones) and small amounts of testosterone (the male reproductive hormone).
In PCOS, this balance between the male and female hormones is destroyed. Testerone levels in the body increase, which is the leading cause of all the symptoms that are seen in PCOS. This disbalance in hormones is also responsible for irregular menstrual cycles and infertility in women. PCOS is the most common cause of infertility in women in India right now.
PCOS ovaries show multiple follicles or “cysts” when seen on an Ultrasound. This is what gives this disease its name.
PCOS is a serious health condition with several symptoms and future complications. We will look at the symptoms of PCOS in the next section. In addition, women suffering from PCOS are at an increased risk of developing endometrial cancer and heart diseases in the future. Thus, you must treat and control your PCOS.
Common Symptoms of PCOS.
So, what are the first signs of PCOS, and how to identify them?
PCOS symptoms are because of the imbalance in male and female reproductive hormones, mainly because of increased testosterone levels in the female’s body. The presence of increased testosterone has masculinizing symptoms in females. These include the following:
- Irregular menstrual cycles
- Heavy menstrual bleeding
- Acne on the face and other body parts
- Excessive hair growth on the face and body parts like chest, back, armpits, etc. known as hirsutism.
- Male-pattern type baldness
- Weight gain
- Darkening of the skin folds like the neck, under the breasts, groin, and armpit. This is known as Acanthosis Nigricans.
Irregular menstrual cycles
Because of increased testosterone, the follicles do not mature, and the egg is not released. As a result, estrogen and progesterone are also not released sufficiently in the body. This causes an irregularity in PCOS menstrual cycles. As a result, women with PCOS have fewer periods in a year, with some women having as low as 6 or 8 periods in a year.
Heavy menstrual bleeding
Since there are fewer periods, the endometrium takes a long time to thicken and make blood vessels. So, when a period does occur, the bleeding is very heavy.
Acne on the face and other body parts
Raised testosterone levels cause more sebum production, which gets trapped in the pores, causing acne.
Excessive hair growth on the face and body parts
Testosterone is also responsible for excessive hair growth on the face and other body parts.
Male-pattern type baldness
Women suffering from PCOS also see hair fall and hair loss. This is usually in a male pattern hair loss.
Weight gain
Weight gain is both a cause and symptom of PCOS. Unfortunately, this forms a vicious cycle in women with PCOS because PCOS causes weight gain and weight gain leads to PCOS. It is important to eat a good PCOS diet to maintain a healthy weight.
Darkening of the skin folds
Darkening of the skin is caused because of insulin resistance in the body.
Weight gain, irregular periods, and infertility are the most common symptoms seen in women with PCOS. If you are suffering from any of these, make sure to consult a gynecologist for proper diagnosis and treatment.
Who is more likely to get PCOS?
PCOS is a lifestyle disease, and lack of physical exercise and obesity are among the most common risk factors of PCOS. It has been seen that about 80% of women suffering from PCOS are either overweight or obese. The exact cause of PCOS is unknown, but scientists believe that the factors given below can lead to PCOS in women.
- Excess insulin
- Inflammation in the body
- Genes and family history
Excess insulin
Insulin is produced by the pancreas in our body and is responsible for increasing the glucose uptake by cells. If the cells become resistant to insulin, they will not uptake glucose, and blood levels of glucose will rise.
The increased glucose levels signal the pancreas to produce more insulin. But since the body cells can not react to insulin, there will be an increase in glucose and insulin levels in the body.
Excess insulin in the body is responsible for more testosterone production, which in turn causes PCOS. Insulin resistance is mainly seen in obese women.
Inflammation in the body
Obesity also causes a state of inflammation in the body which is responsible for excess testosterone production. This causes PCOS in women.
Genes and family history
Scientists believe that specific genes are involved in the cause of PCOS. This is further proved by the fact that PCOS usually has a family history, which means that you are more likely to have PCOS if somebody in your family already has it.
For PCOS diagnosis, your doctor will order some blood tests to check your hormones, insulin, and blood sugar levels. Apart from that, a PCOS ultrasound will also be done for you to check for multiple follicles in the ovaries.
To make the diagnosis of PCOS, any 2 of the following three factors should be present:
- Irregular menstrual cycles
- Increased testosterone levels
- Multiple follicles or cysts in the ovaries.
Risks and Complications
So, the risk factors for PCOS include the following:
- Lack of physical activity
- Being overweight or obese
- Stress and anxiety
- Insulin resistance
- Family history of PCOS
- Intake of certain medications, like steroids, etc.
Several complications can occur because of these PCOS symptoms, such as:
- Infertility
- Type 2 diabetes
- Depression
- Metabolic syndrome
- Sleep apnea
- Liver diseases
- Increased risk of endometrial cancer
- Increased risk of cardiovascular diseases
Can I get Pregnant with PCOS?
While the most common complication of PCOS is infertility, it is still possible for women with PCOS to get pregnant. Now, several treatment options are available that help women with PCOS pregnancy.
Because of hormonal imbalance, the menstrual cycle becomes irregular. And this leads to the egg not being released during each cycle, as is supposed to happen.
Since the egg is not available for fertilization, the woman is unable to get pregnant.
With proper treatment and weight loss, it is possible for women with PCOS to get pregnant but you need to take proper PCOS precautions. Weight loss is highly beneficial in reversing the symptoms of PCOS and making women fertile. In addition, eating well-balanced meals, doing an adequate amount of regular exercise, and managing your stress levels is essential for leading a healthy lifestyle that will treat and prevent the symptoms of PCOS.
PCOS Treatment in Gurgaon
PCOS can be managed easily with lifestyle modifications and medical treatment prescribed by the best doctor for PCOS treatment in Gurgaon. The various medications that are used in PCOS include:
Combined oral contraceptive pills: These contain estrogen and progesterone and help regularise the menstrual cycles and alleviate PCOS problem symptoms. These are also beneficial in reducing the risk of endometrial cancer in the future.
Progestin pills: These contain only progesterone and help PCOS periods become regular. They also help reduce the risk of endometrial cancer.
Clomiphene: This is used for ovulation induction in women with PCOS infertility.
Metformin: This medicine is used to control blood sugar levels and prevent diabetes. This is also used in addition with Clomiphene in patients with PCOS infertility.
Apart from these, medications can treat specific symptoms like acne, excessive hair growth, hair loss, and more.
PCOS treatment cost in Gurgaon depends on several factors like:
- The clinic or hospital you choose for your treatment.
- The experience of the doctor treating you. You should only choose the best gynaecologist in Gurgaon for PCOS.
- The severity of your disease
- Investigations that are done for you
- Medications and other treatment options that are used for you.
The average PCOS treatment cost in Gurgaon ranges between INR 10,000 and INR 15,000. This cost can increase if you are looking for more options for infertility.
Take Away
This was an article detailing everything about PCOS and how you should tackle this disease. PCOS can be treated easily if you choose the best gynecologist for PCOS.
You will get the best and most comfortable PCOS treatment at Mulberry.we also have a path lab, the best ultrasound clinic in Gurgaon, and specially stocked pharmacy to meet the needs of women within the clinic to save you all the hassle.