Don’t be scared, as PCOS is just a health disorder and not a dangerous disease. This can be improved by maintaining a proper lifestyle. The month of September is marked as PCOS awareness month, and you should know what it is and why you should be concerned.
PCOS affects over 7 million people across the globe, i.e., one in five adolescent girls has PCOS. Though being just a health disorder, if left untreated, may lead to serious health conditions like obesity, heart disease, diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, insulin resistance, endometrial cancer, hyperinsulinemia, and hyperandrogenism. From weight gain to infertility, this condition can affect several aspects of the human body, humanly possible.
So, in this light, let us understand what PCOS actually is, and how it is capable of draining you out.
What is PCOS?
As the chemicals produced by endocrine glands regulate a number of bodily activities, hormones are crucial for both a healthy body and mind. They help to control metabolism, mood, reproduction, and sexual function. PCOS is largely caused by hormonal imbalances and irregularity.
PCOS is a condition in which the ovaries produce an abnormal amount of androgens, i.e., male sex hormones. The many little cysts (fluid-filled sacs) that develop in the ovaries are known as polycystic ovarian syndrome. While some women without the disease do develop cysts, some women with this disorder do not.
A mature egg is discharged from an ovary during ovulation. This takes place so that male sperm can fertilize it. During your period, the egg is expelled from the body if it has not been fertilized.
A woman may occasionally produce insufficient amounts of the hormones required for ovulation. The ovaries may produce a large number of tiny cysts when ovulation is absent. Androgens are hormones that these cysts produce. Androgen levels are frequently elevated in women with PCOS. This may worsen a woman’s menstrual cycle issues and may cause other PCOS symptoms.
Why should you be concerned about PCOS?
Disturbed mental health and the onset of stress, sadness, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms are twice as likely to occur in women with PCOS. People who have an imbalance in their adrenal hormones frequently experience anxiety, melancholy, and insomnia. These hormones may affect women differently because their concentrations fluctuate often.
Women who have PCOS may have recurrent mood fluctuations, bipolar illness, eating disorders, OCD, sadness, anxiety, and heart palpitations. These can impair a woman’s capacity to carry out daily activities and to provide their utmost in both their professional and personal relationships. High-stress levels and sadness are more prevalent in PCOS women because they also have higher inflammatory markers. A woman’s libido suffers when she has low self-esteem and concerns about her body image. Women who are hirsute may hold back and not feel totally at ease in front of their spouse due to insecurities, a negative opinion of their bodies, and other factors.
Therefore, it is important to be concerned about the condition but not so much that it lowers your self-esteem. In the same light, you might have heard that “All women with PCOS are at a risk of metabolic complications,” and “Losing weight in PCOS is next to impossible.”
Now, trust me when I say this, the above ones are myths. It is possible to lose weight with PCOS and there will not be any metabolic complications even if you have PCOS. I am claiming this as I have seen women without complications and they did lose weight and have managed PCOS symptoms.
Not all diagnosed women face the same possible repercussions. Women who are identified due to irregular menstrual cycles and polycystic ovaries but show no evidence of androgen excess do not face the same metabolic concerns as those who have androgen excess.
Weight management interventions, such as diet and behavior change programs, have found that women with and without PCOS lose the same amount of weight, despite the fact that many women with PCOS report difficulty losing weight and perceive a greater susceptibility to weight gain.
Wrapping Up
For women with PCOS, the best course of treatment is to live a healthy lifestyle that includes eating well, exercising regularly, and quitting smoking. The need for support is highlighted by the fact that women with PCOS may experience additional difficulties putting these changes into practice, such as greater levels of worry and sadness.
The more you think about it, the more you get anxious, the more your mind responds in the negative, and the worse the condition will be. I am saying this again, PCOS is completely manageable. All you have to do is let out stress, stay healthy, and understand yourself.
