Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal disorder in women of childbearing age. Women with PCOS experience symptoms that affect the ovaries, or ovaries, and the ovulation process.
Disturbances occur due to excess androgen hormone levels. Hormonal imbalance causes disrupted menstrual periods and makes it difficult to get pregnant.
What is PCOS?
Many women suffer from PCOS but don't know it. Women with PCOS usually experience irregular menstrual periods in frequency and duration. PCOS can also affect the fertility of sufferers and make them more susceptible to diabetes and high blood pressure.
In PCOS, there are sacs filled with fluid in the ovaries. This sac is a follicle that contains an immature egg. However, the egg fails to develop, so the process of releasing the egg, or ovulation, fails to occur.
The failure of the ovulation process disrupts the balance of the hormones estrogen, progesterone, FSH, and LG. Usually, progesterone levels will decrease while androgen levels will increase than usual. This excess androgen hormone makes menstrual cycles irregular, so women with PCOS often miss their periods.
What causes PCOS?
The cause of PCOS is currently not known for sure. Doctors believe that high androgen hormones cause the ovaries to be inhibited from producing hormones and releasing eggs.
Several factors that can contribute to the formation of PCOS include:
- Heredity, usually several genes can contribute to PCOS
- Insulin resistance causes high blood sugar levels and triggers an increase in androgen hormone production
- Low-grade inflammation stimulates the formation of cysts in the ovaries to continue to produce androgens
- Excess androgen hormones
What are the symptoms of PCOS?
PCOS symptoms can appear in women from the first menstruation. While some other women only become aware of PCOS when there is a high enough weight gain, and it is difficult to get pregnant. Some of the common symptoms that occur in PCOS are:
- The most common symptom is irregular menstrual periods, such as infrequent, irregular, or long cycles.
- Heavy bleeding is caused by the uterine wall that was previously formed failing to shed due to missed menstrual periods so that subsequent menstruation can be heavier than usual.
- Hair growth more than 70% of women with this condition have the same characteristic, namely growing thick hair on the face and body.
- Acne can be caused by high androgen hormones that trigger the skin to become oilier and cause acne on the face, chest, and back.
- Weight gain, more than 80% of women with PCOS are overweight or obese.
- Baldness, as in men
- Dark patches on the skin
- Headache
How to treat PCOS?
For sufferers, PCOS treatment requires lifestyle changes ranging from weight loss to diet and exercise. Studies show that low-carb diets effectively reduce PCOS's body weight and insulin levels. This diet helps sufferers restore normal menstrual cycles. It would be better if the diet is accompanied by exercise.
Some of the medical therapies that are commonly given to treat PCOS are:
- Birth control pills
- Metformin
- Clomiphene
- Hair remover
- Operation
Immediately consult a doctor if you show symptoms of PCOS, such as irregular menstrual cycles, difficulty getting pregnant, symptoms of diabetes, and excess hair on the face and body. No need to worry. You can still carry out a pregnancy program in this condition. Tell your doctor the symptoms you have and follow the treatment recommendations given.
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