What is PCOS and its causes?
Do you want
to know about a disease that is very common in females nowadays?
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| Polycystic ovary syndrome |
Polycystic ovary syndrome is common in women now a day’s.
This hormonal disorder affects the woman’s ovary work in the age of reproduction.
It is a disease in which women produce a high amount of male hormones that cause an interruption in the regular menstruation cycle.
It may affect the growth of ovaries that causes immature egg production.
It is a common disorder in women nowadays. It is common in girls at the age of puberty.
Symptoms of
PCOS:
Signs and symptoms of this disease diagnosed at the time of menstruation. Some symptoms diagnose later due to substantial weight gain.
The sign and symptoms of PCOS are the following:
Irregular periods.
Heavy bleeding
Hair growth on the face
Acne on face
Baldness
Weight gain
Darkening of the skin
Headache
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| Symptoms of PCOS |
Irregular Periods:
Secretion of an excess amount of male hormones stops the process of ovulation that causes irregular periods.
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| Irregular periods common on PCOS |
It prevents the uterine lining from shedding every month.
Heavy Bleeding:
In PCOS the uterine lining shedding
after a long time that’s why bleeding I heavier than the normal periods.
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| Heavy bleeding in PCOS |
Hair Growth
on the Face:
In this disease, the hair grows on the face of the patients and in outer parts of the body e.g. belly, back, and
chest. This condition is called
hirsutism.
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| Growth of hairs on face and belly in PCOS |
Acne on Skin:
Due to the secretion of male hormones, the
skin becomes oilier than normal cause acne on the skin.
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| Acne on the face in PCOS |
Baldness:
During PCOS the baldness occurs in females. It is caused due to the secretion of male hormones (androgen hormone).
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| Baldness in PCOS |
The excess amount of this hormone in the body causes hair thinning on the
scalp. But there is no complete baldness in females like men.
Overweight:
In PCOS the secretion of insulin hormone is interrupted. In this disease the cells of the body become resistant to insulin and insulin does not work properly.
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| Overweight in PCOS |
Due to this reason, the body
starch does not convert into glucose and it deposits in the different body parts
especially in the abdomen.
Due to the deposition of starch in the
body patients gain weight. This condition leads to obesity in patients with PCOS
that is very harmful.
Darkening of
the Skin:
Dark patches are formed in the body due
to the androgen hormone. These patches formed on different parts of the skin and
body creases like on the neck, under the breasts.
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| Darkening of skin in PCOS |
Headache:
It is caused due to the change in
hormones.
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| Headache in PCOS |
Causes of
PCOS:
The exact cause of PCOS is not known. Some environmental factors cause PCOS and sometimes it occurs due to abnormal gene function. The causes and factors of PCOS are the following:
- Genes and heredity
- Insulin resistance
- Weight gain or obesity
- Low-grade inflammation
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| Headache in PCOS |
Genes or Heredity:
Sometimes PCOS disorder occurs due
to the abnormal functioning of many genes. It is called a hereditary disorder and runs
in families.
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| Dysfunctional genes cause PCOS |
Insulin Resistance:
The main reason for PCOS is insulin resistance. Insulin is a hormone that produces in the body. The main function of insulin is to maintain the sugar levels in the body and provide energy.
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| Insulin resistance cause PCOS |
If the
body cells not consumed insulin properly and become resistant, then extra
insulin deposits in the body. When the level of insulin increases then it
increases the secretion of male hormones (testosterone hormone) that affect the ovary growth and cause
PCOS.
Weight Gain:
Weight gain is also an important factor for PCOS. Weight gain and obesity is a cause of insulin resistance in cells.
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| Obesity cause PCOS |
Due to this reason, the risk of this disease increases day by day.
Obesity also increases the risk of diabetes and heart diseases.
Low-grade Inflammation:
This term used for White blood cells is present in our body that fights against the infection. Women with PCOS have these symptoms.
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| Low-inflammation cause PCOS |
Low-grade inflammation stimulates PCOS that increases the production
of androgen hormone. It also increases the risk of heart diseases.
Effects of
PCOS on the Body:
It has many adverse effects on the body.
High levels of male hormones affect fertility and cause many other health
issues. The effects of PCOS are the following:
- Infertility
- Metabolic syndrome
- Sleep apnea
- Endometrial cancer
- Depression
Infertility:
In PCOS the process of ovulation is interrupted due to the androgen hormone.
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| Infertility caused due to PCOS |
Women with PCOS don’t ovulate regularly
and don’t lay eggs that can fertilize. So it causes infertility in females.
Metabolic Syndrome:
Women with PCOS are obese or overweight. Obesity increase the risk of high blood pressure, low HDL cholesterol, etc.
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| A metabolic syndrome caused due to PCOS |
These are collectively called
metabolic syndrome. These factors increase the risk of heart diseases and heart
strokes.
Sleep Apnea:
It is the repeated pause of breath during the night that disturbed sleep. It is caused due to obesity.
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| Sleep apnea caused due to PCOS |
In patients
with PCOS, the risk of sleep apnea increases 5 to 10 times than normal.
Endometrial Cancer:
PCOS causes endometrial cancer. In normal condition, the uterine lining sheds every month.
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| Endometrial cancer caused due to PCOS |
But in PCOS the lining does not
shed regularly and builds up and it becomes thickens. The thickening of the uterine
lining causes endometrial cancer.
Depression:
Hormonal changes and symptoms of PCOS negatively affect emotions that lead to depression and anxiety.
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| Depression caused due to PCOS |
Treatment of
PCOS:
Treatment of PCOS can be done for a specific problem like infertility, acne and baldness, and obesity. Treatment of
PCOS can be possible with various changes and medications. These are the following:
- Lifestyle changes
- Medications
Lifestyle Changes:
Obesity is a common symptom of this disease. This problem can be controlled by changing habits and lifestyles. The doctor advises exercise and weight loss as the first step of this medication for this disease.
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| Daily exercise help to cure PCOS |
Even a 5% reduction in weight can improve the condition of the disease
and it also increases the effect of medication that recommend by the doctor.
Medications:
The step of medication is different
for each symptom of this disease. The medication for menstruation is the following:
- Combination of birth control
pills
- Progestin therapy
Combination Birth Control Pills:
These pills contain progestin and estrogen hormones that help to reduce androgen production and regulate estrogen hormones in the body.
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| Birth control pills cure PCOS |
It also helps to lower the risk of endometrial,
corrects the bleeding, excess hair growth, and acne. Instead of pills, the vaginal ring can also use.
Progestin Therapy:
This therapy can be taken for 10 to 14 days in every one or two months. It can regulate periods and protect from endometrial cancer.
Progestin therapy helps to cure PCOS
But this therapy doesn’t help to improve estrogen
levels and not help to maintain pregnancy.
For Ovulation:
For ovulation following medications
can be taken:
- Clomiphene
- Letrozole
- Metmorphin
- Gonadotrophin
Clomiphene:
This is an anti-estrogen medication that is taken during the 1st part of the menstrual cycle.
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|
Letrozole:
This treatment can work to stimulate
the ovaries that help in ovulation.
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| Letrozole help to cure PCOS |
Metformin:
This oral medication is for diabetes 2 type that improves insulin resistance and lowers insulin levels.
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| Metformin helps to cure PCOS |
It
decreases the risk of diabetes 2 type and helps to weight loss.
Gonadotrophins:
These medications are injectable.
These hormones are given by injections.
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| Gonadotrophin hormone help to cure PCOS |
To Reduce Excessive Hair Growth:
To reduce excessive hair growth
following medications can be taken:
- Birth control pills
- Spironolactone
- Eflornithine
- Electrolysis
Birth Control Pills:
These pills decrease the level of
androgen hormones and progestin and androgen levels increase. It helps to
reduce excessive hair growth.
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| Birth control pills cure PCOS |
Spironolactone:
It reduces the effects of estrogen and androgen hormone levels in the body. This medication also helps to reduce hair growth on the skin.
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| Spironolactone reduces hair growth on the face |
Eflornithine:
This medication is available in the form of creams. This cream slow facial hair growth in females.
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| Eflornithine cream reduce hair growth on the face |
Electrolysis:
This medication is injectable. A tiny needle inserted into the hair follicle.
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| Electrolysis removes hairs on the face |
The needle emits an electric current that damage and destroys the follicle. This medication can be used for multiple purposes.
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