Women's Health blog: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)

@DrMary_Alphonse

What is PCOS?

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal disorder of abnormal ovarian function with small cysts and hyperandrogenism in the women of child bearing age. This hormone imbalance causes the body to skip menstrual periods and makes it harder to get pregnant. The syndrome is named after the characteristic ovarian cysts which form in the ovaries.

Women with PCOS produce higher than normal amounts of male hormones, androgens.

The cysts observed on the lining of the ovaries are actually, immature eggs that have not matured enough to be ejected out of the body and hence are stuck on the ovary walls. This leads to an imbalance in the hormone levels of the body, leading to the rise of the androgen levels.

It is the most common health issue women face today, nearly 2% to 40% women within the range of 12 years to 45 years face this issue world over. Most of the symptoms of PCOS are caused by higher-than-normal levels of certain hormones, called androgens. The ovaries produce hormones, which are chemicals that control functions in the body.

Its primary characteristics include hyperandrogenism, anovulation, insulin resistance, and neuroendocrine disruption.

What are the main Symptoms of PCOS?

Most of the symptoms of PCOS are caused by higher-than-normal levels of certain hormones, called androgens. The ovaries produce hormones, which are chemicals that control functions in the body.

Its primary characteristics include hyperandrogenism, anovulation, insulin resistance, and neuroendocrine disruption.

Symptoms include:

• Menstrual irregularity - irregular or absent or heavy

• Infertility - Difficulty getting pregnant (because of irregular ovulation or failure to ovulate)

• Hirsutism - Excess body and facial hair. Unwanted hair growth due to increase in androgen hormonal levels

• Hair fall - Male-pattern baldness or thinning hair

• Acne with oily face

• Obesity - weight gain

Associated conditions include

Type 2 diabetes
Obstructive sleep apnea
Heart disease
Darkening of skin - dark patches along body creases
Depression and Anxiety

This disease is related to the number of follicles per ovary each month growing from the average range of 6 to 8 to double, triple or more.

What are the Risk Factors of PCOS?

Risk factors include
Obesity
Lack of physical exercise
A family history of someone with the condition

How to Diagnose PCOS?

Anovulation
High androgen levels
Ovarian cysts.
Ultrasound - Cysts are detected by ultrasound in one or both ovaries
Blood tests - low thyroid levels
Hormone tests - The lack of ovulation alters levels of estrogen, progesterone, FSH, and LH. If you have PCOS, FSH would be lower than normal while LH would be higher. Similarly, Testosterone is a male sex hormone, which would be higher. Estrogen level as well as Androgen level would be high too. Progesterone levels are lower than usual.

What are the Types of PCOS?

There are four types of PCOS:

Insulin-resistant PCOS
Inflammatory PCOS
Hidden-cause PCOS
Pill-induced PCOS

How Homeopathy helps in PCOS?

There are over 50 plus Homeopathy remedies that are available to treat PCOS.

Homeopathy is based on Holistic methodology aiming at curing PCOS through the removal of the root cause.

Homeopathy treats you as an individual and not just your affected or diseased parts.

Homeopathy does not just treat on the name of the disease but it looks for the root of the disease. Thus when the cause is removed from the body, the disease automatically goes away completely.

Homeopathy corrects the hormonal imbalance naturally. Homeopathic medicines for PCOS treat the illness without any side-effects.

Since hormonal imbalance is the primary PCOS cause, homeopathy corrects it from the root. It regularizes the ovulation and restores the menstrual cycle.