PCOS, or polycystic ovarian syndrome, is a common disorder affecting millions of women worldwide. As many as 4% of all women will develop this condition. It can be uncomfortable and frustrating to deal with, but it does not have to lead to fertility issues. The good news is that various treatments for PCOS are available to help prevent any serious complications from developing.
What is PCOS?
PCOS is an endocrine disorder among women and can occur in as many as 10% of women of reproductive age. It is mainly characterized by small cysts on the ovaries and high levels of male hormones (androgens) in the body.
The condition can cause irregular periods, acne, and excess hair growth on the face or body.
The precise cause is still unknown, but some studies suggest genetic factors may play a role in its development.
What are the reasons for PCOS?
- PCOS is caused by high levels of androgens, a class of hormones responsible for male characteristics. Androgens can be produced by your ovaries or adrenal glands, affecting women with PCOS.
In women with PCOS, their ovaries produce higher than average amounts of androgen because their bodies have trouble converting testosterone into estrogen.
- The second reason PCOS occurs is the body’s inability to use insulin properly. Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood glucose levels throughout your body.
If you have diabetes (type 1 or 2), you may have an elevated insulin level in your bloodstream. Too much insulin floating around in the bloodstream causes problems with other hormones like testosterone and estrogen because they need to work together to regulate each other’s production rates within the body (in addition to many other functions).
- The third cause of this condition is that some people don’t produce enough estrogen, testosterone, or both.
Signs and Symptoms of PCOS
If you have PCOS and stop taking medication, the symptoms may return.
-
Hair loss
If you’re taking hair loss medication for your PCOS, you must continue using it if it’s working for you. Stopping the treatment could cause your hair loss to get worse.
-
Acne
You’ll need to continue treating acne if it’s getting better but not gone completely.
-
Weight gain
If weight gain is a problem with your PCOS, continuing treatment will help keep this under control until diet and exercise can take over.
Features of PCOS
PCOS is a common endocrine disorder that affects more than 5 million women in the United States. PCOS affects about 10 percent of reproductive-age women, and it’s the most common cause of female infertility. It may also develop other serious health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, and endometrial cancer.
PCOS can cause
- Irregular periods
- Unwanted hair growth on the face or body (hirsutism)
- Acne
- Weight gain.
The condition also increases your risk of
- Developing high cholesterol levels
- High blood pressure
- Sleep apnea (breathing problems during sleep).
Hormonal changes and PCOS
Menstrual cycle changes
- There are two types of menstrual cycles, ovulatory and anovulatory. An ovulatory cycle is when you produce an egg, and the follicle releases it during ovulation.
- The other type of menstrual cycle is called anovulatory, which means a follicle releases no egg due to hormonal imbalances caused by polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
- When you have PCOS, your body does not release eggs as it should during ovulation because your hormones are out of balance. This can cause irregular periods or no period for 12 months in some women with this condition.
- The lack of ovulation causes fertility issues because there is no egg available for fertilization from sperm cells; therefore, pregnancy cannot occur naturally without help from medication such as Clomid or injectable Gonadotropins (Lupron).
What Can Be The Possible Treatments For PCOS?
As you can see, there are many treatments available to treat PCOS. However, the best treatment options for PCOS are lifestyle changes and medications. Lifestyle changes include weight loss, exercise, and a healthy diet.
Medications include birth control pills and metformin (oral diabetes medication). Other possible treatments include insulin sensitizers or anti-androgens if you have insulin resistance (elevated insulin levels).
Home Remedies
So, what’s the alternative? A home remedy is a non-toxic substance that can be used to treat symptoms of PCOS. Home remedies are safe and effective in moderation but do not cure PCOS. The best way to treat your condition is with medical intervention from a doctor or specialist who knows about treating this disorder.
Homeopathic Treatments
Homeopathic medicines are safe and effective and can be used to treat all age groups. They can also be used for all symptoms of PCOS.
Homeopathic medicines are made from natural sources and according to strict guidelines by homeopathic practitioners. These rules mean that homeopathic medicines cannot contain any active ingredient, so they have no side effects or risks.
This makes them very effective in treating conditions like PCOS, where there may be concerns about the safety of conventional treatments, or there may be concerns about the side effects of such treatments.
Allopathic Treatments
Allopathic treatments are medicines prescribed by doctors. These include birth control pills, metformin, and other diabetes medications and creams that help with hair growth.
Allopathic treatments have side effects—some may be quite unpleasant, so it’s important to speak with your doctor about them before starting any treatment.
Some women don’t feel comfortable taking these drugs because they aren’t effective for every woman with PCOS and can also be expensive.
Consequences Of Giving Up On Treatment For PCOS?
If you choose not to treat PCOS, the consequences can be serious. The most common risk is that your ovaries will stop working properly, which means you may end up with too few or no eggs. This means that it’s possible for your body not to be able to get pregnant without medical intervention.
PCOS is a chronic condition, so if you give up treatments and don’t take care of yourself, there are several other risks as well:
-
Infertility
Without treatment, PCOS can make it more difficult for women with the condition to get pregnant (if they want kids).
-
Weight gain
If you don’t manage your weight and start gaining too much weight over time (especially around your waist), this increases the risk of heart disease and diabetes in people with PCOS.
This makes sense if we consider why polycystic ovary syndrome causes infertility problems: ovarian cysts usually cause hormonal changes in women who have them.
When you have PCOS, your ovaries make more male hormones like testosterone. Many doctors think that the condition is caused by too much testosterone in your body.
Other Effects That PCOS Can Cause On Your Body?
If you have PCOS and are thinking about giving up treatments, it’s important to know that it may also cause other problems in your body. One of the most common side effects is infertility, which means you could want to consider having children at some point in your life. Other effects include:
- Increased risk of endometrial cancer (cancer of the uterus). This is a serious condition that requires immediate medical attention if it happens.
- Increased risk of ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer is one of the most deadly cancers among women, and one woman dies every hour from this disease in America alone! It’s important to get treatment right away if you have symptoms like pain or discomfort in your abdomen area.
- Increased risk of developing gestational diabetes occurs only during pregnancy. It can result in complications affecting both mother and baby, like high blood pressure during delivery or fetal macrosomia (big baby).
- Increased risk for developing high blood pressure later on down the road due to insulin resistance having negative effects on cholesterol levels too high, which leads to heart disease.
Thus making these two issues linked together with each other since both conditions share many similar characteristics, especially when looking at long-term results from untreated PCOS patients who’ve never gotten treatment before.
Conclusion
PCOS is a complex disease, and you should consider the treatment options available before deciding to give up. If your doctor recommends you take these medications, then it is best to follow their advice. The right combination of these things will help eliminate this problem permanently without any side effects.
Leave A Comment