Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a common disorder in women that can affect from the age of teens till menopause. It occurs in the reproductive phase of a woman's life resulting in irregular menstruation among other symptoms. The signs and symptoms can differ from woman to woman in the intensity and severity. Obesity, diabetes and insulin resistance are all very closely related with the condition of PCOS.
Polycystic term means many cysts and it is called so because this condition causes cysts to grow on the ovaries in women. The ovary is not able to release eggs and thus eggs cannot be fertilized. The woman will not be able to ovulate therefore she has irregular menstruation cycle and becomes infertile. The symptoms of PCOS are the following:
1. Infertility: The absence of menses or irregularity of menses means less ovulation. This causes decrease in fertility and decrease in chances of the woman getting pregnant.
2. Hair growth: In many women excessive hair growth on the body and face is seen. This occurs due to the increase in the androgen hormone in the female. Usually this hormone is present in small amounts in the females. If the level of this hormone is disturbed, it increases and causes excessive hair growth.
3. Acne: Acne is another symptom of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.
4. Miscarriage: Hormonal imbalance can cause a rise in the level of LH which leads to miscarriages.
5. Obesity: Most of the women suffering from PCOS are obese.
6. Insulin resistant: Most of the women with this condition are insulin resistant causing increase in the blood sugar levels. This could also lead to diabetes.
The cause of polycystic ovary syndrome is basically the imbalance of the hormones in the female body. It could be an inherited problem as chances are that if your mother or sister has this, you may suffer from this condition too. Some environmental factors may cause it indirectly by creating imbalance of the hormonal levels. A malfunction of the blood sugar control system is related to PCOS. A high level of the male hormone called androgen is also associated with this condition. Low level of chronic inflammation in the body or exposure of the fetus to male hormones can also be linked to polycystic ovary syndrome causes.
For the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), medications are available to reduce the symptoms. These drugs help in reducing the irregularity of menses; obesity, male hormone androgen, hirsutism and some drugs provide stimulation of the ovarian follicles to grow. If the medications do not work for you, a surgery known as laparoscopic ovarian drilling is an option. The goal of this surgery is to reduce the androgen levels in the body so as to induce ovulation. Other than this one can go in for hormonal therapy which is used to control the hormones. Birth control pills, vaginal rings and patches may be used in this therapy. Some lifestyle changes in your diet can help in preventing and treating PCOS. Regular exercise and quitting smoking also aids in overcoming this problem.
Read about herbal Female Libido Enhancer. Also know effective ways to Increase Female Libido.
Showing posts with label polycystic ovary syndrome. Show all posts
Showing posts with label polycystic ovary syndrome. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
PCOS Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Symptoms, Causes and Treatment
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a condition in which there is an imbalance of the hormones in a woman. This is a common condition found in women and the symptoms can start showing from as early as in the teens. Normally the hormones in the body trigger many processes by signaling other hormones or by releasing chemicals. If there is a disruption in their balance, PCOS can occur in the body.
If the sex hormones get imbalanced and the amount of androgen hormone increases in the female body, you may stop ovulating and get excessive facial and body hair. There are many symptoms which can be seen as a sign of presence of polycystic ovary syndrome. The symptoms differ from person to person in number and in intensity. Some of the symptoms of PCOS are irregular periods, excessive body hair, weight gain, thinning of hair on scalp, depression and infertility. Women, who have PCOS, tend to have few periods or no periods while some may experience very heavy bleeding. In this condition, most of the women grow cysts on the ovaries which is why the name polycystic ovary syndrome is given. These cysts lead to hormonal imbalances in the body.
Causes - The main cause of PCOS occurrence is the changes in the levels of the hormones present in the body. There can be many reasons which cause these changes. Some of the causes are as follows:
1. High androgen levels: Androgen is present in small quantity in the female body. If this increases it causes extra hair growth on the body and face in the females. It can also lead to problems like acne and stopping of ovulation.
2. Imbalance of Ovary hormone: Hormones trigger the process of ovulation and when the level of those hormones gets disturbed, ovulation does not take place. The ovary is not able to release an egg for fertilization.
3. High levels of blood sugar and insulin: When the body does not use the insulin properly, there is an increase in the levels of the blood sugar which can even lead to diabetes.
4. Heredity: Chances are that if a close relative of yours has PCOS, even you will have it.
5. Inflammation: Certain foods trigger inflammation and research shows that women who have PCOS have low grade inflammation.
Treatment - There is no specific treatment for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome but one can help prevent the condition and control it. Some of the ways to treat PCOS are as below:
1. Weight Loss: Obesity can cause imbalance of the hormones in the body. Losing weight helps to get back the balance and regularize the process of ovulation and menstruation. Follow a healthy and nutritious diet to achieve this result.
2. Exercise: Regular exercise is required to keep the body fit and healthy. It maintains the levels of the hormones and aids in weight loss too.
3. Quit Smoking: If you smoke, quit it right away. Women who smoke are shown to have higher levels of androgens than women who do not smoke. Smoking also leads to other health problems.
4. Hormonal Therapy: Hormonal therapy helps in controlling the ovary hormones. It can reduce some of the symptoms like excessive hair and acne. Patches, vaginal rings and birth control pills are used in this therapy.
Along with these treatments for polycystic ovary syndrome maintain a healthy lifestyle to prevent the condition.
Read about herbal Female Libido Enhancer. Also know effective ways to Increase Female Libido.
If the sex hormones get imbalanced and the amount of androgen hormone increases in the female body, you may stop ovulating and get excessive facial and body hair. There are many symptoms which can be seen as a sign of presence of polycystic ovary syndrome. The symptoms differ from person to person in number and in intensity. Some of the symptoms of PCOS are irregular periods, excessive body hair, weight gain, thinning of hair on scalp, depression and infertility. Women, who have PCOS, tend to have few periods or no periods while some may experience very heavy bleeding. In this condition, most of the women grow cysts on the ovaries which is why the name polycystic ovary syndrome is given. These cysts lead to hormonal imbalances in the body.
Causes - The main cause of PCOS occurrence is the changes in the levels of the hormones present in the body. There can be many reasons which cause these changes. Some of the causes are as follows:
1. High androgen levels: Androgen is present in small quantity in the female body. If this increases it causes extra hair growth on the body and face in the females. It can also lead to problems like acne and stopping of ovulation.
2. Imbalance of Ovary hormone: Hormones trigger the process of ovulation and when the level of those hormones gets disturbed, ovulation does not take place. The ovary is not able to release an egg for fertilization.
3. High levels of blood sugar and insulin: When the body does not use the insulin properly, there is an increase in the levels of the blood sugar which can even lead to diabetes.
4. Heredity: Chances are that if a close relative of yours has PCOS, even you will have it.
5. Inflammation: Certain foods trigger inflammation and research shows that women who have PCOS have low grade inflammation.
Treatment - There is no specific treatment for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome but one can help prevent the condition and control it. Some of the ways to treat PCOS are as below:
1. Weight Loss: Obesity can cause imbalance of the hormones in the body. Losing weight helps to get back the balance and regularize the process of ovulation and menstruation. Follow a healthy and nutritious diet to achieve this result.
2. Exercise: Regular exercise is required to keep the body fit and healthy. It maintains the levels of the hormones and aids in weight loss too.
3. Quit Smoking: If you smoke, quit it right away. Women who smoke are shown to have higher levels of androgens than women who do not smoke. Smoking also leads to other health problems.
4. Hormonal Therapy: Hormonal therapy helps in controlling the ovary hormones. It can reduce some of the symptoms like excessive hair and acne. Patches, vaginal rings and birth control pills are used in this therapy.
Along with these treatments for polycystic ovary syndrome maintain a healthy lifestyle to prevent the condition.
Read about herbal Female Libido Enhancer. Also know effective ways to Increase Female Libido.
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