Understanding PCOS: Symptoms, Causes, and Effective Treatment Strategies
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Understanding PCOS: Symptoms, Causes, and Effective Treatment Strategies
Understanding PCOS: Symptoms, Causes, and Effective Treatment Strategies
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition that affects a woman’s hormone levels.Women with PCOS produce higher-than-normal amounts of male hormones. This hormone imbalance causes them to skip menstrual periods and makes it harder for them to get pregnant.
PCOS also causes hair growth on the face and body, and baldness. And it can contribute to long-term health problems like diabetes and heart disease. Birth control pills and diabetes drugs can help fix the hormone imbalance and improve symptoms.
Doctors don’t know exactly what causes PCOS. They believe that high levels of male hormones prevent the ovaries from producing hormones and making eggs normally.
Genes, insulin resistance, and inflammation have all been linked to excess androgen production.
Some women start seeing symptoms around the time of their first period. Others only discover they have PCOS after they’ve gained a lot of weight or they’ve had trouble getting pregnant.
The most common PCOS symptoms are:
Irregular periods. A lack of ovulation prevents the uterine lining from shedding every month. Some women with PCOS get fewer than eight periods a year.
Heavy bleeding. The uterine lining builds up for a longer period of time, so the periods you do get can be heavier than normal.
Hair growth. More than 70 percent of women with this condition grow hair on their face and body — including on their back, belly, and chest Excess hair growth is called hirsutism.
Treatment for PCOS usually starts with lifestyle changes like weight loss, diet, and exercise.Losing just 5 to 10 percent of your body weight can help regulate your menstrual cycle and improve PCOS symptoms. Weight loss can also improve cholesterol levels, lower insulin, and reduce heart disease and diabetes risks.Any diet that helps you lose weight can help your condition. However, some diets may have advantages over others.A few studies have found that 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise at least three days a week can help women with PCOS lose weight. Losing weight with exercise also improves ovulation and insulin levels .Exercise is even more beneficial when combined with a healthy diet. Diet plus exercise helps you lose more weight than either intervention alone, and it lowers your risks for diabetes and heart disease .So be fit and healthy.