Common Myths About PCOD Busted

PCOD, Polycystic ovarian syndrome disease or polycystic ovarian syndrome is a hormonal disorder which is common in women in their reproductive ages. It is a very common health condition which affects every 1 in 10 women in their teens. A woman’s reproductive system is regulated by hormones, estrogen, FSH, LH (luteinizing hormone) and progesterone and an imbalance amongst these five lead to the condition of polycystic ovaries. Most women grow numerous small cysts filled with sacs on the ovaries and also experience abnormalities in their menstrual cycle (either infrequent or prolonged), increment in the levels of androgen, acne and excess growth of hair. This condition is one of the main causes of female infertility as it prevents ovulation.

SYMPTOMS AND CAUSES

Dr. Priyanka, Chief IVF And Infertility Specialist at Indira IVF Hospital, Explained that: “Usually, the symptoms are developed during the time of the first period of a woman and if it develops later, then the below-listed symptoms will tell you when to consult a doctor. “

PCOD BUSTEDPCOD BUSTED1. PERIODS WITH ABNORMALITIES

Irregular, prolonged or infrequent menstrual cycles are one of the most common symptoms. If you have less than 9 periods in a year, very heavy periods or a cycle of more than 35 days, then it is the time to see a doctor.

2. INCREMENT IN ANDROGEN

Increased levels of androgens (male hormones) result in physical appearances like excess body and facial hair and severe acne.

3. POLYCYSTIC OVARIES

In this case, the ovaries might get enlarged and as a result, the ovaries fail to function appropriately. Other symptoms are high levels of stress, high blood pressure, sleep disorders, infertility, skin allergies, acne, dandruff, pelvic pain, depression, and low libido.

The main or apt causes of this condition are not known but the factors affecting the causes are:

1. HEREDITY: According to some researches, heredity could be one of the reasons as there are some genes which might link to PCOD.

2. HYPERINSULINEMIA: Insulin is a hormone which is produced by the pancreas. It is the primary energy supplier of the body. When the body becomes resistant to the actions of insulin, the levels of blood sugar rises rapidly and due to which more insulin get produced by the body. Excess insulin can increase the production of androgen, which can cause difficulties in ovulation.

As this condition is not well understood, there are many misconceptions about PCOD, especially when it comes to its treatment. In this article, we will try to bust some of the common myths about PCOD.

1. PREGNANCY IS NOT POSSIBLE WITH THIS CONDITIONPCOD BUSTEDPCOD BUSTEDPCOD BUSTED

This is a very common cause of female infertility. This condition affects the ability of the ovaries to release eggs, which makes pregnancy difficult but it is not necessary that one cannot become pregnant. Women can still become pregnant by both natural methods or artificial fertility treatments. With the help of some fertility treatments, they can become pregnant not only once but multiple times in some cases. So, if you have the same condition and want to conceive, then you should consult a good fertility specialist, who can actually help you to be on the right track.

2. IF YOU ARE HAVING IRREGULAR PERIODS, YOU HAVE THIS CONDITION

If you are having an irregular cycle of periods, then are many causes of it and yes PCOD is one of them. The normal cycle of periods is from 21 to 35 days. Other factors which can affect the regularity of periods could be breastfeeding, uterine fibroid, thyroid disorders, pelvic inflammatory diseases, stress, over exercising and extreme dieting.

TIP– If your menstrual cycle is more than 34 days or less than 22 days, then consult the doctor. He might recommend some tests to evaluate the blood levels and thyroid levels.

3. WOMEN WITH THIS CONDITION ARE OVERWEIGHT

Well! lean women with the same condition are not so common but do exist. Usually, people develop these kinds of stereotypical PCOD myths. This might happen as this problem affects women in several different ways and weight gain is considered as one of the symptoms.

4. IF YOU DON’T WANT TO CONCEIVE THEN DON’T WORRY ABOUT THIS

This problem not only affects the fertility of a woman but also become a long term illness for her. There are so many health risks associated with this problem like miscarriage or premature delivery, endometrial cancer (cancer in the lining of the uterus), type 2 diabetes, depression, eating disorders, abnormal bleeding from the uterus, anxiety, high blood pressure, infertility, abnormalities in cholesterol levels (this increases the risks of cardiovascular diseases), high blood sugar, steatohepatitis and heart attacks. Diagnosis and treatment done at the right time are critical for every woman.

5. EACH WOMAN WHO HAS PCOD KNOWS ABOUT IT

The symptoms related to this condition are very common like mood swings, irregular periods and acne which can be easily mistaken for some other problem, such as stress. According to a study, about fifty to seventy percent of women having PCOD does not know about it and are undiagnosed. And, sometimes it is not symptomatic which is a hidden type of PCOD and most of the doctors don’t know about the symptoms of that type, such as deficiency of iodine (ovaries need iodine), vegetarian diet ( it makes you zinc deficient and the ovaries need zinc) and artificial sweeteners.

6. BIRTH CONTROL PILLS ARE FOR WOMEN WITH THIS CONDITION

Birth control is another common way which doctors recommend to treat the irregularities of the menstrual cycle. But if a woman is looking to conceive then she will not go with the birth control pills PCOD BUSTED. Birth control pills act as a cover which masks the symptoms and the treatment of this problem depends upon a person’s end goal. It is necessary for women to address hormona