Skipped periods can give any woman on earth tremendous stress and anxiety, resulting in stress acne, hair fall, and weight issues. But is this really just a casual incidence wherein your chums feel too lazy to come or there’s some deeper pathology causing delayed menses? Think of PCOS if you have any of the above symptoms.
PCOD / PCOS (Poly Cystic Ovarian Disease/Syndrome) is an Endocrinol disorder in which the female hormones – oestrogen and progesterone are out of balance; resulting in formation of multiple cysts on surface of ovaries causing irregular menses, weight gain, excess facial and body hair, male pattern baldness, acne , infertility and certain masculine features in body.
It being a leading Endocrinol disorder in women in the reproductive age, there are many myths prevalent about this disease; partly due to lack of awareness; partly due to the varied presentation in women. This blog will clear all your doubts pertaining to PCOS.
Myth 1: PCOS is a rare disease
Fact: PCOS is, in fact, the most common Endocrinol disease affecting women in the reproductive age.
Approximately 5-10% of women between ages 18-44 in USA suffer from PCOS, i.e. one in every 8 to 10 women have PCOS. In India, approximately 18% women are suffering from PCOS as per the study.
Myth 2: PCOS affects women after the age of 30
Fact: PCOS can affect in any age group in the reproductive age. Patients as young as 13 and as old as 45 are diagnosed of PCOS.
Myth 3: I have regular periods, so I am ovulating normally and fertile.
Fact: Normally, oestrogen rises to a high level to produce thickening of inner lining of uterus and give rise to ovulation. But, in PCOS, the oestrogen may rise to a level to produce endometrial lining but insufficient enough to give rise to ovulation.
Myth 4: I don’t want children, so ovulation doesn’t matter to me. Why take treatment for PCOS?
Fact: Ovulation is essential irrespective of your future family planning. Absence of ovulation is one of the symptoms of PCOS. It signifies lack of progesterone which means you are at an increased risk of developing oestrogen-dominance conditions like fibroids, breast cancer, endometriosis, etc. Hence, treatment is required irrespective of whether you want to have children or not.
Myth 5: I have PCOD, but my hormone levels are normal. I need not worry.
Fact: Hormone tests are at times poor predictors as their levels depend on what day of the menstrual cycle is the blood checked; hence the broad normal range.
Also, PCOD is known to progress to PCOS, whereby it can give rise to diseases like Hypertension, high cholesterol, Diabetes, insulance resistance, infertility, depression, anxiety, and endometrial cancer in rare cases. Timely treatment can help in preventing complications and metabolic disorders.
Myth 6: Diabetes causes PCOS.
Fact: Diabetes does not necessarily lead to PCOS. In fact, PCOS causes insulin resistance due to high oestrogen levels, thereby resulting in development of Diabetes. Women having PCOS are at a high risk of developing Diabetes and need to be screened regularly for blood sugar levels. India is a diabetic country and PCOS is a pre diabetic state. So, women should be screened thoroughly for PCOS
Myth 7: I am fat, that’s why I have PCOS.
Fact: Rather, it’s the other way round. PCOD leads to weight gain and obesity.
Approximately 80% women suffering from PCOS are obese.
Myth 8: Losing weight will cure my PCOS
Fact: That’s not true. Losing weight will definitely help in improving fertility and symptoms of PCOS to an extent but PCOS requires internal correction and treatment. Losing weight is a crucial supportive line of treatment.
Myth 9: PCOD is incurable. Hormonal treatment and/or surgery are the only solution.
Fact: Homeopathy has an excellent role to play in PCOD. We have patients from across 188+ countries taking treatment for PCOD and depending on the size and number of the cysts; they get good recovery in irregular menses, acne, weight management and improves fertility as well. Surgery can very well be prevented in certain cases with correctly prescribed homeopathic medicines.
Myth 10: Homeopathic treatment for PCOD has side effects
Fact: Allopathic line of treatment for PCOD consists of hormonal pills, which if taken for over a long period of time, can cause side effects like gall stones, hypertension , blood clots, hypercholesterolaemia, osteoporosis, etc.
Homeopathic treatment on the other hand, is very safe and does not have any side effects.
I hope this blog helps in enlightening your knowledge about PCOS. Have no fears if you are diagnosed of PCOS. Homeopathy has an answer to your sufferings. Welcome to the most gentle way of healing.
(Dr Amrita Utekar)
