Polycycstic Ovarian Syndrome is something that many women, including myself, get diagnosed with. Many people do not quite know what PCOS is but it is time they learned some basic facts about it. It can be hard to describe because even doctors have a hard time tackling exactly what causes it.
PCOS is a condition in which the levels of the sex hormones, estrogen and progesterone, go out of balance. This leads to the growth of cysts in the ovaries, causing problems throughout the person that has it.
One of the biggest things that women go through is uncontrollable weight gain. The weight gain is caused by the male hormones resulting in woman gaining weight more in the abdomen. Since it is hormone triggered, losing this weight is nearly impossible, and woman can be uncomfortable with their appearance.
Another thing that woman suffer with is hair growth. Once again this is triggered by the excessive amount of androgens. Women will sometimes have thick, dark hair on their face, neck, chest, arms and legs. This does not make a girl feel feminine at all, in fact, it makes them feel manly. Women spend hundreds of dollars waxing, and on other hair removal techniques to try and reduce the amount of hair on them.
When I was diagnosed with PCOS, the hardest thing I had to face was the concept of infertility. Yes I am only 18, but the thought of me may not being able to have my own children when I am older crushed me. The cause of infertility is once again from the presence of the male hormones. These hormones causes woman to not ovulate resulting in them not being able to conceive. Some women however are able to become pregnant if they release a mature egg, but it is rare. A woman can get pregnant with the help of fertility treatments.
When you have PCOS, the doctor's office becomes your second home. I spend several weeks out of the year visiting my doctors. Either it is going in for a check-up, getting medication, blood work, or ultrasounds. Most of the time it is for the ultrasounds. The doctors have to monitor the little cysts that cover your ovaries and make sure they don't become too large or out of control.
There are many other things that accompany PCOS like absence of menstruation, heavy menstruation and irregular menstruation. This is often very painful for some women to endure. Women also suffer from sleeping problems, pelvic pain, acne and insulin resistance.
PCOS just doesn't affect a person physically, there are also mental health issues as well. Many women develop depression, anxiety and other emotional disorders.
There is no cure to PCOS, however through medication and treatments you can alleviate some of the symptoms. The symptoms vary from person to person, and some have symptoms that are worse than others. But no matter the severity of your case, PCOS is difficult to deal with.
