Funke is a woman in her late 20s and of childbearing age, she is obese and experiences irregular menstruation although she wouldn’t know that since she’s not one to track her period. There are a lot of Funke’s amongst us which seems pretty normal, but there is something else, Funke is a potential polycystic ovarian syndrome patient, an incurable syndrome that can only be managed by adopting good lifestyle behaviors. This is why it is important to take note of any changes in your body as a woman.
PCOS affects 5-10% of women in the US and it appears in 1 in 6 infertile women in Nigeria as it is said to be one of the main causes of Infertility.
What then is PCOS?
According to the womenshealth.gov website “PCOS is a common health problem caused by an imbalance of reproductive hormones. The hormonal imbalance creates problems in the ovaries. The ovaries make the egg that is released each month as part of a menstrual cycle. With PCOS, the egg may not develop as it shouldn’t it may not be released during ovulation as it should be”
In clearer terms, PCOS is the presence of cysts in the ovaries which is manifested by changes in hormonal level and other symptoms and thus restricting it (the ovaries) from doing its work of producing eggs that are required to get pregnant and are necessary during menstruation.
This is why most women with this condition have irregular periods and it is said to be a common cause of infertility and it can also be responsible for a change in the physical outlook of a female through weight gain, hair thinning, hair in different parts of the body and also leading to various illnesses.
The main cause for PCOS has not been figured out but certain common factors found in people with PCOS include:
obesity
genetic transmission
high level of androgens: all women make small androgen but women with PCOS have more androgens than normal which prevent women from ovulating(releasing eggs during the menstrual cycle.
high level of insulin: insulin controls how our food is turned into energy. In some women with PCOS, there is insulin resistance causing the insulin level to be higher than normal which is bad for the health has been found in people with PCOS.
Some of the symptoms may include and are not limited to: irregular menstrual cycle, weight gain, acne, hair thinning, skin tags. However, PCOS looks different in different women so it is important to visit the health practitioner to make a diagnosis which involves series of tests: check of androgen levels, BMI, Pelvic examination amongst others.
It is pertinent to know about this because many women with PCOS do not know that they have the condition and managing it could help prevent other health issues that may arise like diabetes, heart failure, high blood pressure, stroke amongst others.
Someone with PCOS can still get pregnant although it is the most common but treatable/manageable cause of infertility which is why it needs to be taken seriously.
While there is no cure yet, there are certain lifestyle habits that include eating healthy, exercising that could help in managing this illness and there are medications used to maintain androgen levels. While the tips might help, this is not to say that the woman cannot contract the disease. It however helps with taking precautions to prevent another possible ailment that could arise as a result.
Contacting the doctor when symptoms occur is very important to ensure safety.
As always, early prevention saves lives.
AASA PRESS UI 