What Are the Common PCOS Symptoms?
The common PCOS symptoms and signs in women are varied. This is because PCOS or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome – an endocrine problem – is a rather complex condition. Basically, it is caused by the abnormal secretion of androgens that are typically common in men. The result of this is that women display many characteristics typically found in men. It is definitely disturbing to have hair grow in the back, face, chest, abdomen, and other strange places. A lot of women with PCOS also suffer from depression.
Unfortunately, there are other equally disturbing symptoms. There could be hair loss akin to the baldness that afflicts men, obesity, snoring, ovarian cysts, acne, high blood pressure, and thickening of the skin in some places. These are the minor ones. More depressed still is infertility caused by irregular menstrual periods.
How common is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome? According to researchers, PCOS afflicts around 5% to 10% of women capable of bearing children. Not all will display the same symptoms and some will have mild manifestations while others will display more different ones. Typically, however, all undergo physical changes and health problems, including the inability to process blood sugar properly, which can lead to diabetes and heart conditions. There are available medications but these only lessen the effects of PCOS. At present, there is no known cure for the disease yet.
PCOS is not selective in terms of race and nationality. Researchers suspect that the condition involves genetic factors because some of the known victims have family members who also have the disease. However, nothing definitive about genetics has been established just yet.
Although the changes in the physical appearance and health problems of women with PCOS are medically proven to come from an imbalance in the secretion of androgens, the actual cause of the disease has yet to be definitively established. Symptoms usually begin to appear during adolescence and will continue to appear through adulthood.
Since PCOS is a hormonal problem, its effects are wide ranging and put victims in danger from a variety of related illnesses. PCOS increases the risk of endometrial cancer in women who are not having regular menstrual cycles. Doctors will most likely recommend taking medications that will regulate menstrual cycles. For the other known complications, such as diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, metabolic syndrome, heart disease, and the like, a special diet and regular exercise will be a lot of help.
It is important for women who are diagnosed to have PCOS to find a specialist who they can be comfortable with and who can provide appropriate guidance and treatment. Most importantly, they must educate themselves regarding the common PCOS symptoms because understanding the nature of the disease will help them fight its debilitating effects.
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