Negosentro.com | Ways PCOS Can Affect Your Body: Health Complications to Know | An imbalance in the body’s hormone levels can cause several complications and affect overall health in any individual. But women secreting extra levels of the male hormone androgen are at high risk of being diagnosed with Polycystic ovary syndrome. PCOS, a common condition among women today, has its roots in genetic setup, claiming that this syndrome can happen due to multiple genes. Some other studies believe that obesity and insulin resistance can be prime causes.
PCOS occurs when the androgen secretion levels exceed the standard range and, on the bottom line, the typical ovulation process gets affected. PCOS, which elaborates to the polycystic ovary, refers to ovaries that have multiple cysts. These cysts are fluid-filled sacs containing an egg that never gets matured to stimulate ovulation.
Symptoms of PCOS
Around 12-21% of Australian women of reproductive age live with PCOS and, diagnosing this syndrome has become highly essential. Here are some common symptoms that you need to watch out for:
- Irregular and missed periods are the most typical symptom of PCOS. If you have been bleeding less than six times a year, you might have an underlying PCOS risk. On the flip side, women who do not menstruate the entire year are at higher risk levels.
- Heavy blood flow once you start bleeding can also indicate PCOS. However, ensure to differentiate if the flow is more massive than usual and ignore heavy flows due to physical activity or excess sugar consumption.
- Sudden weight gain especially, on the tummy, can also be a possible sign of PCOS when experienced along with the other indicators.
- Excessive hair growth on the stomach, chest, face, and stomach is a red flag while detecting PCOS. This condition is also known as hirsutism, and nine in every ten women with hirsutism have PCOS.
The Must-know Aftermath
Chronic PCOS can cause other health complications and affect your body in several ways. Women with undiagnosed PCOS can also develop other pressing health conditions and chronic disorders. Here are five ways Polycystic ovary syndrome can impact:
-
Sleep apnoea
Though apnoea is synonymous with snoring, women with PCOS can develop sleep apnoea as well. Apnoea refers to periodic breath pausing during sleep, which can interrupt and disturb your regular sleep cycle. In the worst cases, apnea can also lead to sleeplessness and chronic snoring, increasing the risks of stroke and other heart diseases.
-
Cancer
When PCOS halts ovulation and a regular menstrual cycle, the endometrium (inner lining of the uterus) never gets a chance to shed. In such cases, lack of ovulation can cause the endometrium to build up. This indeed increases the risk of endometrial cancer. Further, endometrial cancer can spread to the bladder, vagina, rectum and nearby parts affecting all of them slowly.
-
Infertility
Ovulation is inevitable for pregnancy, and women with chronic PCOS who never menstruate can be infertile. It is so because their ovary does not release an egg which can infuse with the sperm to form a zygote.
-
Obesity-related conditions
Women who are obese and live with PCOS are at high risks of most common metabolic syndromes like diabetes (type 2), high blood pressure, cholesterol, and other heart-related complications.
-
Mental disorders
The fact that you are missing out on your periods or have an irregular one can trigger stress. Also, the most common aftermath of PCOS is stress, anxiety and eating disorders, says recent studies. One prime reason for PCOS stress is developing an inferiority complex with excessive body hair growth.
