10 Reasons to beware of polycystic ovary syndrome

If you don’t live with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), you most likely have a friend or sister with the problem. After all, in Brazil there are about 2.5 million new cases per year. But just as it is common, so are a lot of myths about the syndrome.

Therefore, the awesome.club researched and gathered here the main and most important information to clear all your doubts. Check it out!

Polycystic ovary syndrome is a hormonal disorder in women of reproductive age and is characterized by increased production of male hormones.

For an accurate diagnosis, it is necessary to exclude another pathology, and that the patient presents two or three combined symptoms:

Increased ovarian volume (or microcysts); Menstrual absence or irregularity; Absence of ovulation; Overweight; Acne appearance; Excess hair on the face, belly and breasts; Loss of hair; Insulin resistance; Fertility problems.

The disease affects up to 18% of women of childbearing age. In Brazil, there are about 2.5 million new cases per year.

despite the PCOS being the cause of menstrual irregularity in 85% of young women, it is a disorder that can manifest itself in different ways. In addition, the syndrome is associated with an increased risk for the development of other diseases such as endometrial cancer (a tumor located on the inner wall of the uterus), heart attack and diabetes.

The first and most effective method of treating PCOS is a lifestyle change. Eating well and doing physical activities revert many of the symptoms, not least because significant weight gain makes the syndrome worse.

Instead of medicine, gynecologists “prescribe” exercise. Gymnastics is first-line treatment for most cases. Hours of training are not required to achieve the benefits of physical exercise. It is enough just to scare away the sedentary lifestyle and bet on some type of activity at least three times a week.

Among the drug options, oral contraceptives have been widely used and, in most cases, are safe and effective in patients without major metabolic comorbidities, that is, without two or more diseases at the same time.

However, even though the contraceptive is recommended to regulate menstruation and hormones, women who do not intend to use the pill because of its side effects can opt for other treatments. For this, just talk to the doctor and define the best way to control symptoms.

The disease causes the body to increase fat, central adiposity (belly), testosterone, postprandial glucose, triglycerides and total cholesterol and LDL, among others. Thus, carriers may present cardiovascular risk factors earlier than in comparison with women without PCOS, but with the same BMI.

PCOS involves insulin resistance and hyperandrogenism. These two factors are associated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus it’s from cardiovascular disease. This same hyperinflammatory condition of the organism can also affect autoimmune functions and favor the appearance of thyroid and respiratory diseases, biliary lithiasis and cancers.

Changing lifestyle habits, through dietary re-education and physical exercise, is the first-line treatment. The resulting weight loss will favor:

The fall of circulating androgens (male hormones); Research indicates an improvement in the lipid profile, which consists of a series of laboratory tests with the aim of initially diagnosing irregularities in lipids such as cholesterol
and triglycerides; Decreases peripheral resistance to insulin; In this way, there will be a contribution to reducing the risk of atherosclerosis, which is a chronic vascular disease, and of diabetes, in addition to regularizing the ovulatory function.

About 50% to 80% of patients ovulate and 40% to 50% become pregnant.

This is a serious disease that, unfortunately, affects many Brazilian women. Don’t wait to suspect to seek medical advice.

How many times a year do you consult?

Tell me here in the comments if you or someone you know has had this experience.

As the old saying goes, “prevention is better than cure!” 🇧🇷