Agnita Mohanty | Team TrickyScribe: Growing up in all-girls convent school, the competition to be in shape was intense. We girls were affected with even a slight gain of weight. I remember one of my friends coming back to school after the summer vacations chubbier. Most girls made fun of her because she was not able to control her weight gain. She informed us that she has been diagnosed with PCOD. The reactions of the girls were like,” okay, so you need to exercise more and go on a diet”, the poor thing actually did that but the result was fruitless. Our nescience back then was due to lack of knowledge and proper information. Depending on our environment/background we all must have heard about PCOD at some point. The misinformation and myths surrounding common health issues are clamorous to the point that women suffering from PCOD actually don’t even feel the need to take it seriously.
Polycystic Ovarian Disease or PCOD is a medical condition which causes the ovaries to produce eggs in large numbers which form cysts on its outer edges; this leads to hormonal imbalance. According to UNICEF, PCOD (Polycystic Ovarian Disease) is caused by a combination of hormonal imbalance and genetic tendencies. Women have two ovaries and in a normal menstrual cycle, they will consecutively release mature, ready-to-be-fertilized eggs each month. At this point, if the egg is fertilized it forms a foetus or else women menstruate.
However, in case of someone with PCOD, the ovaries will often release either immature or only partially-mature eggs. Overtime, this leads to the development of cysts which are like small sacs filled with liquid. This in turn leads to inflammation of the ovaries. Generally, the ovaries release a limited number of androgens which are male hormones during the menstrual cycle but in case of PCOD the ovaries will start producing excessive androgens. This is symptomatic cause of hair loss, weight gain, irregular periods, and in some extreme cases, even infertility among women.
What should we do?
UNICEF states, that there is no set ‘cure’ as such for PCOD. Furthermore, one can ideally manage it by bringing about changes in one’s lifestyle. The first step would be to consult with your gynaecologist and an endocrinologist. The next thing one can do is go for regular exercise and maintain a healthy and balanced diet; keep at bay excessive consumption of sugary foods and get into a low carb high protein and fibrous food this way you can keep your PCOD under control. This way you can get rid of some weight, which is beneficial, as even a 5% reduction in weight eases treatment significantly.
How treatment works?
Depending on the seriousness of the disorder, your gynaecologist may prescribe hormonal medication to help balance your hormones. In severe cases usually a second line treatment/surgery is required such as Laparoscopic ovarian drilling- it is a surgical procedure that uses a laser to treat PCOD. An alternate to medications in severe conditions LOD can improve the ovaries’ response to hormones, increasing the chance of ovulation. LOD can be effective for couples wanting to go for pregnancy but has probable chances of infection, bleeding, and adhesion. Another line of treatment are Aromatase inhibitors- these are medications given to patients to decrease the estrogen levels to increase secretion of FSH (Follicle-stimulating hormone) from the pitutary gland. This stimulates follicular development and induce ovulation. However, its effectiveness is unclear. Furthermore, other symptoms of PCOD maybe:
Irregular periods which may be heavy, long, irregular or absent.
Excess hair growth around the face, chest, stomach, back or other areas of the body.
Appearance of acne on the face, chest, and upper back, that may be difficult to treat.
Abdominal weight gain
Hair thinning or falling out
Dark patches or skin darkening
Infertility among women
Cysts
Notably, PCOD symptoms are different for different women. However, symptoms may change over time and can develop without a clear trigger showing symptoms around the time of the first menstrual cycle during puberty or at a later stage.
Are PCOD and PCOS same?
Although both sound alike but in fact Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is slightly different from PCOD. As stated earlier if a person suffers from PCOD; her ovaries start releasing eggs which are immature, become swollen and form cysts at the edge of the ovaries. This causes hormonal imbalances. On the other hand, PCOS is a condition where the endocrine issues cause the ovaries to produce excess androgens and these immature eggs become cysts while inside the ovaries themselves.
Both PCOS and PCOD cause symptoms such as excessive weight gain, infertility, acne, irregular periods, etc. However, PCOS also induces metabolic syndrome, which increases risk of heart disease, strokes, and diabetes alongwith, sleep apnea, where the person is unable to breathe while asleep, which leads to a highly disturbed sleep cycle. As no ovulation is taking place, the uterine lining builds up every month increasing chances of endometrial cancer.
Patients with PCOS are prescribed oral contraceptives (birth control pills) containing estrogen (female hormone) and progestin (which mimics progesterone, another female hormone) to stabilize the menstrual cycle and medicines to deal with the symptoms such as acne and other skin problems. Weight loss and living a healthier lifestyle is also recommended to reduce chances of endometrial cancer and diabetes.
Major distinguishing differences
PCOS is a disorder of the endocrine system which has more dangerous complications than PCOD which can be managed by making informed lifestyle changes and its treatment most times may not involve any medical treatment while in case of PCOS, external hormone medications are required.
Currently, PCOD is more common among women around the world. UNICEF estimates about one-third of all menstruating women around the globe have PCOD. According to a study conducted in Southern India and Maharashtra, about 9.13% of menstruating women suffer from PCOS, while 22.5% have PCOD.
PCOS has too many hormonal complications making pregnancy difficult with chances of conceptions grim. In case of PCOD, pregnancy is possible with minimal medical intervention and lifestyle changes.
It is incontestable that both PCOS or PCOD, have a sense of social stigma and misinformation in our society. These common disorders are never covered in our school syllabus and is treated as something to be kept under wraps since they are related to “the girls’ problem”. Furthermore, women diagnosed with PCOD or PCOS need to monitor there health rather than ignore it. Family members should be supportive enough to help patients get medical care and access to treatments aiding relief from the symptoms as far as possible.
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