PCOS awareness post (I guess)
Despite every 1 in 10 women having pcos, causes of the disorder are unknown. Recent research tells us that it has strong association with genetic variants, environmental and epigenetic causes. It's best to read a couple of recent papers published in high impact factor journals i.e. human reproduction update)
Anyways, if you have the following symptoms, unexplained weight gain, excessive facial/chest/legs etc hair growth, sleep issues, anxiety disorder, missed periods (oligomenorrhea), then you should get checked your fasting insulin levels (anything over 10 is a red flag) and a pelvis ultrasound.
The treatment you can expect is being prescribed metformin (commonly called glucophage) to lower your insulin levels and correct the hormonal imbalance, and restore your cycle. Another important lifestyle change your doctor would recommend is 15-30mins of brisk walking or exercise daily (or at least 5 days/wk).
Stuff you can do yourself is, increase the walk time, take foods rich in vitA such as eggs, in omega 3 fatty acids such as salmon and flax seeds.
PCOS is a syndrome where a strong component is metabolic (like insulin imbalance), as it is genetic (according to recent research) you probably have been born with it but it expresses itself after puberty. All you can truly do and also live a life as fulfilling as anyone else, is to stay active and get your insulin levels checked trimonthly or biannually - no other test is required per se if your period is behaving itself. 90 days without a period is a red flag and requires immediate clinical attention as outcomes could be as severe as cancer.
This post is long, simply bc people are excessively unware of pcos. It does not mean youd be infertile or have diabetes or cancer. Given pcos is polygenic, its not necessary every sibling has pcos given its a syndrome however they could have individual symptoms such as balding or hirsutism. In fact most women never get diagnosed simply because their weight, headaches, bad sleep, anxiety is all associated to them being women however thats untrue. Just like men get alopecia, women are prone to get pcos.
Some light music tonight 🎶 orbiter- noah kahan
