Fertility And You

Decoding the causes and treatments for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome…

Research says that one in every 10 women in India suffers from PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) out of which six are teenagers. The disease was first discovered in the year 1935 but the general awareness around it has increased recently, when the rate of women affected by it has become alarmingly high. Around 10 million women suffer from it globally.

But even now, many aspects of this disorder are not completely understood by people. Dr Duru Shah, Director, Gynaecworld Center for Assisted Reproduction & Women’s Health Panel, Consultant – Breach Candy Hospital & Jaslok Hospital, Mumbai, explains in detail its causes and treatment...

WHAT IS PCOS?

PCOS is a gynaecological hormonal disorder, due to which a woman may have many small painless cysts in her ovary. It can affect her in her reproductive age until menopause.

Women facing this disorder may have complaints of cosmetic issues like facial hair and acne, irregular periods and inability to conceive, or chronic diseases like diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and uterine cancer.

80% of the girls or women are obese and quite a few have excessive pigmentation in the nape of their necks, underarms, groins etc.

As of today, the exact cause for PCOS is not known. But it is a hormonal disorder which is genetically determined with insulin resistance (lack of insulin hormone leads to diabetes) as the root cause. It occurs due to an interaction of genetic and environmental factors such as obesity.