From The Daily Star:
A young girl, 15 years old, struggles with acne ever since her periods started. And not too long ago, she noticed dark thick facial hair around her chin and over her cheeks, something that can be socially crippling in school. No amount of waxing, threading and bleaching helps and this 15-year-old is miserable.
A couple has been trying to conceive for nine months with no positive result. In a country with an over-population problem and a serious lack of understanding of infertility and sexual health, there are usually misunderstandings on the varied number of reasons as to why a couple may not be able to conceive. There are grumbling in-laws, a lot of finger-pointing and blaming, usually the women, which does little to help the situation.
A 27-year-old woman has very irregular periods. She has gained a lot of weight over a year or two. She feels bloated and uncomfortable with friends and family being rather insensitive to her recent weight gains. Not having periods regularly also makes her scared about her future, especially when she thinks about marriage and children.
A 22-year-old woman feels extreme pain in her lower abdomen. When she is rushed to hospital, the doctors suspect appendicitis but ultrasounds show that her appendix is fine. However, because she has a sexually active relationship with her boyfriend and does not want her family or even her doctor to find out, she provides limited information on her symptoms which leads to inconclusive diagnosis.
What do these women have in common? They have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.
For reasons that are not well understood, in PCOS the hormones get out of balance. One hormone change triggers another, which changes another. For example:
The sex hormones get out of balance. Normally, the ovaries make a tiny amount of male sex hormones (androgens). In PCOS, they start making slightly more androgens. This may cause you to stop ovulating, get acne, and grow extra facial and body hair.
The body may have a problem using insulin, called insulin resistance. When the body doesn't use insulin well, blood sugar levels go up. Over time, this increases your chance of getting diabetes.
The cause of PCOS is not fully understood, but genetics may be a factor. PCOS seems to run in families, so your chance of having it is higher if other women in your family have it or have irregular periods or diabetes. PCOS can be passed down from either your mother's or father's side.
For more information or to schedule an ultrasound, please call: (718)925-6277.
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