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Have you heard about PCOS? I am sure you must have. And if you haven’t, then let me take you through what PCOS is all about.
PCOS or Poly cystic Ovarian Syndrome is a hormonal imbalance which can happen during the child bearing stage, say between 20-40 years of age. With Poly cystic ovarian syndrome setting in there are a whole range of symptoms which a woman might go through. However these can vary from person to person. If I have to put it down in simple words, PCOS means an increase in the ratio of male hormones also known as androgens out of which the testosterone levels are at their peak.
During my practice I come across many women who are suffering from PCOS, but to my dismay, know very little about the given syndrome/disorder. They are baffled, scared, and clueless about it, and at times are mislead by a few doctors who tell them that they would not be able to conceive or get periods normally if they aren’t consuming metformin (given for insulin resistance,TBT is a diabetic drug) or contraceptives.
Lack of awareness and education on the given topic leaves women with PCOS hapless and petrified which in turn forces them to acquire information through a Google search; and what do I say! It is enough to confuse them further, leading to umpteen misconceptions and myths.
So here is some important information about PCOS which every girl/woman must know in order to take care of herself well.
While PCOS has definitely got a lot to do with your ovaries and the ovulation process, there are specific features which PCOS is known to exhibit. Here they are:
So if I have to divide the term in to two Poly means many and cysts means fluid filled sacs.These cysts are nothing but follicles with an immature egg which doesn’t mature as the process of ovulation does not take place.
PCOS is known to affect one in five women in India. While there was a time when PCOS wasn’t as common as it is in the west, nowadays almost every young girl/woman complains of irregular/skipped periods.
The symptoms however can vary from person to person and not every woman shall experience the same symptoms if she suffers from PCOS.
In order to diagnose PCOS there are no specific tests or tools which can be relied on. However a physical examination in terms of facial hair growth, acne, hair thinning, pale skin, and history of your menstrual cycle can be a way of diagnosing the same. Additionally the doctor can ask you to do the following-
Once you know that you are suffering from PCOS it is inevitable to take a closer look at your lifestyle. Believe me a good diet and lifestyle change can work wonders for you like no other medicine/pill or powder would ever do.
To be precise even if you are suffering from PCOS you can live a normal and hassle free life just by maintaining an ideal weight and keep junk at bay.
Your daily mantra needs to be: Stay healthy, Stay happy!
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A Nutritionist, Clinical Dietitian, Speaker, health/fitness blogger, online show host, menu planner, menstrual health, and holistic health advocate who runs a nutrition website named NutriBond and a movement named the Period movement. She loves read more...
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UP Boards Topper Prachi Nigam was trolled on social media for her facial hair; our obsession with appearance is harsh on young minds.
Prachi Nigam’s photo has been doing the rounds on social media for the right reasons. Well, scratch that- I wish the above statement were true. This 15-year-old girl should ideally be revelling in her spectacular achievement of scoring a whopping 98.05% and topping her tenth-grade boards. But oddly enough, along with her marks, it’s something else that garners more attention – her facial hair.
While the trolls are driving themselves giddy by mocking this girl who hasn’t even completed her school yet, the ones who are taking her side are going one step ahead – they are sharing her photoshopped pictures, sans the facial hair, looking nothing less than a celebrity with captions saying – “Prachi Nigam, ten years later”.
Doctors have already diagnosed her with PCOD in their comments, based on photographic evidence. While we have names for people shamed for their weight – body shaming, for their skin colour- racism, for their age- age shaming, for being a female- sexism, this category of shaming where one faces criticism for their appearance has no name. With that, it also has zero shame attached to it.
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