Why PCOS is so prevalent?

Hi friends, I am Dr Shakuntala Kumar I am practising obstetrician and gynaecologist at New Life Hospital Delhi and Fortis Hospital Shalimar Bagh. Today we will be discussing ovary commonly encountered problem name Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Are you suffering from problems like hair fall, excess facial and body hair, very-very oily skin along with acne, frequently encountered menstrual abnormalities or problems in periods of difficulty in becoming pregnant, chances are you may be suffering from the Polycystic ovarian syndrome. A polycystic ovarian syndrome is because of a hormonal imbalance namely the female hormones like estrogen and progestogen imbalance between the excess of male hormones happening in these women. These women also have insulin resistance in their body, leading to several other disorders like high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol levels in their body. Friends because of a Polycystic ovarian syndrome is at the interplay of hormonal disbalance compounded with environmental factors, like the lifestyle of the person because of this there is a development of multiple eggs in the ovary rather than formation of one single egg. These small-small eggs coming up in the ovary do not allow a dominant egg to form because of which there is an ovulation or non-development of eggs. This is the main reason why these women face difficulty in conceiving and are facing several hormonal imbalances.

Now let us talk about the diagnosis of a polycystic ovarian syndrome, so friends just an ultrasound finding of multiple cysts in the ovary of these women is not the sole criteria. We have certain criteria because of which we diagnose Polycystic ovarian syndrome a woman will be having normal ovaries but suffering from PCOS, on the other hand, she may be having polycystic ovaries but she is in a normal lady. So the diagnosis depends on certain clinical and investigational and certain ultrasound findings of the women. Which is not one single criteria of polycystic ovaries coming up in the ultrasound. Coming to the treatment part of these women that treatment depends on the problem that is these women are facing but in the root cause of these problems lays the obesity part of these women. So the most important part of the treatment is weight loss and lifestyle management, so please listen to your doctor, when she is saying and requesting you to lose weight. That is possible through a healthy lifestyle, a healthy diet and workout plans. Secondly, if this woman is suffering from menstrual irregularities we will correct that by improving her lifestyle and by giving her certain drugs, if she is suffering from acne or excess body hair we will be giving certain drugs to tackle that, if she is suffering from anovulation or by that I mean difficulty in conceiving or becoming pregnant, we will be giving certain drugs to induce ovulation, this may require the intake of tablets or sometimes intake of certain injections. So friends polycystic ovarian syndrome is no longer an enigma, it can very much cure. The only thing that is required is you helping your doctor curing it by managing a very healthy lifestyle and through the drug that we prescribed you taking them diligently. Thank you very much.