We at Pearl women’s hospital and Yash IVF have a dedicated vision of improving women’s healthcare for all walks of life. We often conduct camps to create awareness and offer up-to-date diagnoses and treatments. The findings of each camp held in rural as well as urban places are unique. We have seen increasing trends of PCOD and the population suffering from PCOD in rural as well as urban places remains the same.
As we all know, when a girl goes to become a woman, there are a lot of changes happening in the body. There are many chemicals called hormones. These hormones are chemicals made by endocrine glands.
There are female sex hormones as well as Male sex hormones. Out of 50 hormones which we know to date, two important female sex hormones are estrogen and progesterone. Testosterone is considered a male hormone but females also produce and need a small amount of this, too.
The role and levels of the hormones change over time. Hormonal needs change greatly during childhood and puberty, during pregnancy, giving birth, and breastfeeding till menopause. These changes are natural and normal too. But when hormones become unbalanced during puberty, pregnancy, breastfeeding, or the use of hormonal contraception or hormone therapy, it is a matter of concern.
But a hormonal imbalance can also sign of something more serious, such as:
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). This is the most common hormonal disorder among young females, which can cause irregular menstrual cycles and infertility
Androgen excess. This is an overproduction of male hormones, causing menstrual irregularities, infertility, acne, and male pattern baldness.
Hirsutism: Hirsutism is an increase in hair growth on the face, chest, abdomen, and back. It is due to excessive male hormones.
Hormones have profound effects on mental, physical, and emotional well-being. Hormones play a vital role in controlling appetite, weight, and mood. Typically, our body produces only the required amount of each hormone needed for various processes to keep you healthy.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a disorder of the endocrine and metabolic system that affects females of reproductive age. Lifestyle modifications, including diet modifications, exercise, and behavioural modification, appear to reduce metabolic dysfunction and improve the reproductive disorders of PCOS patients. Therefore, lifestyle modifications are often seen as the first-line management for PCOS. Lifestyle plays a vital role in the development of PCOS, and lifestyle interventions are equally necessary and powerful to control PCOS. It is commonly known, that hyperandrogenism (increase in androgen level) and insulin resistance are common in PCOS.
What are lifestyle modifications in the case of PCOS?
Lifestyle modifications are regarded as the first-line management for PCOD patients. The most effective interventions are diet modifications, increased physical activity and exercise modifications, and long-term commitments to work on lifestyle modification plans.
There are well-documented reports about Lifestyle modifications restoring ovulation as well as the menstrual cycle, and increasing the successful pregnancy rates in PCOS patients. This also reduces anxiety and improved quality of life.
Exercise and activity management: internal cleaning of the body is done with the help of exercise due to which the liver works more efficiently. Moderate-intensity exercise like aerobics could also improve the insulin sensitivity of PCOS. Women with PCOS have improved insulin sensitivity and normalised androgen levels, via vigorous aerobic exercise. The minimum aerobic activity is recommended for about 150 min a week where a minimum of 90 min should be intensive exercise.
Diet or food habits management:
Food is the basic source of energy. There are nutrient-rich sources of food. Processed food offers unhealthy fats whereas unprocessed food is a rich source of essential nutrients and vitamins. The way we cook and the time to eat matter. By now, we know, food makes the basic composition of the body and is very important in maintaining health. Studies indicate that having a low-carbohydrate high-protein diet could significantly increase the levels of follicle-stimulating hormones
Weight management:
Weight what we mean here is the burden of fat. Good fat is essential for functioning but bad fat has bad effects on the all body system. It was reported that just 5–10% of body weight loss could play a role in reducing reproductive disorders, restoring hormonal balance, and even the improvement in psychological symptoms. Weight management is so important for patients who are eager to start infertility treatment and are told to look into weight management or achieving the ideal body weight. Obesity is linked with increased chances of miscarriages and preeclampsia.
Mood or stress management:
Since PCOS women have an additional risk of depression, anxiety, and mood disorders, mood modifications are a very important tool and are necessary. We know, feel-good hormones and their impact so are with depression. There are several links and established connections between depression- and PCOS-associated excessive androgen secretion, insulin resistance and obesity.
Sound sleep management:
Surprised to know that sleep too can improve the symptoms of PCOS? As per the research data analysis, the most common psychological disorder associated with PCOS are sleep disorder.
There is supportive evidence that sleep disturbances are associated with a higher risk of insulin resistance and obesity as well as type 2 diabetes. Since sleep disorders are closely related to PCOS, management of sleep modifications go long way to reducing the symptoms of PCOS.
Sound Sleep is a silent mechanism of the body to repair, restore and develop the tissue as well as health. The fully energised body after sound sleep is the mirror of a healthy body and mind.
We at Pearl women’s Hosp & Yash IVF have practised this time-tested wisdom to control PCOS and reduce the burden on reproductive health and pregnancy as well as further complications like cardiovascular complications. The tailor-made treatment for PCOS women is our strength and proud to have excellence in treating and reducing the burden on pregnancies due to PCOS.
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