Let me talk to you about PCOS otherwise known as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.
This condition that I and many others suffer with is rarely talked about so please read and take note. It would mean a lot.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common condition that affects how a woman’s ovaries work. It affects millions of women in the UK. Polycystic ovaries contain a large number of harmless cysts up to 8mm in size. The cysts are under-developed sacs in which eggs develop. Often in PCOS, these sacs are unable to release an egg, meaning ovulation doesn’t take place.It’s estimated that about 1 in every 5 women in the UK has polycystic ovaries, but more than half of these have no symptoms.
The main features of the condition are:
cysts that develop in your ovaries (polycystic ovaries)
your ovaries do not regularly release eggs (ovulate)
having high levels of “male hormones” called androgens in your body
irregular periods or no periods at all
difficulty getting pregnant (because of irregular ovulation or failure to ovulate)
excessive hair growth (hirsutism) - usually on the face, chest, back or buttocks
thinning hair and hair loss from the head
Me personally, I only have the three of these but one of my friends suffers from this and she has all them. She can not have children because of this disease. It was heartbreaking, seeing her face as she cried on my shoulder. She was only 15 when she was told this, 15 years old. Since she was little all she wanted was to be a mother and it broke my heart. There is medication you can try that even if you don’t get periods or have a worse case of this but it didn’t work on her. I however was more lucky, the medication did work for me but I didn’t want to take it at the time but it’s good to know i can take it if i need to.
Symptoms of PCOS usually become apparent during your late teens or early twenties. They can include:
Having irregular periods or no periods at all.
Problems with your fertility (you need to ovulate to become pregnant and you may not be ovulating regularly or at all).
Being overweight or have problems losing weight.
Having more hair than usual (hirsutism) on your face, around your nipples or on your lower abdomen.
Thinning of the hair on top of your head.
Patches of skin that are dark
For me i had quite a few of these but ultimately at first it was irregular periods that made me go to the doctors and shortly after they stopped all together.
There’s no cure for PCOS, but the symptoms can be treated. If you have PCOS and are overweight, losing weight and eating a healthy diet can help reduce some symptoms. Medications are also available to treat symptoms such as excessive hair growth, irregular periods and fertility problems but it can make you really ill in some cases. I for example was ill when i took mine for irregular periods and to me the extreme side effects weren’t worth it. But what i’m getting at is this is a condition you live with for the rest of your life with no cure.
PCOS can also lead to health problems, such as;
PCOS can also cause emotional effects, from medication to your self esteem and it effects us daily. It can cause you physical and mental pain, it can potentially be life ruining. I’ve gone through hell and back with this illness and so have many others. This condition needs more recognition and help. Some people even have the nerve to say PCOS isn’t a “real” or “proper” condition, which angers me to the core.
Please reblog, share, like, anything just please let this get more awareness.
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