Mouprise.com

The growing cases of PCOS: how and why

The increasing rate of infertility in women has alarmed scientists around the world. The main cause of this emerging problem is a serious endocrine disorder called polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS. Although PCOS is not a new disorder, its increasing frequency is definitely a problem. Twenty years ago, PCOS was not as common, but today it affects one in 15 women. Characterized by irregularities in the menstrual cycle, hair loss, acne, and hirsutism, the condition now affects women of all ages, especially adolescent girls reaching puberty.

How and why?
Various lifestyle and dietary changes, along with environmental factors, are responsible for this tremendous increase. Here are some of the situations discussed in detail:

1. Insulin resistance
Insulin resistance is a persistent problem of the modern era. Consuming large amounts of concentrated fructose along with heavy smoking, trans fats, obesity, environmental pollutants, and increasing levels of stress in people has caused insulin resistance. If left untreated and unattended, it can lead to serious diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Insulin resistance increases insulin levels, which in turn creates polycystic ovaries by affecting ovulation and causing the ovaries to replace estrogen production with testosterone production. Since insulin resistance is now an epidemic, so is PCOS. However, not all PCOS patients suffer from insulin resistance, which means that other factors could be involved as well.

2. Birth Control Pills
Women who use birth control pills often report irregular periods once they stop using them. For some, their periods stop once they stop taking the pill. Now, in some cases, women used to have irregularities even before use, so the pill had only revealed a problem that was already there. However, if women had normal periods before the pill but are now having no periods, the pill is undoubtedly the main culprit.

Researchers have not yet discovered the actual element in the pill that causes PCOS. They know that the pill could cause insulin resistance, which could lead to polycystic ovary syndrome. Also, the pills control birth by suppressing communication between the pituitary gland and the ovaries. However, this suppression must be temporary and the suspension of the pill must resume normal functioning. However, women have been reported to have higher levels of LH-pituitary hormone in their blood for months after stopping the pill. That could be the reason behind pill-induced PCOS.

3. A flimsy ultrasound
In addition to the general symptoms associated with PCOS, an ultrasound is often performed to diagnose PCOS. Neither the symptoms are enough to confirm that a certain woman suffers from PCOS nor is an ultrasound the definitive proof of the same. An ultrasound is not proof enough because 25% of normal women are affected by polycystic ovaries and so are those on the pill. Therefore, the number of diagnosed PCOS has been vastly overestimated due to inaccurate testing. The most reliable method is to always check the blood androgen levels before making the final diagnosis.