Menstrual disorders, hirsutism, skin and hair problems, and weight gain may indicate PCOS. The disease must be treated because it causes serious metabolic complications.
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common female endocrine disorders. It is estimated that 5-15% of women of reproductive age suffer from them.
The essence of the disease is the secretion of excess androgens, i.e. male sex hormones, by the ovaries and adrenal glands. Androgens are the domain of men, but in small amounts (many times smaller than in men), every woman's body also produces them, just like men produce estrogens. In women suffering from PCOS, their excess disturbs the hormonal balance of the entire body. The result is ovulation inhibition, the appearance of male features in appearance and metabolic disorders.
PCOS - reasons
It is not fully understood why some women's bodies produce too much androgens. Genes may be involved. Women whose parents have many androgenic features, e.g. too strong hair, must take into account a greater risk of the disease. Overweight or obesity is also an important risk factor, because adipose tissue secretes hormones that disturb the natural hormonal balance.
More and more often it is said that the risk of PCOS is increased by the presence of the so-called endocrine active substances (so-called endocrine dissraptor). These are substances with a structure similar to hormones, which have a similar effect in the body and thus disrupt the secretion of natural hormones. These are, for example, bisphenols (organic compounds from the phenol group), phthalates (phthalic acid s alts) present in plastic beverage bottles, food containers, coatings inside cans, toys, and even baby milk bottles and teats, and PVC floors . From here they get into food, and with it into the body, where they can cause various hormonal disorders.
PCOS - when to suspect a disease?
The disease most often appears in adolescence, or a little later, when a woman discovers that she has a problem conceiving. Menstrual disorders, hirsutism, problems with skin and hair, and difficulty in maintaining weight, despite the use of a balanced diet and exercise, should prompt you to visita doctor, preferably a gynecologist or endocrinologist, and PCOS diagnostics.
Diagnosis is made by identifying two of the three key symptoms of PCOS, including:
- frequent anovulatory or anovulation cycles,
- hyperandrogenism (androgen excess visible in laboratory tests or on the basis of hirsutism, i.e. the presence of hair in places typical for men),
- characteristic image of the ovaries on ultrasound.
Polycystic ovaries are dotted with small follicles arranged circumferentially. They look like they are wrapped in a string of pearls. Although the picture of polycystic ovaries is quite obvious, it is not enough to diagnose PCOS, because in young women the ovaries have a right to look polycystic, just like when using hormonal contraception.
Therefore, the doctor should order additional blood tests before making a diagnosis. You need to examine the concentrations of hormones: testosterone, prolactin and thyroid hormones: TSH, FT4, FT4, anti-TPO, assess the indicators of lipid and carbohydrate metabolism: lipidogram, insulin concentration and perform a glucose load test. Laboratory tests allow to exclude other diseases and make a correct diagnosis.
PCOS - must be treated!
Menstrual disorders, decreased fertility, skin and hair problems, and weight control reduce the quality of life in women suffering from PCOS. However, the metabolic disorders accompanying this disease (insulin resistance, hyperinsulinism, hyperlipidemia) are also a very serious he alth problem. The excess of androgens promotes the deposition of fatty tissue, especially around the abdomen, which leads to abdominal obesity. Visceral adipose tissue produces hormones that promote disorders of fat and carbohydrate metabolism and arterial hypertension. These are serious risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, and they are the most common cause of death in Poland.
Therefore, although PCOS cannot be completely cured, the accompanying metabolic disorders should definitely be treated, which have a huge impact on the he alth of women suffering from this disease.
In addition to pharmacology, a well-balanced diet and daily, moderately intense physical exertion play a very important role. In overweight and obese women, a loss of up to 5-10 percent. weight very often results in the return of regular menstruation and an improvement in metabolic parameters.
It is also worth taking care of the proper intestinal microbiota. Research confirms that women with PCOS have a less diverse gut microbiota thanhe althy women. Abnormal microbiota promotes inflammation, glucose and insulin intolerance, dyslipidemia, and obesity. It can also lead to an increase in the production of androgens in the ovaries. Therefore, it is recommended to modulate it by taking appropriate probiotic preparations.
Research confirms that probiotic therapy can improve the he alth of women suffering from PCOS by:
- reduce inflammation,
- reduction of insulin resistance,
- regulation of secreted insulin,
- lowering triglycerides,
- weight reduction.
Clinically documented positive effects on metabolism have bacteria of the typeBifidobacteriumand Lactobacillus, e.g.Bifidobacterium lactisW51, Lactobacillus acidophilus W22, Lactobacillus plantarumW21,Lactococcus lactisW19,Bifidobacterium lactisW52,Lactobacillus paracasei W20,Lactobacillus salivariusW24 (present in Sanprobi Super Formula).