2008 Woodie Awards
Unfamiliar disease will affect millions of women
Anna Moronski (Staff Writer)
Issue date: 4/23/07 Section: Features
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It is estimated to affect up to ten percent of females in the United States, which is about five million women. It can cause infertility, heart disease and cancer. It is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and it is affecting women everywhere.
Few women have heard of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome because it is still a fairly new disease. While some aspects have been studied since 1935, most of what is known was not discovered until the 1990s. Family doctors and gynecologists are still largely unfamiliar with this disease.
So what is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome? PCOS is a disease in which a woman's hormonal system is out of balance, causing irregularities in the body, including male-type body changes and problems with ovulation. It is important to know that PCOS is not an STD and cannot be transmitted through sexual intercourse. The two major causes of PCOS are family history of PCOS or a history of diabetes in the family.
When the ovary's hormone levels are unbalanced, cysts can form on the ovaries. These cysts make androgens, which are male sex hormones. While all women have some androgens, high levels of it are found in women with PCOS and cause the aforementioned male-type body changes. In addition to high levels of androgens, about half of the women with PCOS experience problems with insulin and blood sugar levels. The body makes excessive amounts of insulin and stores it, causing higher blood sugar levels. High levels of insulin also contribute to the high levels of androgens.
There are several symptoms of PCOS. Symptoms caused by large amounts of androgens include male patterns of baldness or thinning of the hair on the head and hair growth on the face, back, or chest. The hair growth does not need to be excessive to be a sign of PCOS. Symptoms resulting from excessive amounts of insulin include hyperglycemia, rapid weight gain and difficulty losing weight. Acne on the face, back or genitals, is also a symptom of PCOS. Other symptoms include no menstrual cycles, irregular cycles and repeated miscarriages. Women do not need to experience all of these symptoms to have PCOS.
Few women have heard of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome because it is still a fairly new disease. While some aspects have been studied since 1935, most of what is known was not discovered until the 1990s. Family doctors and gynecologists are still largely unfamiliar with this disease.
So what is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome? PCOS is a disease in which a woman's hormonal system is out of balance, causing irregularities in the body, including male-type body changes and problems with ovulation. It is important to know that PCOS is not an STD and cannot be transmitted through sexual intercourse. The two major causes of PCOS are family history of PCOS or a history of diabetes in the family.
When the ovary's hormone levels are unbalanced, cysts can form on the ovaries. These cysts make androgens, which are male sex hormones. While all women have some androgens, high levels of it are found in women with PCOS and cause the aforementioned male-type body changes. In addition to high levels of androgens, about half of the women with PCOS experience problems with insulin and blood sugar levels. The body makes excessive amounts of insulin and stores it, causing higher blood sugar levels. High levels of insulin also contribute to the high levels of androgens.
There are several symptoms of PCOS. Symptoms caused by large amounts of androgens include male patterns of baldness or thinning of the hair on the head and hair growth on the face, back, or chest. The hair growth does not need to be excessive to be a sign of PCOS. Symptoms resulting from excessive amounts of insulin include hyperglycemia, rapid weight gain and difficulty losing weight. Acne on the face, back or genitals, is also a symptom of PCOS. Other symptoms include no menstrual cycles, irregular cycles and repeated miscarriages. Women do not need to experience all of these symptoms to have PCOS.
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