Do you have irregular periods? Have you been diagnosed with PCOD or PCOS? If your answer is yes, check out this article to clear all your doubts regarding this condition.
What is PCOD & PCOS?
PCOD (Polycystic Ovarian Disease) is a condition in which ovaries produce immature eggs in large numbers. These eggs become cysts in the ovaries over time. Due to this, ovaries enlarge in size and secrete large amounts of androgens (male hormones), leading to infertility, irregular menstrual cycles, hair loss, and abnormal weight gain. It can be controlled by diet and lifestyle modifications.
PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) is a metabolic disorder in which a woman has a hormonal imbalance in their reproductive years. Due to the increased level of androgens, women might get irregular periods, have irregular ovulation, get abnormal hair growth on the body, and may lead to infertility & diabetes in the long term. PCOS is a serious condition requiring complete medical attention.
If not corrected on time, it could create the risk of infertility, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. So, it is essential to correct this condition as soon as possible.
What are the symptoms of PCOD/PCOS?
A woman having PCOS may suffer from the following symptoms:
- acne
- hair loss
- weigh gain
- irregular periods
- extra facial hair growth
- skin darkening under the breast and groin area
What are the causes of PCOD/PCOS?
The primary causes behind this condition are the following:
- stress
- heredity
- bad dietary habits
- sedentary lifestyle
- excess insulin production in the body
What is a healthy diet for PCOD/PCOS?
Include wholesome food items like whole grains, millets, fresh & seasonal fruits, vegetables, greens, pulses, boiled, and well-cooked sprouts.
Avoid dairy products and non-vegetarian food as much as you can. You can have homemade dairy products (curd/paneer) and fresh cow milk from the dairy farm twice a week. For non-vegetarians, you can have fish (rohu) once or twice a week.
What is a healthy lifestyle for PCOD/PCOS?
The best is to maintain your sleep-wake cycle, wake up before sunrise, eat early dinner (before sunset), avoid stress, practice meditation, yoga, and eat your meals on time (when you are hungry) every day.
Is it curable?
You can deal with this condition without getting dependent on pills. But, you have to be cautious with your healthy diet and lifestyle.
Once you are diagnosed with it, you will have more chances of hormonal imbalance in the future. So be careful so that your condition doesn’t progress.
If PCOD is left untreated, it can lead to type 2 diabetes, obesity, depression, and health issues due to hormonal imbalance. On the other hand, PCOS can cause serious complications such as the risk of hypertension, hyperglycemia, and pregnancy complications.
It is easier to reverse the condition if you visit your doctor as soon as you observe a delay in your periods, hair loss, mood swings, low energy levels, facial hair growth, etc. Because if you are diagnosed in the initial stage of this condition, it makes the process of reversing this condition easy & quick.
What is the exact measure to cure PCOD/PCOS?
It doesn’t matter how many pills you take to cure this condition if you are not working on your diet & lifestyle. Taking contraceptive pills or metformin (insulin lowering drugs) is a temporary measure. You may feel fine until you are taking them. Once you stop them, you will again start observing the symptoms.
These pills are synthetic hormones, and once you depend on them, your body thinks it doesn’t need to produce the hormones naturally. Ultimately this whole process hampers your reproductive system.
Taking pills might help you get periods on time, eliminate acne and other symptoms. Due to this, you may feel everything is getting on track, but it is not happening because you are ovulating or your body is producing hormones to regulate your menstruation. It is due to those synthetic pills. Once you stop taking pills, your symptoms will reoccur. So, be wise and choose a healthy diet & lifestyle over synthetic pills.
Is it easy to lose weight with PCOD/PCOS?
You have to accept that as this condition is not developed overnight, it is not going away overnight. Once you start gradually changing your diet and lifestyle, you will begin to observe healthy weight loss and a reduction in the symptoms.
How much exercise is essential in PCOD/PCOS?
You can manage any lifestyle disorder with a regular exercise routine. You don’t need to practice heavy gym training because such exercise is not good for your hormones.
It is better to adopt any form of exercise you enjoy, like swimming, morning walks, cycling, etc. You can also start yoga practice under the guidance of a teacher. The ultimate goal is to de-stress yourself and help you release happy hormones.
The most important note is to get connected with your body, understand its requirements, and your body will heal naturally. It will not be an overnight journey, so do not judge or create self-hate. Start loving yourself and give some time for the self-care routine.
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