(PCOD) is a common hormonal condition that mostly affects females of reproductive age. During this hormonal disorder, women have enlarged ovaries with small cysts on the outer edges. About 70% of women ignore the initial warnings and very few people take medical treatment for this disease. This ignorance and sheer carelessness lead to spending hours in the hospital as the repercussions come forward while conceiving the child. As per several expert gynecologists, a woman after attaining the age of 20 must have their regular wellbeing checkup at least once. But due to the hustling lifestyle, severe job and work stress maximum women between the ages of 25 to 30 are ignorant of their health and wellbeing.
Let’s understand the concept of PCOD and PCOS by the below illustration.
As you can see in the above image two different ovaries are being shown. One is a normal ovary and the second one is a polycystic ovary. Usually, a woman releases one egg during every menstrual cycle whereas in the case of a woman who has polycystic ovaries due to hormonal imbalance the hormones required to release eggs are absent hence the egg doesn’t develop, and hence, they are not released from the ovaries. Instead, they form very small cysts in the ovary. Due to this situation, it has derived the name” polycystic ovarian syndrome”. People often consider PCOD and PCOS to be the same whereas there is a significant difference in both terms.
Difference between PCOD and PCOS
PCOD is a condition in which ovaries produce several immature or partially mature eggs. This happens due to poor lifestyle, obesity, stress, and hormonal imbalance. PCOS is a metabolic disorder that arises when the normal PCOD is left unattended. The condition starts worsening and starts affecting other body functions. People suffering from PCOS are highly prone to develop type 2 diabetes /pre-diabetic levels by the age of 40. Higher insulin levels, heart diseases, insulin resistance, heart diseases are accompaniments of PCOS. In case if you are wondering if these diseases are serious or not then it is to be understood that these are not life-threatening diseases but it is something that needs attention.
Major Alarming Symptoms for Women to Lookout
1. Irregular or Scanty Periods
2. Excessive Painful periods. (In case you are wondering the estimate of pain which is normal then you should probably ask yourself that whether the pain is extreme to a level that you are not able to perform your day-to-day chores then it needs medical attention.
3. Sudden gain of weight or finding it very difficult to lose weight.
4. During PCOD women tend to secrete higher levels of male hormones (androgen levels are higher than usual) due to to which the feminine structure changes and women start developing excessive hair on the face, back, stomach, etc. The abdomen, hands are the areas where excess fats appear.
5. Thinning hair and loss of scalp hair.
6. Darkening of skin, Hyperpigmentation, Acne breakouts are common warnings in teenagers.
7. Difficulty in conceiving /Failure in ovulation
8. Sleeping disorders.
9. Headaches
10. Do have your thyroid and blood sugar levels checked before visiting a gynecologist.
When should you consult a doctor in case you find the above symptoms?
As per renowned gynecologists, every woman after attaining the age of 20 must consult an Obstetrician to ensure her well-being. However, in case you find yourself dealing with the above abnormalities then it’s the right time for you to do a routine check-up and get yourself treated before worsening your condition. The most common symptoms that the doctors refer are irregular periods /scanty periods and excessive hair growth in unwanted areas. In case you take an ultrasound scan of your uterus and video biologist finds more than 20 follicles in each ovary or in case your ovaries are weighing more than 10ml then you have PCOD.
What causes PCOD? Why are PCOD and PCOS affecting urban women? Why did our moms and grandmothers never suffer from PCOS or PCOD issues? A deep question to ask yourself…….
As per many gynecologists, PCOD and PCOS were covered as small topics in their study and 20 to 30 years ago they never had patients coming up with these disorders. Even if we ask our moms or grandmas, they never had PCOD or PCOS even if they had ancestors who suffered from diabetes. This study further brings out that a sedentary lifestyle and poor diet patterns are the root cause of this disease. Our ancestors had the best lifestyle which rewarded their great health, life expectancy, stronger life spans and they lived the fullest of their lives even with less technology. Our ancestors never complained about sleep disorders thanks to cellphones who have made our generation a bunch of night owls. Our ancestors used to indulge in a lot of physical activities daily. People used to have long walks, each cooking and cleaning activity involved various physical movements which gave them a healthy mind and healthy soul. Whereas urban women are becoming workaholics and tend to have a sedentary lifestyle as they spend hours in front of laptops. Their diet patterns have also hit rock bottom as most of them crave junk. Sleeping disorders are never-ending because of online Instagram scrolling which easily takes 2hrs post work. Stress is another participant in this disease. Today's generation has to face cut-throat competition to excel in their professional lives due to which they face deep anxiety and stress. Stress levels are major causes of hormonal imbalances and only a positive healthy mind can bring your stress levels down.
A simple diet and workout plan for women with PCOD
1. Eat plenty of green leafy vegetables
2. Switch to a complete plant-based protein diet.
3. Avoid packaged food because all these contain preservatives that add to the shelf value of the food.
4. Eat seasonal fruits and also eat them with your hands don't consume in the form of juices.
5. Try introducing vegan options. You might replace milk with almond milk or coconut milk.
6. Reduce sugar consumption.
7. Drink one glass of water with methi or Fenugreek seeds early morning.
8. Cinnamon ginger and lemon drink (a replacement of tea)
9. For breakfast you can have poha, upma, idlis, sprouts, etc
10. For lunch you can switch to some leafy vegetables curry with chappatis with one bowl of daal.
11. Eat fresh-cut fruits, sprouts, Vegetables like carrot, beans, beetroot, or dry fruits as evening snacks when your food cravings arise. Please avoid outside food completely.
12. For dinner you can go for Daal rice or khichdi. Also, note that you need to have dinner by 7 pm
13. Plenty of sleep a minimum of 8 good hrs of uninterrupted sleep is mandatory.
14. No mobile phones before one hour of sleep
15. Along with a disciplined diet a full-body workout is also mandatory
16. Ensure that you work out a minimum of an hr for 5 days a week
17. Workout must be comprised of a few cardio workouts accompanied by strength training exercises.
18. An early morning jog can bring out wonderful changes as it increases metabolism in your body
19 . Various strength training exercises like push-ups and squats are mandatory to be performed. Yoga is an ideal way to obtain a stress-free mind and a healthy body doing early morning yoga has changed millions of individual lives.
20. Don't forget to enjoy the workout do only those exercises that make you happy because happy hormones play a vital part.
Conclusion:
Urbanization has led us to progressive roads and destinations but always remember health is wealth we are nothing if we don't have a body that can perform according to our wants and needs. So always prioritize your health. Be the center of your universe. Women always tend to live for others. Understand that the most important person in your world is "you" and don't put anything before your health. Any work or any relationship that's costing your health is not worth it.
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