Woman goes through a lot of changes both physically and emotionally throughout her life, more specifically from menarche to menopause. The changes in hormone levels cause noticeable changes. Once a woman attains here menarche, the monthly menstrual cycle begins. Some women might face issues with regular menstrual cycle and often conclude that this could be a normal condition and will resolve over a period of time. However, what should be known is that these irregular menstrual cycles could be due to underlying conditions such as polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD) or polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Though by name, both may sound same, there is difference between both. Most women of childbearing age suffer from this condition. About 1 out of every 10 women is diagnosed with this condition. The greatest challenge that women suffering from these two conditions face is with conception. Ovaries are organs responsible for a woman to conceive and any abnormal conditions related to these directly or indirectly affect the fertility health thereby causing infertility issues. Many Well Women’s Clinic conduct programs that create awareness about these conditions so that an early diagnosis can help seek care sooner.
Polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD) is a medical condition in which the ovaries of a female produce partially mature of immature eggs in large amounts and with passage of time, these become cysts. This condition can lead to multiple issues such as hair loss, obesity, irregular menstrual cycles, etc. This is being a less serious condition the risk of infertility is less comparatively and with a few lifestyle modifications and certain medications the condition can be treated.
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is more serious condition compared to PCOD in which the body produces high amount of androgen (male hormones). Due to the increased androgen levels, women might skip menstrual period or experience irregular menstrual cycle making it extremely difficult to conceive naturally. Both these conditions might be difficult to diagnose until women notice disruption in the menstrual cycle, hair loss, abnormal weight gain, acne, excessive hair growth on face, back, chest, or belly. A holistic approach to treat both the conditions may help reduce dependence on medications. Studies have revealed the yoga can be effective in managing PCOS. While there are yoga postures specially meant to manage PCOS and PCOD, certain yoga postures like vrikshasana, pranayama, shashankasana or vajrasana, and others helpstay healthy and fit.
