PCOS: Endometriosis is a condition in which cells similar to the lining of the uterus (endometrium) grow outside the uterus and involve the pelvic tissue and can envelop the ovaries and fallopian tube. The condition is often accompanied by acute pain in the pelvic region along with dysmenorrhea (painful periods).
Data suggests that one in 10 women suffers from the aforementioned condition. It implies that endometriosis is as common in women as diabetes in men, though the term is not even known to the majority of the population. And, the matter of concern is that endometriosis is not the sole cause of endometriosis.
Less research makes women vulnerable
The funding that goes or went into the research of diabetes is exponentially greater than the amount designated for the research of endometriosis. This explains how women’s health has been a neglected sector as far as research is concerned.
The reason being, big research centres did not include females having child-bearing potential in clinical trials from 1977 up until 2000. The most common reason cited was that female and male bodies were generally the same and the hormonal fluctuations that happen in females could further complicate the entire procedure. Researchers also stressed that experimenting on reproductive-age females would hurt their fertility.
If it sounds unusual today, women were just treated as baby-producing machines back then. This is why, till date, conception is looked upon as the solution to problems ranging from domestic to health. The same advice is often passed on to patients with PCOS as well.
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Endocrinological Disorders: More Spread, Less Understood
The most widely used term and probably the least known disorder, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), is an ovulatory disorder that comprises multiple signs and symptoms of ovarian dysfunction. PCOS has a lot of subsequent effects, like scanty and infrequent periods, sudden acne and hair growth, weight gain, and conception issues.
The last symptom, conception problems, attracts the most attention, and the major others are frequently removed.Women who want to get treatment are frequently treated in such a way that they have no trouble conceiving.Not only the medical fraternity, even the ones responsible for spreading awareness to the masses, take it as just a conception. Here are some headlines that prove the same.
PCOS accounts for 85 per cent of ovulatory disorder diagnoses, and to this day the exact cause of the PCOS is unknown, while some trace family history of polycystic ovary, others blame it on inactivity and stress.
As per the World Health Organisation (WHO), over 100 million women worldwide are impacted by PCOS, a toll that is increasing with each passing day. In the world, 1 in every 10 women are found to be living with the symptoms.
PCOS brings a lot along with it
PCOS, often mentioned as a leading cause of female infertility, is a serious genetic, hormonal, metabolic, and reproductive disorder. It affects girls and women of reproductive age. PCOS leads to serious ailments like obesity, diabetes mellitus (Type 2), cardiovascular disease, and endometrial cancer.
Irregular periods
Women with PCOS create a higher than average level of androgens, which in turn affects the development of eggs and interferes with ovulation. The higher level of androgens adversely impacts the woman’s body, like the growth of facial hair.
Insulin sensitivity
PCOS patients often develop resistance to insulin. A patient is called insulin resistant when cells in muscles, fat, and liver do not respond well to insulin, hence they cannot take up glucose from the bloodstream. In this condition, the pancreas produces more insulin to help glucose enter the cells. Increased insulin further complements androgen production in the body. This further pushes the body towards Type 2 diabetes.
Elevated cortisol levels
Stress is often cited as the fundamental reason behind PCOS. Stress leads to high levels of cortisol, also called the primary stress hormone. Cortisol increases glucose (sugar) in the bloodstream and pushes towards Cushing syndrome (central obesity, buffalo hump, high blood pressure, and bone loss). High cortisol levels also hinder the immune system.
The research done in the sector contributes directly to the methods of dealing with the health issues of women. Until more research is done into the respective sector, women will continue to be ignored when they speak to professionals of the medical fraternity about their symptoms. Less research makes women more vulnerable to the market.
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