Do you know that the incidence of polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD) is increasing at an alarming rate all over the world? this is due to changing lifestyle patterns and modernization.

Women are under a lot of stress managing home, business or job. Stress, eating junk food and not maintaining a healthy lifestyle are important causes of polycystic ovarian disease.

It is important to know everything about PCOD to save teenage girls from landing into this problem. it is a hormonal problem, in which there is disturbance in hormone levels in the body. the ovary produces majority of female hormones and male hormones in small amounts.

In PCOD, the male hormones are produced in increased amounts. the level of testosterone which is a male hormone increases. this results in symptoms like hirsutism which means excessive hair growth over chin and on upper lips.

Obesity is the cause as well as symptom of this disease. the number of fat cells of the body is increased when you gain weight. These fat cells secrete testosterone in small amounts and the level of this male hormone is increased.

These fat cells become insulin resistant and make the female prone to acquire diabetes. Weight gain, menstrual irregularity with acne, hirsutism and infertility are symptoms of PCOD. Weight gain occurs due to abnormal levels of hormones in the body.

Menses become infrequent and irregular. there is absence of menses for a couple of months after which there is heavy bleeding. sometimes there may be no bleeding for months called as amenorrhoea. there are follicles in the ovaries which are responsible for formation of ovum which is the female egg.

In PCOD, the follicles do not enlarge to the appropriate size and there is no formation of ovum. the follicles instead develop into cysts which get aligned along the periphery of the ovary. so the ovary becomes enlarged and a ‘bead like appearance’ of the ovary is seen in ultrasound examination.

If you have symptoms which include acne on face, and inappropriate weight gain with irregular bleeding, then consult a gynaecologist. Proper medical history and some hormonal test and an ultrasound examination are required to diagnose this condition. Mind you, there is no cure, but lifestyle modification goes a long way to control this disease. In some cases, surgery becomes necessary.