PCOS – Hello Doctor

How stress can influence your fertility

October 8th, 2019 by Content Editor

Could stress really prevent you from getting pregnant?

Stress is often described as an event that a person sees or feels as threatening to their life. So, the body responds with a “fight or flight” response in order to protect itself.

According to research on the relationship between stress and infertility, the cause of infertility isn’t always clear. There may be a basic health condition like polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, male infertility, or the frustrating diagnosis of unexplained infertility.

Stress, depression and anxiety are described as common consequences of infertility.

Stress and your behaviour

While stress alone doesn’t necessarily cause infertility, it can push a person toward unhealthy behaviours. These unhealthy behaviours can affect your fertility.

We all resort to unwholesome patterns or routines when stressed. But the following habits can actually affect your fertility:

Binge eating, emotional eating or not eating enough.
Sleeping too much or too little.
Not exercising enough or pushing yourself to overdo it.
Drinking too much alcohol.
Smoking.
Drinking too much caffeine, especially if you’re sleep-deprived.
Loss of interest in sex with your partner.

Infertility and stress

Stress can affect the gland in the brain that manages your emotions, appetite and the hormones that tell your ovaries to release eggs. When you’re stressed out, you may ovulate later in your cycle or not at all. So, if you’re only having sex around day 14, thinking that you’re about to ovulate, you may miss your opportunity to conceive.

Research has shown that people who get less than five hours of sleep each night are more likely to suffer from obesity, and obesity can lead to problems with fertility.

Don’t let stress get in the way

Reducing stress is good for your health, and may improve your chances of falling pregnant. Finding ways to keep stress in check by developing better coping strategies to help you feel more in control and improve your overall wellbeing.

Improve emotional health

Try these:

Acupuncture.
Aerobic exercise (may be reduced during treatment).
Journaling.
Listening to music.
Massage therapy.
Meditation.
Mind-body groups.
Mindfulness.
Progressive muscle relaxation.
Psychotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy.
Self-help books.
Support/educational groups.
Walking/hiking.
Yoga.

References:

Struggling to fall pregnant? It could be an ovarian cyst

May 13th, 2019 by Content Editor

Ovarian cysts are more common than you realize. Often, they don’t present with symptoms, but sometimes they can create a lot of trouble – including infertility.   A cyst is a fluid-filled sac that can form in many places in the body. Ovarian cysts form in or on the ovaries.

The most common causes of ovarian cysts include:

Hormonal problems or drugs used to help you ovulate. These cysts usually go away on their own without treatment.

Pregnancy. An ovarian cyst normally develops in early pregnancy to help support the pregnancy until the placenta forms. Sometimes, the cyst stays on the ovary until later in the pregnancy and may need to be removed.

Endometriosis. Women with endometriosis can form a type of ovarian cyst, called an endometrioma. The endometriosis tissue may attach to the ovary and form a growth. These cysts can be painful during sex and during your period.

Severe pelvic infections. Infections can spread to the ovaries and fallopian tubes that can result in cysts forming.

In many cases, ovarian cysts have no real symptoms but can include:

Mild stomach ache.
Stomach swelling or a feeling of fullness or pressure.
Pain during sex.
Period issues, including a lack of bleeding, heavy bleeding or painful periods.
Painful, frequent peeing if a cyst presses against the bladder.
Sudden, sharp stomach pain, fever, and nausea if a cyst becomes twisted or “bursts”.
Unusual hair growth on the face and body caused by an increased production of the male hormone.

Diagnosis of ovarian cysts 

A gynaecologist will help diagnose an ovarian cyst. If a lump or mass in the ovary is found, further tests will be done to check for ovarian cancer. These will include:

Pelvic exam 

Usually ovarian cysts are discovered during a pelvic check-up. But, a pelvic exam can’t produce a final diagnosis, so the next step for your doctor would be to perform a vaginal sonogram.

Vaginal sonogram 

This test allows the doctor to get the clearest picture of the ovary and cyst. The test is done by inserting a small instrument into the vagina that forms a picture on a monitor.

This image allows the doctor to figure out the size of the cyst and see inside it to check whether it’s solid or fluid-filled. While the vaginal sonogram can pick up a cyst, it won’t be able to tell whether there is a cancerous or non-cancerous growth. So, if the sonogram shows there’s a cyst, the next step may be the surgical removal of the cyst (laparoscopy) to find out if it’s cancerous or non-cancerous.

Laparoscopy 

This operation is performed in the stomach or pelvis and allows your doctor to see and remove the cyst by making a small cut. The laparoscope is inserted through a small cut into your stomach and small instruments are then placed near the pubic bone to allow the doctor to remove the cyst.

Treatment of ovarian cysts

Ovarian cysts often disappear without treatment. Surgery to remove the cyst may be needed if cancer is suspected, or if the cyst doesn’t go away and is causing symptoms. In many cases, it can be removed without damaging the ovary, but sometimes the ovary must be taken out. In rare cases, an ovarian cyst may be drained during laparoscopy.

Your doctor may recommend hormonal therapy to help prevent future ovarian cysts.

If you experience any of the symptoms of ovarian cysts, see your doctor or gynaecologist. If you’ve been diagnosed with an ovarian cyst and you experience sudden, sharp stomach pain, fever, or vomiting, see a doctor immediately.

References:

The challenge and hope for bearded women

August 16th, 2017 by The Hello Doctor Team

Meet Harnaam Kaur: a 26-year old body positivity campaigner and model, and Guinness World Record holder for being the youngest woman to have a full beard. After years of struggling to keep her facial hair under control, she has decided to grow them into a full beard, and now campaigns for women to be positive, and accept their bodies as they are.

The reason for her stubble? She has polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

What is PCOS?

PCOS is a hormonal disorder in which your sex hormones; oestrogen and progesterone are out of balance. This imbalance causes the growth of ovarian cysts (benign masses on the ovaries), which can affect your menstrual cycle, fertility and appearance.

Symptoms

PCOS symptoms usually start soon after your first menstrual period. They tend to be mild at first, and develop gradually. You may only have a few symptoms or a range of them.

The type and severity varies from woman to woman. Symptoms are typically more severe if you’re overweight or obese.

Watch for

Irregular periods or no periods.
Excessive hair growth (hirsutism) on the face, chest, back, belly, or buttocks.
Rapid weight gain and trouble losing weight.
Oily skin.
Acne.
Pelvic pain.
Hair loss on the scalp.
Difficulty getting pregnant. PCOS is a leading cause of infertility in women.
Mood swings.
Depression.

What is the cause?

The exact cause of PCOS is unknown, but research suggests that it runs in families. If your mother or sister has PCOS, you’re at a higher risk than normal.

Overproduction of the hormone, androgen may factor into PCOS. Androgen is a male sex hormone that women also produce. If you have PCOS, your body may produce abnormally high levels of androgen. This can affect the development and release of eggs during ovulation, and lead to hirsutism and acne.

Excess insulin is another contributing factor. Insulin is the hormone that helps convert sugars and starches into energy. If you have PCOS, your body is unresponsive to the action of insulin. When your body has a problem using insulin, your blood sugar levels go up, and you produce more insulin. High levels of insulin can cause your body to produce more androgen. This can lead to ovulation problems, weight gain, irregular periods, and infertility.

How it is diagnosed

There’s no definitive test to diagnose PCOS. To make a diagnosis, your doctor will review your medical history, symptoms and menstrual cycle.

He’ll then do a physical exam to look for signs of PCOS like extra body hair and acne. He’ll check your height and weight to see if you have a healthy body mass index (BMI).

Your doctor may perform:

A pelvic exam to inspect your reproductive organs for masses, growths or other abnormalities.
An ultrasound to check for cysts on your ovaries.
A blood test to measure your hormone levels, blood sugar, and cholesterol. This can help rule out other conditions that mimic the symptoms of PCOS.

Treating PCOS

PCOS can’t be cured, but the symptoms can be managed.

Your doctor may prescribe:

Birth control pills to decrease androgen production and regulate oestrogen. This can regulate your periods, treat acne, and reduce excess hair growth.
Fertility medication to help you ovulate.
Diabetes medication to lower your insulin levels, and improve the way your body uses insulin. These meds can also slow the progression of diabetes and boost weight loss.
Ovarian drilling to reduce androgen levels and help stimulate ovulation. Your doctor may puncture your ovary with a small needle that carries an electric current. The part of the ovary that’s producing androgens will then be destroyed.

In the long run, you will need to stick to a healthy diet, get lots of regular exercise, and lose the extra weight to manage the symptoms of PCOS and prevent long-term complications. Losing even a modest amount of weight can help balance your hormones, lower your blood sugar levels, and restore normal menstrual patterns and ovulation. It can also increase the effectiveness of your PCOS medications.

To get rid of excess hair, your doctor may recommend an eflornithine cream to slow hair growth. Electrolysis is another option. This method uses a needle to emit a pulse of electric current to damage and destroy each hair follicle. You can also get rid of unwanted hair with shaving, plucking, waxing or with depilatories (creams that dissolve hair).

Or, you can follow the brave footsteps of Harnaam Kaur, and rock a beard. Who says you can’t?!

References

What is PCOS?

July 13th, 2016 by The Hello Doctor Team

If you’re battling to get pregnant, struggling to manage your weight and living with irregular periods, there may be one reason for it all: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Continue reading “What is PCOS?”

Should women worry about testosterone levels?

July 14th, 2014 by The Hello Doctor Team

Surprise, surprise! If you’re a woman, you also have testosterone. After puberty, women begin to produce an adult level of testosterone. The production is split between the ovaries and adrenal glands, and a small amount of testosterone is released into the bloodstream.

Women produce just a fraction of the amount of testosterone each day that men do, and these sex hormones are secreted in short bursts from one stage of your menstrual cycle to another.

Continue reading “Should women worry about testosterone levels?”