PCOS in teens is being increasingly diagnosed, which is a troublesome matter. As you must know, It is a hormonal disorder that is common among women and now in teenage girls. It affects their emotions as well as their physical health. It was undiagnosed or you could ignore it for a long time and many suffered and faced significant challenges in their day-to-day life. In this article, we will explore the complexities of PCOS, its symptoms, causes and most importantly impact on the lives of our women survivors.

Understanding PCOS

What is PCOS?

• It is a hormonal disorder that can be identified by enlarged ovaries. And small cysts on the outer edge of the ovary.
• It becomes the main reason for the disturbance of the menstrual cycle and also affects our beloved hormones, which affect our mood swings, hormones include estrogen progesterone and androgen, these hormones are the reason for a female mood swing and which is mostly negative because of PCOS.

Symptoms of PCOS in Teens

• Irregular Periods: It is often recognised by the irregular period cycle or no period or absence of menstruation.
• Excess Androgen: Growth of excess hair like males because of the rise in androgen hormone, which causes growth on our body parts like our face, chest or back.
• Skin issue: We all love glassy skin or you can say clean skin but having PCOS makes it impossible as it causes acne all over the face along with oily skin.
• Weight Gain: It becomes difficult to maintain a healthy weight. And maintain a healthy lifestyle because PCOS makes it hard to lose weight and makes you gain weight quickly.
• Hair loss: Along with skin and wait, it also affects our hair. Hair loss from the scalp becomes a daily ordeal.
• Insulin resistance: Insulin resistance and high blood sugar levels.
• Depression: Mood swings and depression are also a part of PCOS struggle as it is hormonal and also if a person sees their health deteriorating it’s inevitable to feel a lack of confidence and feel depressed themselves as they are not able to make any changes after a lot of struggle.

Impact of PCOS on Teen Life

PCOS impacts teens’ lives in many ways, such as physical impact, emotional impact as well as social impact. We’ll understand it in depth as we follow the article.

Physical Impact

PCOS can physically affect weight and can cause hormonal issues, such as the increase in androgen production which can cause unwanted acne and unwanted hair growth. These kinds of issues can lead a teenager to think if they are normal or not and can also make them concerned about their body image which affects their self-esteem.

Emotional Impact

If Something is affecting you physically and showing on your body, then it is obvious it will affect you emotionally as well.

PCOS is one such disease that affects you physically and shows it on your body.

• It leads to isolation as one such teenager thinks they are different from their peers comparing the body changes which leads to social withdrawal and loneliness.
• It can also cause low self-esteem as one can get acne, hirsutism and weight gain Which results in thinking that they are not good enough to look at, this erodes their self-confidence and self-worth eventually affects their life and academic results

Social Impact

• Interaction with peers becomes difficult as they struggle to talk and share about their health issues like irregular periods and acne, which they feel is embarrassing to talk about.
• Teens also become very sensitive about body image as the changes that are coming because of PCOS can Influence their perception of body image which leads to the comparison of body to their peers, and can lead to anxiety and negative self-talk.

Causes of PCOS

• PCOS’s cause is still unknown, but a genetic factor, insulin resistance or hormonal imbalance can be counted as a cause for now.
• Insulin resistance is a complex condition in which your body doesn’t respond to insulin. In PCOS insulin resistance increases insulin levels which instigates our ovaries and in response, it produces androgen, which disturbs our normal ovulation process resulting in our period cycle getting disturbed as well.

Impact on Women in Early 20s

• Infertility: PCOS is a leading cause of infertility in women due to irregular ovulation or lack of ovulation.
• Emotional Distress: Dealing with the physical symptoms of PCOS can take a toll on a woman’s mental health, leading to anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem.
• Increased Risk of Health Complications: PCOS is associated with an increased risk of developing other health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and endometrial cancer.
• Difficulty in Weight Management: Insulin resistance and hormonal imbalances make it challenging for women with PCOS to lose weight, despite efforts to follow a healthy diet and exercise regularly.

Treatment and Management

• Lifestyle Changes: Maintaining a healthy diet, regular exercise, and managing stress can help improve symptoms and reduce the risk of complications.
• Medications: Birth control pills, hormone therapy, and insulin-sensitizing medications may be prescribed to regulate menstrual cycles, reduce androgen levels, and improve insulin sensitivity.
• Fertility Treatments: Women struggling with infertility due to PCOS may benefit from fertility treatments such as ovulation induction or in vitro fertilization (IVF).
• Emotional Support: Seeking support from healthcare professionals, support groups, or therapists can help women cope with the emotional challenges of living with PCOS.

Conclusion, there are a lot of women and teens suffering from PCOS, especially the number of teenage girls that are increasing day-by-day affecting their academic and normal life. They have a myriad of challenges to face, such as physical challenges, emotional challenges, and psychological challenges all combined. We have to raise awareness about it and give education about its cause, symptoms, and treatments, so it can be easy to understand PCOS. We have to empower women so it can be easy for them to manage their PCOS, and live a quality of life, so they can pursue their dreams without feeling pressured because of PCOS. PCOS can be the main factor affecting your motherhood as well, it can become the source of depression and poor mental health also. We should raise awareness and make treatment for PCOS accessible everywhere. So every woman can pursue their lovely dreams of being a mother.  If you suspect you have PCOS, then it is mandatory to maintain a healthy lifestyle and consult a professional doctor.

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