1 in 15 women affected with ovarian disorders

Bengaluru: With one in 15 women being diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary disorder (PCOD) and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) globally, PCOD is becoming one of the most common diseases affecting women today.

"Around 10 percent of Indian women are affected with PCOS which also includes a large number of youngsters. A contributing factor is the new lifestyle with faulty dietary habits and lack of physical activity, also leading to weight gain," said Dr Aviva Pinto Rodrigues, Fertility Consultant, Nova IVI Fertility, Sadashivanagar.

Many people believe that PCOD and PCOS are the same, but they are not. Both are connected to ovaries, but while PCOD is caused by a type of system disorder, PCOS is mainly caused by hormonal imbalance. It is more than experiencing irregular periods.

28-year-old Padmavathi (name changed) from a remote village in North Karnataka had been married for 12 years. She got married at the age of 16 to a man 12 years her senior and spent the last 12 years being branded and beaten because she was infertile.

Padmavathi had got her first period when she was 12 and from then, it had always been irregular, coming only once every few months. It had reached a stage where she only got them after medication. As years passed, she developed more hirsutism and acne, put on weight as she was depressed all the time and found solace in eating.

One of her relatives referred her to Nova IVI Fertility. On examination, it was found that she had PCOS where she was not forming and releasing oocytes on her own. After this she was put on medication to reduce her insulin resistance which is commonly seen in patients with PCOS.

Padmavathi was asked to lose at least 5-10% of her weight. She returned five months later, having lost 12 kgs. Doctors from Nova IVF advised the couple to go forward with an IVF/ICSI. She underwent a cycle of IVF, where multiple eggs were retrieved, from which embryos were made, and frozen. In a subsequent cycle, two embryos were transferred and she conceived, but ended up with an early miscarriage which is again a common complication of PCOS. Finally, in the third frozen embryo transfer cycle, Padmavathi conceived and today is the proud mother of a four-month-old son.

Dr Pinto Rodrigues stressed that for women planning to conceive, maintaining an optimal body weight is advised, ensuring that their body mass index (BMI) lies within the range of 18.5-22.9. "Early diagnosis and treatment can help control the symptoms and prevent long-term complications such as infertility, heart diseases and diabetes," he said.