“What is the difference between PCOS and PCOD?” is a frequently asked question that concerns many women. A significant difference between PCOD and PCOS is that PCOD is a disease, whereas PCOS is a syndrome.
PCOD and PCOS both cause cysts to form in your ovaries. Furthermore, these disorders cause your body to produce androgen hormones. This male hormone’s secretion in a female’s body causes unusual changes. You may, for example, experience hair loss, weight gain, and excessive hair growth on your body. You can ask your gynecologist about the difference between PCOD and PCOS. It is critical to understand the distinction between PCOD and PCOS, as well as their symptoms, diagnostic methods, risks, and treatment options.
What is PCOS?
PCOS is the most common medical condition. It happens when the hormones in the body are out of balance. This is easily confused with PCOD, which has a similarly ambiguous definition. The development of cysts in the ovaries does not always result in hormonal imbalance in PCOS.
Women between the ages of 12 and 51 are the most vulnerable to PCOS. PCOS is directly related to infertility, in part because it causes ovulation irregularities to become more common.
What is PCOD?
PCOD is a condition in which the ovaries produce and release an abnormally large number of immature eggs during the ovulation cycle, resulting in irregular menstrual cycles. The number of eggs produced for months increases as a result of the eggs being caught within the ovary.
Cysts are formed in the ovary by partially developed and stored eggs, which may appear to be innocuous. These cyst-like formations in the body increase androgen production as well.
Common Symptoms of PCOS and PCOD
Some women notice symptoms around the time of their first period, while others do not notice until they have gained a lot of weight or are having difficulty getting pregnant. The following are the most common signs and symptoms of PCOD or PCOS in females:
- Menstruation irregularity (Oligomenorrhea)
- Menstruation was skipped or did not occur (Amenorrhea)
- Heavy menstrual flow (Menorrhagia)
- Excessive Hair development (face, body – including on back, belly, and chest)
- Acne (face, chest, and upper back) (face, chest, and upper back)
- Gaining weight
- Hair thinning (hair on the scalp gets thinner and falls out)
- Darkening of the skin (Neck, in the groin, and under the breasts)
Causes
- Excess insulin production: Excess insulin levels in the body may increase androgen production (a male hormone that is very low in females), causing ovulation difficulties.
- Excess androgen production: The ovaries produce excessive androgen hormones, which can cause acne and hirsutism (hair growth on the face and body)
- According to a recent study, females with PCOS have low-grade inflammation, which causes an increase in androgen production, which can lead to blood vessel or heart problems. Women with PCOS have certain genetic correlations.
Complications of PCOS/PCOD problem
Every woman wonders what happens to her body when she has PCOD or PCOS. Having higher-than-normal androgen levels can have a negative impact on your health. These are the PCOS or PCOD complications that necessitate medical attention:
- Uterine bleeding that isn’t normal
- Infertility or high blood pressure Infertility
- Diabetes mellitus type 2
- Premature labor and delivery
- Syndrome of Metabolic Syndrome (risk for high blood sugar, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and stroke)
- NASH (Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis) (Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis)
- Depression (Many women end up experiencing depression and anxiety due to unwanted hair growth and other symptoms) (Many women end up experiencing depression and anxiety due to unwanted hair growth and other symptoms)
- Obstructive sleep apnea (More common in women who are overweight, causes repeated pauses in breathing during the night, which interrupt sleep)
- Cancer of the endometrium (Due to thickened uterine lining)
- Miscarriage (spontaneous loss of a pregnancy) (spontaneous loss of a pregnancy)