A rising number of teenage girls in the country are getting affected with Poly Cystic Ovarian Disease or PCOD. Though an advanced menarche has become very rampant these days, there are many young women who are suffering from a delay in menarche which in turn is leading to PCOD as opined by gynaecologists. Obesity and sedentary lifestyle among young people have caused a rapid doubling of PCOD cases in the past five to eight years.

Occurrence and Symptoms:

Gynaecologists report that they get at least 15 fresh instances of PCOD cases, and a considerable number of teenagers aged 16-17 are not getting their menarche. Such patients are recommended to take a strictly balanced diet which will help them to lose weight. Initially, their mothers think that they would experience their menarche in proper time, but some girls are diagnosed with PCOD when taken to a family gynaecologist. Even worse, they could never imagine that their obesity can pave the way for such a grave health issue. PCOD can cause numerous other problems like delayed and irregular menses, rapid weight gain and tremendous difficulty in losing weight, developing acne and blocked skin pores.

Furthermore, it leads to thinning of hair and excessive growth of hair on chest, back and face. Infertility, continual miscarriage, high blood pressure and high blood sugar are also common with PCOD.

Help yourself with the right diet:

There is no proven evidence regarding the cause of PCOD though gynaecologists are of the opinion that some females possess a predisposition to this disease, and it may run hereditarily in the family. You can alleviate your PCOD symptoms to a considerable extent by regulating your diet properly.

Have loads of fruits and green leafy vegetables and try to abstain from dairy products as many experts believe that dairy products are a direct cause of an increase in insulin levels, which can aggravate skin troubles along with other PCOD symptoms. Avoiding red meat and eating lean meat instead will help the condition and reduce the chances of infertility. It is always recommended to avoid hydrogenated and saturated fats, which are normally found in animal and dairy-based food. Try to put a stop to cheese, cottage cheese, clarified butter, pork, lamb, beef, etc. and certain baked products like cookies, cakes and fudges as they will trigger a rise in your blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

The following dietary tips can be helpful with the condition:

High levels of the insulin hormone causes PCOS symptoms like high blood sugar, increased hair growth, weight gain etc. So, refined foods rich in fat and carbohydrates should be consumed in small amounts.
Whole foods in their natural, uncooked form should be consumed fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans etc. These are low glycemic foods that reduce the glucose circulation by insulin.
Intake of salt should be very limited. You should not consume more than 3 grams a day.
Green vegetables have antioxidants. These are good for women with PCOS because they have a high amount of oxidative stress.
Your daily diet should contain at least 30 grams of fiber to improve the digestion process and remove toxins.
Milk and dairy products are best avoided because milk helps to increase the level of testosterone (male hormone) in the body.
Soy products should also be avoided, especially if you are trying to conceive, because they interfere with the ovulation cycle.
Processed fat is harmful but essential fatty acids found in avocado, fish, olive oil and nuts are important for the body.
High levels of male hormones also cause high cholesterol. So foods which have high saturated fats like butter, cream, coconut oil and fatty meat should not be included in the regular diet of women with PCOS.
Protein-rich foods like lean meat, fish, legumes, whole grains are beneficial as protein can stabilize blood sugar. These foods also keep you feeling full and prevent over-eating.
PCOD is such a condition which you can never afford to overlook. If you had been facing any of the common symptoms, then it is probably time to pay a visit to a responsive gynaecologist.

Diet For Poly Cystic Ovarian Disease (PCOD) 

Ovarian cysts and fertility: Is there a connection?

Having a child is one of the most profound experiences in a woman s life. The joy of being a mother and welcoming a new life is unparalleled. In the midst of such expectation, an inability to conceive can take a serious toll on any woman s health. The mental scars from such an event can never be obliterated.

This does not mean you should give up. Consult a doctor to find the cause and rectify it. With advances in medical science and technologies like IVF in the market, no fertility challenge is insurmountable.

One of the most common cause of infertility is ovarian cysts. According to research conducted by the American Society For Reproductive Medicine, ovarian cysts resulting in ovulation abnormality and infertility has been recorded among 25% of women.

There are two types of cysts that are produced as byproducts of ovulation-

1. Follicular Cysts which does not break open to release the eggs. Rather the follicle stays as a whole while the cyst continues to grow.

2. Corpus Cysts or luteal cysts is a condition when after the egg has bronek free, the follicles seal itself rather than shrinking and the fluid builds up inside.

Causes-

Ovarian cysts are mainly caused due to hormonal imbalance, abnormal cell growth where the cells overgrow and develop into cysts, pelvic infections that spread to the ovaries and fallopian tubes and causes severe harm to them, and endometriosis when the tissue attaches to an ovary and forms cell growth.

Which ovarian cyst affects fertility?

Ovarian cysts that generate complications during pregnancy include-

1. Endometriomas - This is the condition when the tissues lining your uterus or endometrium grows outside the uterus or the fallopian tubes and is largely associated with fertility problems. Endometriomas can differ in sizes from the range of less than an inch to over 6 inches. They are filled with dark coloured blood.

Some studies have demonstrated that women suffering from mild endometriosis develop a lower (2%-4%) chance of getting pregnant each month when compared to women who are healthy and have a 15%-20% chance. Another research states that 40% of unexplained infertility results from endometriosis through anatomical distortion or inflammation.

2. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome - PCOS is the condition where small cysts form inside your ovaries which prompts irregular periods, excessive stomach cramps and large hormonal imbalance. Connected to immature ovaries, they do not assist in ovulation and thus produces complications infertility. The immature follicles with an immature egg cause the ovary to be politic.

This chronic lack of ovulation also alters the hormonal levels in your body that assists in ovulation. Women with PCOS develop high levels of androgen or male hormones in your body, which gets converted to estrogen. As a result, they do not ovulate.

Does the treatment of ovarian cysts also affect fertility?

This usually depends on the kind of treatment you receive. Hormonal birth control doesn t have a long-term effect on fertility. Although surgeries can invariably damage some healthy eggs inside your body, the doctors recommend that the ovaries be removed before you have more complications. However, in both the situations, the egg count in your body decreases significantly.

Ovarian Cysts & Fertility - Is There A Connection?

Q1. What exactly is Laparoscopy?
Laparoscopy is an alternative to 'Open' surgery wherein the abdomen is opened by tiny 'key hole' incisions and surgery is done. 'Scopy' means the use of an endoscope or telescope to see inside the abdomen. This is attached to a camera and a light source and the inside of the abdomen is projected on to a monitor. The surgeon performs surgery looking at this screen. The surgeon makes a total of 2-4 small cuts on the abdomen ranging from half to 1 cm through which the telescope and other thin surgical instruments are passed into the abdomen. When the uterus is removed , known as hysterectomy, there is also a cut at the top of the vagina where the uterus is attached.
Q2. What kind of gynaecological surgeries can be performed by Laparoscopy?
Most surgeries done in gynaecology can now be performed by Laparoscopy and do not require the large incision as for open surgery. Laparoscopy can be done sometimes only for diagnosis and is called Diagnostic Laparoscopy, as in checking whether the tubes are open or not and to look for any causes of infertility or pain outside the uterus. In women who are unable to conceive, Diagnostic Laparoscopy is often combined with Hysteroscopy (endoscope inside the uterus, inserted from below, via the vagina). When laparoscopy is done to perform some surgical procedure inside the abdomen it is called Operative Laparoscopy. This may be for simple procedures like sterilization, minor adhesions, drilling ovaries; or for intermediate or major reasons like fibroids, endometriosis, removal of ovaries or tubes or both or removal of uterus, for staging of cancers or radical surgeries for cancer. However, about 5% of all surgeries including those for cancer or very large tumours may benefit from open surgery.
Q3. Why does an expert surgeon recommend Laparoscopy over Open Surgery?
Laparoscopic surgery has many advantages above open surgery: the incisions are much smaller (open surgery incisions are 8-10 cms long), therefore pain is much less; requirement for pain killers (which can have side-effects like sleepiness, impaired judgement) is lesser; hospital stay is shorter; complications fewer; requirement for blood transfusions infrequent; recovery in terms of physical, emotional and mental state is much better and quicker; return to work is faster with consequent lesser loss of working and earning days. Surgery with laparoscope is more precise because it is magnified view. Further vision is much better because it's like having your eye behind the structure because you can see with the telescope at places where the surgeon's eye cannot reach.
Q4. If the cuts on the abdomen are so small in Laparoscopic surgery, how do you remove the uterus or a large tumour from inside the abdomen?
Quite often if the tumour is not malignant and contains fluid, it is punctured to collapse it into a smaller size. If it is solid, it can be cut into smaller pieces inside the abdomen using a special instrument. The collapsed or cut structures can be removed gently through the 1 cm cut on the abdomen which may be increased a bit if required. After hysterectomy, the uterus can be removed easily from below, through the vagina.
Q5. Will there be much pain or discomfort after Laparoscopic Surgery?
There may be some pain and discomfort in lower abdomen for one day to few days after Laparoscopic surgery but this is much less as compared to open surgery because the incisions on the abdomen are much smaller and there is much less tissue handling inside the abdomen by fine instruments instead of rough, big, gloved hands which can cause tissue injury in open surgery. There may be some pain in the shoulder following laparoscopy. This is not serious and is due to the gas used in the surgery to make space for instruments.
Q6. When can I be discharged from hospital?
Following Diagnostic Laparoscopy or with simple Operative Laparoscopy you can expect to be discharged from hospital latest by the morning after surgery. In most other cases of intermediate or even major surgery, discharge is generally 1-2 days following the surgery unless there is some health issues prior to the surgery or any complication during the surgery. The complication rates for Laparoscopic surgery are not more than for open surgery and depend upon patient factors like anaemia, diabetes, obesity and skill of the surgeon.
Q7. When can I perform routine household activities or return to work after Laparoscopic Surgery?
Recovery after surgery depends upon many factors: presence of health problems before surgery; why the surgery is required; what surgery is being done; problems or complications of surgery, anaesthesia or blood transfusions. If all is well, one can perform routine household activities by 1 week, provided one doesn't feel tired. Although there may not be any harm, it may be unwise to be normally active within 48 hours of procedure. Following Diagnostic Laparoscopy or Operative Laparoscopy for simple procedures, one can return to work in 1 week. For other procedures, a 2-3 week off from work is reasonable. It depends on the type of work you are returning to. Avoid too rapid return to work if it is manually hard or requires standing for long durations of time. Sometimes a surgical procedure brings on a well needed rest and break from a lifetime of work. Mostly, when you return to work depends upon your own body and its signals of tiredness. You need to listen to those signals.


Know All About Gynae Laparoscopy Surgery

Ovaries are a part of a woman s reproductive system. The primary function of ovaries include producing  ova  or eggs and secreting hormones such as progesterone and estrogen. Cysts are fluid filled sacs that form the ovaries; they usually do not cause any symptom and are not painful.

There are primarily two types of ovarian cysts:

1. Follicle cysts: During a woman s menstrual cycle, the egg develops in a sac known as the follicle. Under normal circumstances, the sac breaks open and releases the egg. When this doesn t happen, fluids start accumulating in the follicle to form a cyst.

2. Corpus luteum cysts: Follicle sacs dissolve after releasing the egg, but in some cases, these sacs remain and the opening of the sacs gets sealed. It again results in fluid accumulation, leading to the formation of corpus luteum cysts.

Symptoms

Usually, cysts do not cause any symptom. If the size of the cysts increases, they may cause symptoms such as stomach pain, pain during bowel movements and sex as well as pelvic floor pain. The breasts may become tender and one may experience rapid breathing. Other symptoms of ovarian cysts are fever, nausea and dizziness. Usually, rupturing of a cyst leads to these symptoms surfacing; hence you would know when exactly to call the doctor.

Treatment

The treatment options for ovarian cysts are:

Laparoscopy: Laparoscopy is carried out if the cysts are small in size. An incision is made close to the navel, through which an instrument is inserted to get rid of the cyst.
Birth control pills: For chronic ovarian cysts, oral contraceptives are prescribed to stop the ovulation process in order to arrest the formation of cysts.
Laparotomy: In case of large cysts, this procedure is recommended. A relatively bigger incision is made in the abdomen, through which the cyst is removed.
Ovarian cysts, if left untreated, can certainly cause infertility. Pre-menopausal women and who suffer from frequent hormonal imbalances in the body are the most vulnerable to this condition.

Ovarian Cysts - 3 Ways it Can Treated

Hearing a doctor diagnose you with 'ovarian cysts' can make your mind think of the worst case scenarios, but this is actually quite a common diagnosis. Almost all women are diagnosed with ovarian cysts at some point of their life. The difference lies in the type and size of cyst diagnosed. Hence, before you panic, read up and get informed. However, not everything you read online is trustworthy. Like every other health condition, ovarian cysts are surrounded by a number of myths. Let's debunk five of the most common myths surrounding this condition.

Myth - It requires a surgery 
Contradictory to what you may initially think, not all ovarian cysts are harmful. In most cases, these cysts are small, non cancerous and will be resolved on their own. Surgery is needed only in cases where the cyst is abnormally large or where the cyst is diagnosed as a dermoid cyst or as endometriomas. Hence, if you have been diagnosed with an ovarian cyst find out how big the cyst is and what type of a cyst it is.

Myth - It causes infertility
Being diagnosed with a cyst in your ovaries will not make you infertile or restrict your ability to bear a child. However, it can lead to complications that may cause infertility. If these cysts become infected it could lead to scarring of the fallopian tubes. This is one of the most common causes of infertility. Another situation in which an ovarian cyst may lead to infertility is if it is associated with endometriosis.

Myth - They are cancerous 
With ovarian cysts, every case is unique. However, in most cases, the cysts to not develop into cancerous cells and neither are they cancerous to begin with. A pelvic ultrasound can help your doctor diagnose the type of cyst present in your body. If the doctor deems it cancerous, he or she will usually advise surgery to remove it immediately.

Myth - It only affect women after menopause
A cyst can develop in the ovaries at any stage of a woman's life. A number of women could even develop cysts that they are not aware of. In some cases, women can even develop these cysts post a hysterectomy that does not involve the removal of the ovaries.

Myth - It cannot be controlled
If you suffer from recurrent ovarian cysts, taking birth control pills can help the situation. This can suppress the development of cysts in future. Losing weight if you are overweight or quitting smoking can also lower the risks of developing ovarian cysts.

5 Myths About Ovarian Cysts

What is the ovary and what are ovarian cysts?  

Ovarian cysts are fluid-filled sacs or pockets within or on the surface of an ovary. Women have two ovaries - each about the size and shape of an almond - located on each side of the uterus. Eggs (ova) develop and mature in the ovaries and are released in monthly cycles during your childbearing years.

Many women have ovarian cysts at some time during their lives. Most ovarian cysts present little or no discomfort and are harmless. The majority of ovarian cysts disappear without treatment within a few months.

However, ovarian cysts - especially those that have ruptured - sometimes produce serious symptoms. The best ways to protect your health are to know the symptoms that may signal a more significant problem, and to schedule regular pelvic examinations.

What causes ovarian cysts?
Most ovarian cysts start during the normal function of your menstrual cycle. These are known as functional cysts. Other types of cysts are much less common.

Functional cysts

Your ovaries normally grow cyst-like structures called follicles each month. Follicles produce the hormones estrogen and progesterone and release an egg when you ovulate. Sometimes a normal monthly follicle just keeps growing. When that happens, it becomes known as a functional cyst. There are two types of functional cysts:

Follicular cyst. Around the midpoint of your menstrual cycle, an egg bursts out of its follicle and begins its journey down the fallopian tube in search of sperm and fertilization. A follicular cyst begins when something goes wrong and the follicle doesn't rupture or release its egg. Instead it grows and turns into a cyst.
Corpus luteum cyst. When a follicle does release its egg, the ruptured follicle begins producing large quantities of estrogen and progesterone in preparation for conception. This changed follicle is now called the corpus luteum. Sometimes, however, the escape opening of the egg seals off and fluid accumulates inside the follicle, causing the corpus luteum to expand into a cyst.
The fertility drug clomiphene (Clomid, Serophene), which is used to induce ovulation, increases the risk of a corpus luteum cyst developing after ovulation. These cysts don't prevent or threaten a resulting pregnancy.

Functional cysts are usually harmless, rarely cause pain, and often disappear on their own within two or three menstrual cycles.

Other cysts

Some types of cysts are not related to the normal function of your menstrual cycle. These cysts include:

Dermoid cysts. These cysts may contain tissue such as hair, skin or teeth because they form from cells that produce human eggs. They are rarely cancerous.
Cystadenomas. These cysts develop from ovarian tissue and may be filled with a watery liquid or a mucous material.
Endometriomas. These cysts develop as a result of endometriosis, a condition in which uterine endometrial cells grow outside your uterus. Some of that tissue may attach to your ovary and form a growth.
Dermoid cysts and cystadenomas can become large, causing the ovary to move out of its usual position in the pelvis. This increases the chance of painful twisting of your ovary, called ovarian torsion.

 SYMPTOMS:

Menstrual irregularities
Pelvic pain - a constant or intermittent dull ache that may radiate to your lower back and thighs
Pelvic pain shortly before your period begins or just before it ends
Pelvic pain during intercourse (dyspareunia)
Pain during bowel movements or pressure on your bowels
Nausea, vomiting or breast tenderness similar to that experienced during pregnancy
Fullness or heaviness in your abdomen
Pressure on your rectum or bladder that causes a need to urinate more frequently or difficulty emptying your bladder completely.

Ovarian Cysts - Knowing The Types & Symptoms!

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