Dr. Shiwani Agarwal

• This is especially for the youngsters. Now a days, many young couples randomly use  Emergency Contraceptive Pills without understanding the implications.
• Using cyclical pills is a much better and safer option.
• These cyclical pills if taken methodically can actually be beneficial in many other ways in addition to providing contraception.
• Cyclical pills keep the menstrual cycles regular, the amount of bleeding is lesser, pain is reduced significantly and these pills also help in protecting from STDs to some extent.

How to know if you have PCOS?

There is no single test to diagnose PCOS. There are many myths about PCOS. Some common signs and symptoms to look for are:

Irregular menstrual cycles
Irregular periods also called Oligomenorrhea
Weight gain, overweight (difficulty losing weight)
Difficulty losing weight
Excess hair growth on face and body- called Hirsutism
Darkened patches of skin
Skin tags
Infertility
Thinning hair
Insulin resistance
Type 2 diabetes
High cholesterol and high triglycerides
High blood pressure
Cysts on the ovaries(multiple)
Pelvic pain
Depression
Anxiety
Sleep Apnea(when breathing stops for a short period of time while asleep)
Decreased sex drive
Increase in stress levels

What one should try and understand is that out of these battery of symptoms which are listed above not all but a few would be present in an individual. If you as a patient compare yourself with another PCOS patient, some symptoms would overlap and some would be unique to you.

PCOS has become very common these days no doubt but it should not be over-diagnosed either. If you feel that you have any or many of these symptoms please consult your doctor.