PCOS: Understanding the Signs and Symptoms

Dr. Mridula Devi A, Consultant – Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Aster RV Hospital

As we go about achieving meaningful things and inventing new technology and solutions, there is something that people are forgetting in this daily hustle. The rush for competition and money is making them ignore the most precious value in human life – ‘the body’. From kids to adults, everyone is so invested and busy that it has led to significant lifestyle changes. From sitting in schools and offices for hours together to endless scrolling on screens, the habit of seeking instant solutions gave birth to an unhealthy routine – no physical activity, instant and preserved food, mostly fast food, and stress. All of this, in turn, has led to the rise in PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) cases in women.

According to a WHO Report (Feb 2025), PCOS affects about 6 to 13% of women, with nearly 70% remaining undiagnosed. The reason for this underdiagnosis is the stage in which it occurs, and often the lack of awareness. The most prominent symptoms include irregular periods, excess body and facial hair, oily skin and acne, sudden weight gain, and skin-related issues. Symptoms in young adolescent girls may occur as soon as they start their periods (menarche), but often remain undiagnosed as it takes about two to three years for a regular cycle after menstruation. Symptoms like hair growth and weight gain are also common during puberty, which makes diagnosis and attention more difficult.

Besides lifestyle, PCOS can also be a cause of genetics and hereditary factors. The main factors include insulin resistance, leading to high insulin and androgen levels (male hormone), often causing hormonal imbalance and excessive body hair growth.

Prevention and early diagnosis can make a big difference. Regulating menstrual cycles, eating a healthy diet with the right balance of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and fibre, along with plenty of vegetables and greens, can light the path towards a healthier life. Pushing away your plate of instant and processed foods loaded with sugars and relishing fresh, wholesome fruits and nuts, can help regulate blood sugar and insulin levels.

Exercising and engaging in physical activities helps stimulate better nerve function, improves overall body performance, keeps the body active, and provides energy to the cells, and helps boost immunity.

Along with physical health, mental health is just as important. A healthy mind and brain are as important as the heart pumping blood to the body. Stress and anxiety can contribute to irregularities in the reproductive system, leading to hormonal imbalance due to increased levels of cortisol (stress hormone). While stress is inevitable, unwinding and calming the mind can help regulate stress. Be it journaling, dancing, drawing, or spending time with loved ones, anything that helps soothe the mind is necessary for a healthy life.

Early diagnosis and mindful lifestyle changes can ease the lives of many girls and women suffering from PCOS. PCOS can have dangerous consequences and can leave a drastic impact on one’s body as well as mental well-being and confidence, if left undiagnosed Besides irregular periods, obesity and body hair, it can also lead to Type 2 Diabetes, difficulty in conceiving or sometimes infertility, high blood pressure and other cardiovascular diseases.

While misdiagnosis and undiagnosis are common, this calls for frequent awareness programs, campaigns, inclusion in school curriculum, and counselling sessions. Breaking taboos, parents should indulge in comforting and open conversations about reproductive health and symptoms, as common as a normal cold and fever. Awareness is not just about knowledge, it is the first step towards detection.