PCOD vs PCOS: What are the differences?
Is there any difference between PCOS and PCOD? Usually, women get confused about it and use both the terms interchangeably. However, both are different and it’s imperative to understand both terms for timely treatment & cure. Have a closer look at these terms; know the symptoms, causes, and treatment ways.
Get a Sneak-Peek into Both the Terms!
PCOD- Polycystic Ovarian Disease
Alternately every month, an egg is released by two ovaries in women. However, when these ovaries release immature or partially-mature eggs that turn into a cyst then this issue is known as PCOD. It happens when the woman is overweight, eats excessive junk food, has hormonal disturbance, or has extreme stress. This situation results in infertility, irregular periods, hair loss, or abdominal weight gain. Such a situation becomes more dangerous when the size of ovaries increases and it starts emitting heavy amounts of androgens, which affects a woman’s body & fertility unfavorably.
PCOS- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
PCOS basically is an endocrine problem. In this, the ovaries secrete excessive androgens, which eventually interrupt the development as well as the release of the eggs. It further results in building cysts, usually above ten follicular cysts per month. Moreover, it leads to anovulation as it stops releasing the eggs. Infertility, excessive obesity, and hair loss are some of its symptoms. It’s even more severe contrasting to PCOD.
PCOS/PCOD Causes
PCOS/PCOD causes are associated with genetics and hormonal imbalance. Excessive male hormones don’t let ovaries produce hormones & eggs in a normal way. This excessive androgen production is also linked to inflammation & insulin resistance.
In PCOS, a higher amount of male hormones get produced that results in hormonal imbalance which further causes more complications such as skipping menstrual periods, and even for women suffering from it, makes it harder to get pregnant.
PCOD vs PCOS Symptoms
The condition of PCOD and PCOS is not the same for everyone and so are the symptoms. Here are some common symptoms of both conditions!
- Skipped or irregular menstruation
- Acne on chest, face, or upper back
- Obesity or excessive weight gain
- Skin darkening under the breasts, in the groin, around the neck, etc.
- Heavy hair growth on the body- on the belly, back, chest, face, etc.
- Heavy menstrual bleeding
- Excessive hair loss or hair thinning
These are common symptoms, however, these don’t arise instantly. Some women start noticing it while having trouble getting pregnant, some discover while gaining weight, and some around their first period. The symptoms and their time of emergence differ from woman to woman.
| PCOS | PCOD |
|---|---|
| Less Number of Cysts on ovaries | More than 10 cysts |
| PCOS is a metabolic disorder and is a serious condition | It is not a serious condition can be taken care with correct diet and exercise. |
| Lower Number of Patient | Very common issue |
| It has serious complications | Less Complications |
| It can lead to fertility issues | Doesn’t affect fertility |
| Difficult to reverse this issue | It can be reversed |
PCOS/ PCOD Treatment
The treatment for both issues begins with lifestyle changes. As the problem differs from person to person so, its treatment also depends on specific individual problems such as infertility, obesity, irregular periods, acne, etc. For the prevention, you need to work on its root causes. The symptoms are the basis for treatment, so it depends on the individual issues and one has to consult the specialist to cure the problem.
Here are some of the treatment ways suggested by the specialists!
- Take proper medication to regulate the menstrual cycle and treat hormonal imbalance.
- Take skin treatment for pigmentation and acne for better results.
- With regular exercise, proper diet, and weight loss, you can successfully manage to tackle PCOS/ PCOD problems. Even if you get success in losing 5-10 percent of complete bodyweight, then it will help you in regulating the menstrual cycle, thereby working positively in treating PCOD/ PCOD.
- Take fertility drugs to treat infertility.
- Ovulation induction via injections and medicines
- The diet that makes you lose weight is also beneficial in treating the condition. In fact, weight loss has many benefits that help you stay healthy forever.
- The laparoscopic procedure is also helpful in destroying androgen-producing tissues, thereby treating the condition.
- Home remedies are also quite helpful like having low-carb, anti-inflammatory foods and lesser processed & dairy products. Moreover, during the menstrual cycle, consuming seeds and nuts are also helpful to deal with both situations, PCOD and PCOS.
However, we suggest always consulting a doctor before resorting to a particular treatment way. The reason is, the problem differs from person to person, so timely diagnosis and going through the causes, you should take treatment. But yes, a healthy lifestyle is surely a perk. It helps you treat hormonal imbalance and also helps you tackle the condition easily & quickly.
Bottom Line
Though both conditions are somewhat the same and cause hormonal imbalance, it's way more in PCOS. Contrasting to PCOD, POCS forms cysts more quickly that disrupt the period cycle. Usually, it is believed that there’s no cure for it, however, by having some specific changes in lifestyle and proper medication, it can be cured as well. As PCOS is metabolic syndrome so there’s a need to work on factors causing it to get rid of this problem. However, PCOD can be treated with exercise, proper diet, and lifestyle changes.
- Helps to give releif from PCOS/PCOD.
- Reduce PCOS/PCOD Symptoms.
- Healthy
