“What is the difference between PCOS and PCOD?” is a common question that disturbs many women. A significant PCOD and PCOS difference are that PCOD is a disease while PCOS is a syndrome.
Both PCOD and PCOS form cysts in your ovaries. Moreover, these disorders release androgen hormones in your body. The secretion of this male hormone in a female’s body leads to unusual changes. For example, you may experience hair fall, weight gain, and excess hair growth on your body. To know what is the difference between PCOD and PCOS, you may contact your gynaecologist. It is essential to know the difference between PCOD and PCOS, their symptoms, diagnostic methods, risks, and treatment. You may book a consultation with Ujala Cygnus Central Hospital.
Lifestyle changes have badly impacted our bodies. If you are a millennial, you may have hit puberty between thirteen to nineteen years. Post-millennial females have experienced their first menstrual cycle between ten to sixteen years. However, recently this trend has changed, and children as young as seven years old have experienced puberty. Lately, women have observed a change in their menopause as well. For example, young ladies in their 30s have experienced menopause. It is not wrong to say that we live in an unreliable biological age.
There has been an increase in the cases of PCOD/PCOS in India. Statistically, one in every five women in India suffers from PCOS. Both these disorders are common in Indian women and women residing in other parts of the globe. However, this topic is not discussed openly like other diseases, and that makes it crucial to understand what is the difference between PCOS and PCOD.
Meaning
PCOS is a syndrome in which your ovaries get filled with several cysts. These cysts impact both ovaries and make them bulky. The cysts are large in shape and are made of immature eggs and other secretions. The dysfunction in the ovaries affects your menstrual cycle. At times, you get delayed periods. Unfortunately, many women do not experience menstrual cycles at all. PCOS can be diagnosed in teenagers at the onset of the first menstrual cycle.
Similarly, PCOD also impacts your ovaries health, but its impact is less as compared to PCOS. In PCOD, your ovary develops tiny fluid-filled sacs, and the cysts are less in number. Moreover, you may experience regular periods. However, it causes complications in pregnancy, and you may face difficulty while trying to conceive naturally.
If you ask yourself, “Is PCOD and PCOS the same?” you might have noticed the difference between them. If you wish to gain more knowledge on PCOD and PCOS differences, you may contact your gynaecologist.
Effects
Your ovaries develop cysts and start secreting androgen hormones at high levels. In general, your ovaries secrete androgen at low levels. However, during cystic disorders, androgen secretion is enhanced, which causes unusual changes in your body.
Symptoms
The PCOD vs PCOS symptoms include:
- Obesity
- Irregular periods
- No periods at all
- Facial hair growth
- Baldness
- Patches on the back of your neck or elbow
- Body odour
- Fatigue
- Sleep-related problems
- Depression
- Mood swings
- Headache
- Anxiety
- Axillary hair
The most common symptom is the absence of the menstrual cycle. The symptoms of PCOD vary slightly from PCOS.
- It is challenging to diagnose PCOD at an early stage.
- Periods are irregular.
- Heavy bleeding during periods.
- Obesity is more severe in PCOD.
The PCOD vs PCOS symptoms make it easier for a common man to understand what to expect. It also makes the diagnosis easier. Moreover, knowledge of PCOD and PCOS differences keeps you better informed about the disorder.
Societal impact
The causes of PCOS/PCOD are still unclear. However, your genes may be responsible for the development of these conditions. It has been observed that women affected by PCOD/PCOS have a family history of these conditions.
Various organisations conduct different drives to spread awareness about PCOD/PCOS. PCOS PCOD differences are clearly described by doctors, especially those practising in cities with advanced gynaecological facilities. Moreover, women who have suffered these conditions also understand what the difference between PCOD and PCOS is. Therefore, if you want to know the distinguishing factors of PCOD vs PCOS, you can contact your gynaecologist.
Diagnosis
There are no tests available to diagnose PCOS or PCOD; therefore, it is challenging to differentiate. It is because its symptoms match the symptoms of other diseases; therefore, a doctor uses their experience and judgement to diagnose this medical condition. Your gynaecologist uses a combination of tests and your medical history to diagnose PCOS. They may look at your signs and symptoms, medical history, physical exam, and lab tests to conclude. Before PCOD vs PCOS diagnosis, additional tests are done to rule out the possibility of other medical conditions that show exact symptoms like PCOS/PCOD. For example, ovarian tumours or overgrowth in adrenal tissues may also lead to the overproduction of male hormones in female bodies.
To examine enlarged ovaries in PCOD vs PCOS, your doctor may suggest a pelvic ultrasound. In PCOS, the ovary expands and become 1.5 to 3 times bulkier than normal ovaries. Moreover, it contains 12 or more follicles per ovary. In contrast, ovaries with PCOD does not appear large but includes 5 to 6 follicles per ovary. The cysts are lined in perfect symmetry and give the appearance of a ‘pearl necklace’. The changes in the ovaries are seen in more than 90% of women with PCOS. Also, these changes are evident in 25% of women without PCOS symptoms.
To summarise, a significant difference between PCOD and PCOS is evident from the ovary size. PCOS makes your ovaries bulkier than ovaries with PCOD.
Risks
The associated risks are:
- Infertility
In contrast to PCOD and PCOS differences, the similarity is that both of them impact your pregnancy. PCOD influences your ovulation frequency that may lead to infertility. It has been observed that PCOS makes pregnancy a challenging task for women.
- Diabetes
Your body stops reacting to insulin and creates insulin resistance during PCOS/PCOD.
- Heart disease
PCOS/PCOD leads to high blood pressure that increases the risk of heart diseases.
- Depression
PCOS/PCOD cause hormonal disturbance in the body, triggering anxiety, depression, and mood swings. Sometimes, a diagnosis of these conditions may impact your mood.
- Endometrial cancer
PCOS/PCOD impacts your ovulation, and you may experience delayed ovulation. In addition, it enhances your risks of getting endometrial cancer as the inner lining of the endometrium becomes thick. However, a diff between PCOS and PCOD in this condition is that the risk of endometrial cancer is higher in PCOS.
There is a diff between PCOD and PCOS, but people use these two terms interchangeably. Therefore, it is better to know the difference between the two to understand your health thoroughly.
Treatments
If you wonder, “Is PCOS and PCOD the same?” The answer is a no, but the treatments are the same. However, there is no perfect remedy for PCOS, and its symptoms cannot be managed independently. However, the treatment options can control its symptoms and prevent its side effects and complications. There are several options to control your raging hormones, and these include:
- Diet
- Exercises
- Lifestyle changes
- Maintaining body weight
These changes improve your insulin resistance. When you maintain your body weight, it impacts testosterone, insulin, and LH levels. Moreover, physical activities and nutritious foods can help in lowering your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It can also improve conditions like sleep apnea. Likewise, stopping tobacco consumption can affect your androgen levels.
Drugs to manage insulin resistance and diabetes can regulate your periods and enhance ovulation frequency. If you have observed excess hair growth on your face and body after getting PCOS, you may use waxing, shaving, or laser treatments to remove unwanted body hair. For acne, your doctor may suggest retinoic acids or antibiotics. Moreover, oral contraceptive pills are an excellent remedy to regulate your periods.
In PCOD, treatments can heal it entirely, but there are chances of relapse. The foremost step to treat PCOD is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. You must take your doctor’s recommendation before taking oral contraceptive pills and hormonal medications. Alternatively, homoeopathy can be taken as a remedy to control PCOS/PCOD. However, it does not guarantee a complete solution for your disorder.
Homoeopathy follows a holistic approach to treat a disorder and preserve your physical, mental, and emotional health. It can help in normalising your periods, correcting hormonal imbalances, and restoring delayed ovulation. Some homoeopaths also claim that homoeopathic medicines can dissolve the cysts in the ovaries and reduce your dependency on hormone therapy and surgery.
Women with PCOS may face challenges while trying to conceive naturally. However, a gynaecological consultation may help in understanding the technological advancements in this field. In contrast, you have better chances of getting pregnant if you have PCOD. The condition here is that you have to follow a healthy lifestyle. PCOS/PCOD should not be considered taboo, and these topics need to be discussed openly. If you notice any symptoms, you must consult a gynaecologist.
To conclude, there is a difference between PCOD and PCOS when it comes to getting pregnant naturally. You can conceive much easily in PCOD as compared to PCOS. Another PCOD vs PCOS fact is that you need to follow an active lifestyle and manage your body weight to stop future complications.
