(PRWEB) April 27, 2006 -- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), is a complex hormonal disorder for which there is no cure. If left untreated PCOS can be a precursor to many life threatening conditions including type II diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke and kidney problems. This means PCOS contributes to some of the leading causes of death and disability in women today.
Realizing real change has to come from more awareness, exposure and education for PCOS(Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), a petition drafted by a PCOS Awareness Advocate is now online. For many PCOS Awareness plays a key role in helping them learn to live and deal with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and ultimately live a healthier life. Many feel PCOS Awareness has to happen now to ensure women and girls do not have to go through another day, month or year of silent suffering and to ensure they are educated on how to live a healthier life with this syndrome.
What PCOS is, and what it does to women who have it, is complicated to explain as symptoms and severity of the syndrome can vary from person to person. Some of the classic symptoms are drastic weight gain, hair loss, depression, fatigue, thyroid problems, high cholesterol, panic attacks, headaches, dizzy spells, poor memory or muddled mind, sleeping disorders, constant thirst, extreme cravings, insulin resistance, cystic acne, cystic ovaries, anovulatory menstrual cycles (cycles without ovulation), irregular cycles, severe mood swings, high testosterone levels, infertility problems, excess facial and body hair, not to mention an increased risk for four major health concerns affecting women in the United States today.
One of the most common risks associated with PCOS is Diabetes. In many cases the insulin resistance causes women with PCOS to become overweight or obese, which in turn raises cholesterol and blood pressure putting a woman with PCOS at seven times the greater risk as a normal woman to have hypertension, a heart attack or a stroke.
Infertility is yet another condition many women with PCOS face. PCOS is the number cause of infertility in American women today. A woman with PCOS may have irregular cycles, non-exsistant cycles or in many cases cycles without ovulation. These factors make achieving pregnancy a daunting task for many and may lead to conditions such as miscarriage and early ovarian failure.
PCOS can even increase a woman's risk for endometrial cancer. Women with PCOS can go months without having a menstrual cycle and when women do not ovulate on a regular basis, the lining of their uterine wall becomes very thick and vulnerable. This increases the chance for endometrial cancer and hysterectomy of the utereus and ovaries.
So, why is PCOS so difficult to diagnose and where is the awareness for this serious condition?
Part of the problem, then and now, is that the PCOS symptoms manifest themselves in different ways. In fact, not all affected women have polycystic ovaries. Women with PCOS can have any combination of symptoms of varying severity. As a result, researchers, doctors and women themselves looked at the symptoms individually rather than collectively.
The PCOS Treatment and Awareness Petition plans to empower the PCOS Community to speak very openly about their struggles, symptoms, and trials to overcome the illness, to help other women and girls understand the syndrome and seek the proper resources to help them manage their lives with PCOS. It hopes to be a driving force in changing the way the public, media and government view PCOS education, treatment and coverage for medical procedures, as a result of PCOS.
The online petition can be found at:
http://www.petitiononline.com/pcosweb1/petition.html
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Press Contact: Ashley Tabeling
Company Name:
Email: ashleytabeling@yahoo.com
Phone: 609-617-7499
Website: http://www.petitiononline.com/pcosweb1/petition.html
AndhraNews.net News for April 27, 2006
