PCOD vs PCOS: Symptoms, causes, and how are they different

PCOD vs PCOS

Many women suffer from gyne conditions like PCOS and PCOD. But you might wonder what the difference is between both PCOD and PCOS.

Compared to PCOD, women with PCOS develop higher than average male hormones. This imbalance leads them to skip menstrual periods and causes pregnancy issues. Read this article to learn more about the difference between PCOD vs PCOS.

Ovaries are the reproductive organs that produce estrogen and progesterone hormones that assist in managing the menstrual cycle and produce low amounts of relaxin, inhibin, and male hormones (androgens). PCOS and PCOD are conditions that negatively impact these ovaries.

 

Both these conditions can also trigger a few other conditions, such as:

 

  • Infertility 
  • Diabetes 
  • Acne
  • Extreme hair growth

PCOD and PCOS are common diseases but still have no exact cure. 

 

What is PCOD?

 

Polycystic Ovarian Disease is a condition in which a woman’s ovaries produce partially mature or immature eggs in huge numbers, and as time passes, this leads to cysts in the ovaries. This makes the ovaries large and produces huge amounts of male hormones, causing irregular menstrual cycles, infertility, hair issues, and unusual weight gain. 

 

What is PCOS?

 

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a metabolic disorder in which a woman’s oxidative balance is off at a time when she can have children. Due to high levels of male hormones, women may skip menstrual periods. This creates issues in the release and development of the eggs. 

 

What are the symptoms of PCOD?

 

Some women start noticing symptoms during their periods, and some women only notice when they gain a lot of weight in a short period of time. The most general symptoms and signs of PCOD are:

  • Periods occurring irregularly 
  • Intense bleeding
  • Unusual hair growth
  • Weight gain, especially around the waist area. 
  • Male-pattern baldness
  • Headaches
  • Pigmentation 

 

What are the symptoms of PCOS?

 

  • Irregular periods or sometimes no periods at all
  • Intense pain during periods along with heavy flow
  • Excess androgen that might cause hirsutism
  • Acne and oily skin
  • Thinning of hair
  • Pelvic area pain
  • Depression and anxiety

 

What are the causes of PCOD and PCOS?

 

The exact reason for both of these conditions is still unknown, although below are a few major factors: 

 

  • High insulin production

 

High insulin levels might increase androgen production, which leads to problems with ovulation. 

 

  • Low-grade inflammation 

 

According to the latest study, women with PCOS and PCOD are getting low-grade inflammation that enhances androgen production, which might cause heart and blood vessel problems. 

 

  • Heredity

 

Women dealing with these conditions show specific genetic correlations.

 

To Summarize PCOD vs PCOS,

 

Both conditions are related to hormonal imbalance and ovarian problems in females. Below is the summary of key differences between PCOS and PCOD  

PCOD

PCOS

It is a common disorder. Around 10% of the world’s females are affected. 

This is a severe medical condition affecting around 0.2 to 2% of females worldwide.

In this case, the ovaries produce many eggs that aren’t ready to be fertilized because of obesity, poor lifestyle, hormonal imbalance, and stress. 

This is a metabolic disease and a more serious form of PCOD, which can cause anovulation, where women’s ovaries find it hard to release eggs. 

It does not affect women’s fertility; they can still become pregnant with the help of a few medications. 

It highly affects women’s fertility. They can’t ovulate regularly, which leads to difficulty in pregnancy. During pregnancy, there is a high risk of giving birth early or having a miscarriage, as well as a number of other problems. 

It does not have any severe complications 

It has many serious complications, like heart disease, diabetes, endometrial cancer, and high blood pressure.  

In both of these conditions, a healthy diet, regular exercise, and weight loss have shown potent results. Early diagnosis will help in treating these conditions quite effectively. If you are facing irregular or skipped periods, excessive hair growth, or acne, consult a specialist and get yourself checked. 

PCOD and PCOS treatments help you to manage hirsutism, acne, obesity, immature follicles, and infertility. The treatment might include medications or lifestyle changes. For more details about these conditions, book an appointment with Dr. Mustafa Aldam. He can also advise you on some tips to manage PCOD and PCOS individually.