How to fight PCOS in teenagers

If your teenage daughter suffers from PCOS, here's how you can help her out...

There are many options being advocated by doctors across the country on how to curb PCOS (Polycystic ovary syndrome) in teenagers. One such myth being how counselling is imperative along with the usage of birth control pills to regularise periods. Mothers, you can easily do away with medicines and use these below-mentioned pointers to nip PCOS in the bud, without inducing any medicines to wreak havoc in your teenage daughter’s life. Here’s a quick guide:

Weight control

• Obesity is the main cause of PCOS, which leads to depression in teenagers.

• Gym and brisk walking aren’t enough. It is absolutely essential to do moderate exercise for 30 minutes per day.

• By maintaining a healthy BMI, women can fight the symptoms of PCOS while reducing the androgen level in the body, which curbs irregular periods and infertility.

Healthy lifestyle

• Keep a check on her lack of sleep, get her to not indulge in habits such as smoking and drinking, or modulate her stress by indulging in physical activities.

• Allocate time where you and your daughter can spend quality time by indulging in fun physical activities such as Zumba, or even house chores.

Eating right

Apart from lifestyle changes, you can also plan a special diet to help curb your daughter’s PCOS. Here are some tips:

• Include food items containing vitamin D and Vitamin B.

• Minimise the intake of dairy and animal products altogether. This is due to the high content of hormones, pesticides and herbicides which can play havoc with the hormones and this can lead to anovulation.

(The author is an ob-gyn, Motherhood Hospitals)