When Hormones Play Havoc with Your Body: Learn How to Manage PCOS

Unwanted body hair, scalp hair fall, oily skin, acne breakouts, and weight gain are some of the challenges life throws at you when dealing with hormonal imbalances. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a rapidly growing metabolic disorder in adolescent girls and women of reproductive age. The current global prevalence of PCOS is around 9.2%, and the prevalence in Indian women has been reported to be up to 22.5%, making it the most common hormonal disorder in women.

In May 2026, PCOS was officially renamed Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS) in a landmark global consensus, reflecting that this is a hormonal and metabolic condition, not just an ovarian one. While both wellness influencers and healthcare providers have been more vocal about the symptoms, treatments, and prevention of this endocrine disorder online, there's a lot to unpack here.

Listen to your body

PCOS symptoms are typical and easily identifiable. It is important to be self-aware, especially when dealing with such subtle hormonal disorders, as they can snowball into significant complications over time. This helps you maintain your reproductive and overall health.

PCOS, as the name suggests, is a group of disorders that affect the ovaries and the process of ovulation in females in their reproductive years (ages 15–44).

Though PCOS mainly affects the reproductive axis, it can also negatively impact your metabolic, dermatological, and psychological health.

The 3 classic signs of PCOS disorders are:

• Biochemical hyperandrogenism: Excessive production of male hormones (androgens, which are generally present in extremely small amounts in the female body)
• Oligo-anovulation: Infrequent (oligo) or absent (anovulation) ovulation
• Polycystic morphology: Multiple cysts in the ovary

Symptomatically, PCOS may manifest in the following ways:

• Skipped/delayed or irregular periods, painful periods with either too little or too much blood flow
• Unwanted, dark, and coarse hair growth, like in men — facial hair, chest hair, etc.
• Oily skin and facial or back acne
• Gradual hair loss and hair thinning
• Darkened skin patches; appearance of skin tags
• Unexplained weight gain, especially around the belly
• Severe mood swings/anger/depression
• The persistent feeling of fatigue and lethargy

Whether you have a few or more of these symptoms, it's best to see a gynaecologist at the earliest to understand the risk factors related to PCOS and get evaluated and treated accordingly.

How do you find out if you have PCOS?

Diagnosing PCOS involves assessing several signs and symptoms, as there's no single test to confirm it. Doctors typically rely on a combination of clinical evaluation and medical history to reach a diagnosis.

According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), doctors look for at least two of the following three criteria:

Elevated levels of androgens (male hormones)
This may result in symptoms like acne, excess facial or body hair (hirsutism), or hair thinning on the scalp.

Irregular or absent periods
Menstrual cycles that are infrequent, unpredictable, or missing entirely are a common sign of PCOS.

Ruling out other hormonal disorders
Conditions such as thyroid imbalances or high prolactin levels must be excluded before confirming a PCOS diagnosis.

How does PCOS impact your mental health?

PCOS doesn't affect just physical health; it can have a significant impact on mental well-being too. Many women with PCOS experience mood swings, low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression, often due to hormonal imbalances, irregular periods, acne, weight changes, or fertility challenges. The emotional toll of managing ongoing symptoms, along with social pressures and body image concerns, can lead to chronic stress and reduced quality of life. Recognising and addressing the mental health aspect of PCOS is just as important as treating its physical symptoms.

Ways PCOS can complicate things for you

It's important to properly manage your PCOS symptoms as not doing so could lead to certain complications, such as:

a) Difficulty in conceiving
Irregular hormones result in disrupted, untimely ovulation cycles. Moreover, low female hormonal levels and excessive androgens and cysts prevent the eggs from maturing, and immature eggs fail to fertilise.

b) High-risk pregnancies
Hormonal imbalances and related metabolic issues like insulin resistance and high cholesterol may worsen with pregnancy. This increases the chances of preterm delivery, gestational diabetes, hypertension, miscarriages, and more.

c) Chances of developing diabetes
Insulin resistance is an ongoing process. If left untreated, it can cause type 2 diabetes, which worsens PCOS.

d) Other metabolic diseases
Elevating your risk for heart disease, this condition is characterised by high triglycerides, reduced 'good' cholesterol (HDL) levels, increased blood pressure, and elevated blood sugar levels.

e) Effect on mental health
Irregular periods, difficulty in conceiving, excessive hair growth and acne, weight gain, etc., can lead to body-image issues and can have a detrimental effect on one's mental well-being.

When to see the doctor

Speak to your doctor if you notice most of the above-mentioned symptoms consistently for a while. Months of irregular periods, unpredictable menstrual blood flow, facial hair, facial acne, and hair thinning are important reasons for visiting your gynaecologist for possible PCOS concerns.

Complete remission from PCOS may take some time, but the signs, symptoms, and disease progression can be controlled.

It might be recommended that you adhere to a diet suitable for PCOS, which emphasises the importance of foods' glycaemic index (how much they raise blood sugar levels), includes daily exercise ranging from moderate to high intensity, incorporates stress reduction techniques, ensures adequate sleep, and complements any medication you may be taking for your PCOS.