Every other woman that you know has been dealing with PCOS or any other hormonal issue. PCOS can not only affect the body but also the mind or just the woman’s emotional status. Women dealing with PCOS can be living on edge sometimes and be considered “moody” by other people.
Along with emotional distress, a PCOS woman also undergoes many bodily changes which add fuel to their moodiness! For many women, bodily changes can be due to high insulin resistance. Before diving into the 4 Distressing Signs of Insulin Resistance in PCOS women,
Let’s see a bit about what exactly insulin resistance is…
Insulin resistance occurs when your body does not respond properly to the hormone insulin, which is essential for regulating blood sugar levels. To put it simply, when you consume food, particularly carbohydrates, they are digested and converted into sugar, which needs to be managed to prevent spikes in blood glucose levels. Insulin plays a crucial role in controlling these spikes. If insulin resistance is not addressed over time, it can lead to the development of diabetes.
4 Distressing Signs of Insulin Resistance in PCOS women
The 4 Distressing signs of insulin resistance in PCOS women are :-
- Acrochordons ( Skin tags )
- Ascanthosis nigricans
- Obesity
- Depression
I would like to draw your attention in understanding why do women with PCOS develop isulin resistance.
To answer this, we must first understand what insulin is,
Insulin is a hormone that helps your body to regulate blood glucose levels. This hormone is secreted by the beta cells of islets of Langerhans of the pancreas and helps regulate blood glucose. Now as insulin is a hormone and PCOS is a severe hormonal imbalance, insulin is also disrupted and hence can lead to insulin resistance along with other hormonal issues.
Why do women with PCOS have insulin resistance?
As a fellow PCOS girly, I have often wondered about why I do have insulin resistance. Well, the answer is simple, unfortunately since we have imbalanced hormones, the body tends to accumulate more glucose and lipids and cause obesity in many PCOS women. Insulin resistance is mainly caused by obesity. Once obesity kicks in, glucose and lipid metabolisms are disrupted.
Insulin resistance increases the chance of irregular periods because of a decrease in sex hormone-binding thereby producing free androgens ( then we get those 4 Distressing Signs of Insulin Resistance in PCOS women and they make our lives hell! )
4 Distressing Signs of Insulin Resistance in PCOS women – Explained
Now let’s get to know more about the 4 Distressing Signs of Insulin Resistance in PCOS women in depth.
- Acrochordons
Acrochordons commonly known as skin tags are one of the most irritating signs of insulin resistance! There are quite some research materials that show a direct link between skin tags and insulin resistance. Skin tags appearing before 30 are considered benign and before 40 detrimental.
Skin tags are lesions that are small, soft, and slightly hyperpigmented which are present in sites like the neck, axillae, and groin area (commonly known areas) but they can also appear in areas like eyelids.
Treatment of skin tags can be done by reversing your insulin resistance. Other treatment methods like Cryosurgery, Electrodesiccation, Snip, etc… can be implemented. These treatment methods depend on the size and place of the skin tag
2. Acanthosis nigricans
This one is quite common in the majority of people with PCOS. They can be mistaken for pigmentation due to sun damage and are ignored ( When I had this particular symptom, my aunt kept telling me to scrub well while taking a bath, because she thought it was dirt on my neck *smh* *eye roll* )
Acanthosis nigricans is a cutaneous, velvety, hyperpigmented plaque that can be benign, chronic, obesity-associated, syndromic, etc… AN hyperpigmentation is commonly seen in like neck, elbows, knees, knuckles, armpits.
AN is caused by insulin resistance, obesity, and sometimes due to medications like corticosteroids. Treatment of Acanthosis nigricans for PCOS patients is reducing weight and controlling insulin resistance. Topical application of retinoid creams is also recommended for AN. But topical creams are effective only when your weight and insulin levels are controlled.
3. Obesity
Obesity has been THE most distressing symptom among the above 4 Distressing Signs of Insulin Resistance in PCOS women.
Obesity due to hormonal issues opens up problems like anovulation and menstrual irregularities. Conceiving becomes a major problem in women who are obese. As I mentioned earlier, insulin resistance is triggered by obesity. In addition to anovulation and menstrual irregularities, risk of developing cardiovascular, and musculoskeletal disorders are seen in PCOS women.
Losing weight as a PCOS woman can be very difficult as some may see weight loss within 1-3 months and others after 1 year, which can affect a person’s self-esteem and confidence level and some may slip into depression. But weight loss for a PCOS woman is not something they can never achieve. With a good diet and consistent workout routine, one can achieve weight loss. The attitude of never giving up is more important for PCOS girlies.
4. Depression
Depression is the least talked-about symptom among the 4 Distressing Signs of Insulin Resistance in PCOS women.
PCOS not only affects women’s physical well-being but also their mental health. Physical well-being includes insulin resistance, menstrual irregularities, impaired glucose intolerance, and cardiovascular risk. Mental well-being includes anxiety, depression, sorrow, low confidence, awful quality of life.
Depression and anxiety related to PCOS are primarily caused by symptoms such as obesity, hirsutism, acanthosis nigricans, and hair loss. The frequency of anxiety among females with PCOS can be as high as 40%, with associated mental health issues such as depression and eating disorders.
There is one more explanation for the occurrence of anxiety and depression in PCOS women – high cortisol levels! Cortisol is also known for your mood changes and when the level is high, it can affect one’s mental health.
4 Distressing Signs of Insulin Resistance in PCOS women – Conclusion
Insulin resistance is a primary symptom of PCOS and can lead to several conditions such as skin tags, acanthosis nigricans, obesity, depression, and various other symptoms. Dealing with these symptoms can cause a lot of distress in return as some take time to heal and some heal quickly. As I mentioned earlier, consistency, patience, and hope are the keys to dealing with PCOS. Never give up your exercises even if you don’t see the difference in the beginning and if you don’t see any positive result even after being consistent try changing up your routine and diet after consulting with your dietician or doctor.
Mental health is very important for anything to work. Women with PCOS have to deal with keeping their mental health in check too. As I mentioned earlier, cortisol levels can also affect your mental health. Practices like meditation, walk in the nature, talking to your loved ones, self-care can help you with your cortisol levels and over all mental health!
Lastly, I would like to say, Ladies take care of your health and mental health. Make time for yourself, love yourself, and be kind to yourself!
Hope this blog post helped you learn a bit more on the 4 Distressing Signs of Insulin Resistance in PCOS women.
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