Adolescence is a period of rapid physical changes in teenagers. But if Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, popularly known as PCOS, enters the picture, these changes can feel even more intense and confusing than usual for girls. Besides the commonly known physical symptoms of PCOS in teenagers, like irregular periods, weight gain, etc., the emotional aspect of it is not as widely talked about, even though at times, it can be more challenging to deal with, along with the changes caused by puberty. Understanding the relation between PCOS and mood swings is essential to support your child whenever the situation calls for it.
In this blog, we are going to talk about how PCOS affects teen mental health and how to help them balance their emotions.
What is PCOS?
PCOS is a disorder caused by a hormonal imbalance, because of which the ovaries produce more androgens (male hormones), causing irregularity in the menstrual cycle of girls. It is essential to carefully evaluate teen PCOS symptoms, as it is common to confuse puberty indicators with it.
Symptoms of PCOS
- Irregular Periods
- Mood swings
- Feeling tired
- Excessive Hair Growth
- Skin Breakouts & Acne
- Difficulty Gaining Weight
Noticing these symptoms in your daughter consistently, over a period of time, demands a visit to a paediatrician. Early detection allows early treatment and helps to prevent any long-term disorders.
How does Hormonal Imbalance Cause Mood Swings?
Hormones play a key role in regulating our emotions and mood. An imbalance in any hormone can affect the other hormones, leading to an emotional shift. PCOS means a rise in the level of androgens in the female body, which directly impacts other hormones like estrogen and progesterone, which are crucial for maintaining mood stability. This hormonal imbalance in teenage girls results in irritability, anxiety, sadness, or frequent mood swings.
Other than the emotional ups and downs because of PCOS, the physical changes caused by it, such as skin breakouts or acne, gaining weight, or excessive hair growth, can significantly impact a teenage girl’s self-esteem negatively, adding to the feeling of insecurity that every normal teen goes through at this age. This can also fuel the mood swings, leading to unjustified behaviour.
How to Manage PCOS-related Mood Swings?
Not having any experience with this situation can cause confusion regarding how to manage mood swings and support your daughters. There are several ways of handling adolescent PCOS, given below:
Regular Physical Exercise
Consistent physical activity is a powerful tool in managing mood swings. Exercise helps in releasing endorphins, which are the natural boosters of mood in our bodies. Regular exercise also helps in regulating weight, which can improve confidence in teenagers by alleviating the physical symptoms of PCOS.
Having a Balanced Diet
Following a healthy diet filled with proper nutrients, vitamins, carbohydrates and proteins supports hormonal balance and helps in maintaining energy levels. Limiting snacks and drinks that include processed sugars regulates insulin levels, also influences PCOS symptoms and mood through weight management.
Proper Sleep Management
Proper sleep management is crucial for managing PCOS symptoms. Quality sleep helps maintain healthy hormone levels, improves mood stability. Consistent sleep patterns also reduce stress, which can help mitigate the emotional and physical symptoms of PCOS, promoting better overall health and well-being.
Encouraging Open Communication
The hesitance around speaking about the menstrual cycle and its related topics needs to be removed to create a comfortable environment where your daughters can come and talk to you openly about their feelings, insecurities and the problems they are facing. Talking to friends and family helps tremendously in reducing the emotional burden.
Seeing a Therapist
In many situations, children are able to reach out to their parents before it’s too late to get an effective treatment that helps them get better. But sometimes, the situation gets out of control, resulting in teenagers not opening up about their feelings, and in those cases, seeking out a therapist for help provides the needed emotional support.
How does a Paediatrician help?
Managing PCOS as a teen calls for specialised care. Visit the Best Pediatric Endocrinologist Consultant in Dubai with experience in PCOS emotional symptoms who can guide you and advise a treatment plan. With their expertise, they can address the physical symptoms of PCOS, as well as monitor the emotional ups and downs and suggest coping strategies.
Timely detection of the indicators of PCOS enables timely treatment and diagnosis, which helps in preventing any long-term or serious problems in the future. A paediatrician also assists teens in developing strategies to manage their hormones and mood swings, which can come in handy.
Final Thoughts – Support and Right Medical Guidance is The Key
It is important to raise awareness about polycystic ovary syndrome amongst the youth so they don’t shy away from talking about it. If your daughter is going through PCOS, consult a paediatrician who can offer personalised care and advise you on the best course of action to achieve the desired results. Additionally, make sure to be there for her, as at times like these, navigating physical changes along with mental health, their emotions could be confusing and more often than not, overwhelming, which can spark irritation or mood swings.
However, with the right medical guidance, lifestyle changes, and emotional support, teens can eventually learn to manage their symptoms and lead a healthy life.