In 2016, Star Wars actress Daisy Ridley revealed she suffered from a medical condition that left her confidence “in tatters” and gave her the skin disorder endometriosis.
“Finally found out I have polycystic ovaries and that’s why [my skin] is bad,” the then-24 year old said in an Instagram post.
And it left her with much more than just “bad skin”.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition that effects a woman’s hormone levels. It causes cysts to form in the ovaries and brings about high levels of male hormones called androgens.
The symptoms of the condition are irregular or skipped periods, unusual hair growth (in the face, chest and back), hair loss from the head, acne, and weight gain (up to 80 per cent of women with PCOS experience some sort of weight gain).
Not only that, the hormonal imbalances can affect mental health.
PCOS can also affect fertility and pregnancy complications.
Oscar-winning actress Emma Thompson has spoken of her difficulty in conceiving a child due to reportedly suffering from PCOS. She and her then-husband Kenneth Branagh conceived their daughter Gaia through IVF (Thompson, who is now married to actor Greg Wise, also adopted a Rwandan orphan in 2003).
Celebrities Victoria Beckham and Jillian Michaels have also suffered fertility problems related to PCOS.
The pregnancy complications that PCOS pose include risk of miscarriage, gestational diabetes and higher risk of premature birth.
Though it is not known what causes PCOS, a doctor can diagnose the disorder through a blood test (to detect high androgen levels) and an ultrasound to examine ovaries.
For those suffering from the syndrome, doctors recommend healthy lifestyle changes and weight loss. Exercise and a good diet have proven to improve PCOS symptoms.
As for medicine, there is no magic pill to cure symptoms but birth control pills can regulate periods and treat other hormonal symptoms such as hair growth and acne.
Metformin (a drug that treats diabetes) can regulate the menstrual cycle.
And take Daisy’s advice.
“Pay for a specialist; get your hormones tested, get allergy testing; keep on top of how your body is feeling,” she said.
“From your head to the tips of your toes we only have one body, let us all make sure ours are working in tip top condition, and take help if it’s needed.”
