Ahead of the polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) Awareness Month on September 1, voice-talent Inka Magnaye airs out her PCOS journey and supports women with the same condition on her Instagram post, August 4.
The TikTok star remembers the first day when was first diagnosed with PCOS and the discomfort she suffered.
“When I was a teenager, not one part of my face was free of acne. I even had it all over my back. Also, I had heavy and painful periods that lasted 7-10 days, that would leave me bed-ridden for a week. But on the flip side, I could eat whatever I wanted and not gain a pound,” Magnaye wrote.
The ASMR podcaster went through emergency surgery when she was in her early 20s after a cyst in her ovary ruptured.
After her surgery, her symptoms have changed since then.
“My periods are now painless and last 3 days max, but I experience debilitating migraines. I have little to no acne, but my sensitivity to carbs makes me bloat if I don’t workout and follow a relatively low-carb diet. My dips into depression and anxiety are also more frequent now. And the mood swings,” she shared.
One of the common symptoms of PCOS is weight gain and Magnaye opened her own fair share of the struggle.
“All my symptoms get worse with weight gain (including bleeding out of my cycle and sharp pains in my ovaries), so staying fit is absolutely necessary for my mental and physical wellness. (Last 2 photos were from April—above my usual weight and in a depression dip),“ she added.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CSHLGCdhvVw/
Above all of her struggles, Magnaye still sees the good side in her experiences and shares the importance of self-awareness.
“Still. I’m on the “lucky” side of this condition. So many women live with most if not all the symptoms. And so many of them don’t even know they have PCOS. In one study, up to 70% of women with PCOS are undiagnosed. This is why it’s so important to raise awareness about it because one of the reasons why I can manage my PCOS so well is because we caught it early on,” she wrote.
The voice artist reaches out to women like her and ends her post by showing them support.
“PCOS is difficult but there are ways. And if you have it, I just want you to know I understand! There are days sometimes when it’s just really hard, especially when our hormones go crazier than what our “normal” is. Just stay healthy so you can give yourself the best fighting chance! Anyway, that’s all! Hugs for you”
John Hopkins Medicine defines PCOS as a condition in which the ovaries produce an abnormal amount of androgens (male sex hormones) that are usually present in women in small amounts.
Women with PCOS usually experience irregular periods, excessive body hair, acne, infertility, weight gain especially around the belly, skin tags, Dark or thick skin patches, and Ovaries that are large.
Source: www.instagram.com/inkamagnaye/, www.hopkinsmedicine.org/
