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Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) also known as Stein-Leventhal syndrome or functional ovarian hyperandrogenism is an endocrine disorder that is seen occurring in 22 to 23 percent of the women's population. It is a fairly common disorder of the hormones that occurs in teenagers and young women. It was first recognized in the year 1935.
In polycystic ovarian syndrome the ovary starts to mature twice the follicles than normal every month. These follicles mature, enlarge but do not release an egg. Normally during every menstrual cycle 5 follicles mature and there is maturation of at least one egg at ovulation, however in PCOS there is no release of an egg. This disease is said to run in families and is more common among the Asian decent women.
The actually cause of PCOS is still unknown but it is said to be related to irregular menstrual period or heavy bleeding. Another cause could be related to the amount of insulin production in your body. More the level of insulin, more are the chances of the insulin regulating the levels of sugar in the body. If there is extra insulin, it causes an imbalance in the hormones, thus making your menstrual cycle run smoothly.
The most common symptoms of PCOS are irregular periods, very light or heavy bleeding, occurrence of acne, hirsutism a condition where girls have extra growth of hair on face, neck, chest and lower abdomen and obesity. For PCOS to be diagnosed properly, one must visit a gynaecologist or an endocrinologist. After finding out the medical history of the patient the doctor will further do a physical check up. This will include a blood test, weight, physical changes like skin darkening, hair growth and gynaecologic examination if you are sexually active person.
PCOS must be treated early or can cause infertility to the young women in the long run, thus refraining her from having any children. If one desires to have children they must get the PCOS treated at an early stage. Many women have children even after developing the syndrome and getting an early treatment. PCOS is a condition that cannot be cured completely but can be taken care of and treated.
The doctor will help you loose weight if you have gained excess of it, through certain exercises and diet plans. This balancing of weight may further help bring the hormone levels to normal. Medicines like birth control pills and progesterone may be prescribed by the doctor to treat PCOS. These medicines and other creams prescribed by the doctor also help the girl control the excessive growth of hair and the occurrence of acne. However the medication does not always help every woman.
Women PCOS who want to conceive and have failed to respond to fertility drugs can get treated through surgery. A procedure called Laparoscopic ovarian drilling (LOD) helps the women conceive. This technique destroys the tissues on the ovaries that produce testosterone and it thus helps in improving the hormone imbalance and ovulation cycle for long, helping women conceive. Treating infertility is one of the most prominent treatments that PCOS women desire for.
To Your Health!
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrinopathies in women of reproductive age. It is the most common hormonal reproductive problem in women of childbearing age. This can affect fertility and pregnancy. It can also cause male-type body changes. Irregular or heavy periods may signal the condition in adolescence, or polycystic ovary syndrome may become apparent later when a woman has difficulty becoming pregnant. Women with PCOS may produce too much insulin, which signals their ovaries to release extra male hormones. It is the most common endocrinopathy among reproductive age women. As many as 30 percent of women have some characteristics of the syndrome. Polycystic ovary disease is characterized by enlarged ovaries with multiple small cysts, an abnormally high number of follicles at various states of maturation, and a thick, scarred capsule surrounding each ovary. PCOS is also associated with peripheral insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia, and obesity amplifies the degree of both abnormalities.
Polycystic ovary syndrome is now recognized as a heterogeneous syndrome. The syndrome was originally reported by Stein and Leventhal in 1935 when they described a group of women with amenorrhea, infertility, hirsutism (unwanted hair growth in women), and enlarged polycystic ovaries. Women with PCOS frequently have a mother or sister with PCOS. But there is not yet enough evidence to say there is a genetic link to this disorder. Many women with PCOS have a weight problem. If PCOS is not treated properly, it can put a girl at risk for lots of problems, such as infertility, excessive hair growth, acne, diabetes, heart disease, abnormal bleeding from the uterus, and cancer. Polycystic ovaries are enlarged bilaterally and have a smooth thickened capsule that is avascular. On cut sections, subcapsular follicles in various stages of atresia are seen in the peripheral part of the ovary.
Causes of Polycystic ovary syndrome
The common causes and risk factor's of Polycystic ovary syndrome include the following:
No one knows the exact cause of this syndrom.
An imbalance in the hormones (chemical messengers) in your brain and your ovaries.
Excess fat.
Family history of Polycystic ovary syndrome.
Genetics may be a factor.
Symptoms of Polycystic ovary syndrome
Some sign and symptoms related to Polycystic ovary syndrome are as follows:
Pelvic pain,
Irregular periods.
Male-pattern baldness or thinning hair.
Weight gain, even obesity.
Insulin resistance and diabetes.
Patches of dark skin on the back of your neck and other areas, called "acanthosis nigricans".
Decreased breast size.
High blood sugar (hyperglycemia).
Treatment of Polycystic ovary syndrome
Here is list of the methods for treating Polycystic ovary syndrome:
Weight reduction is associated with normalization of hormonal disturbances and the resumption of regular ovulation. It also has a beneficial impact on the consequences of PCOS (eg, cardiovascular diseases, impaired glucose tolerance, hypertension, dyslipidemia).
For women who don't want to become pregnant, birth control pills can regulate menstrual cycles, reduce male hormone levels, and help to clear acne.
Cosmetic treatment of facial hirsutism with electroepilation and laser hair removal has also been studied and found to be beneficial.
Reproductive Medicine.
Hormone treatment to suppress ovarian activity is a reasonable choice if the patient does not want to conceive now, and is having problems with excessive hair growth.
Metformin can be taken with fertility medications and helps to make PCOS women ovulate on lower doses of medication.
If medications don't help you become pregnant, your doctor may recommend an outpatient surgery called laparoscopic ovarian drilling.