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Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a common cause of infertility in women. Women can develop PCOS if there are too many male hormones in their bodies and not enough female hormones. This affects ovulation rates and can make ovulation irregular or non-existent in some women. PCOS causes the ovarian follicles to stop growing. If the follicles do not grow, then they can not release an egg. The follicles don't reach maturity and they just continue to build up as small to midsized cysts on the ovaries.
The cysts that form on the ovaries release estrogen. The estrogen produced by the ovarian follicles use androgenic or male hormones during this production process. If ovulation doesn't occur, then the male hormone levels stay high. The result can affect the production of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). This can severely impact your ability to ovulate.
There are a few symptoms of PCOS that your doctor will look for when diagnosing PCOS as your cause of infertility. Your symptoms may include obesity and insulin resistance, as well as an excess amount of body hair. These symptoms affect about half of the women experiencing PCOS. Your doctor will also look for irregularities in your menstrual periods. This could be very heavy or very light bleeding, fluctuating cycle lengths or the cessation of periods all together. Acne is a common PCOS symptom, as well as skin discolorations around the genitals, chest and arm pits. Conceiving can be difficult and is often the trigger that gets women to the doctor for their diagnosis.
Diagnosing PCOS can be difficult and often includes ruling out many other possibilities. Your doctor will go over your symptoms and family history. A family history of obesity and/or diabetes can be a factor. Since PCOS can cause insulin resistance, weight loss can be difficult, blood sugar levels can be high, high blood pressure is a risk, and all of these things can lead to diabetes or heart disease. Your doctor may do an ultrasound to look for cysts, but some women with the hormone imbalances of PCOS don't have cysts, and some women with cysts don't have PCOS. This makes the diagnosis a little more difficult and many other things may need to be ruled out before a PCOS diagnosis will be given.
A heart healthy diet and regular exercise are essential when you're trying to control the effects of PCOS. Your doctor may prescribe medications to help balance your hormones. There isn't an actual cure for PCOS, but controlling the symptoms can greatly reduce your risks of the serious side effects of PCOS. Losing even a small amount of weight can help bring your hormones back into balance and restore your fertility. Your doctor may also want to lower your insulin levels with medicine to increase your chances of conceiving. If you're not planning on conceiving, then birth control pills can help regulate your periods. With PCOS, the lining of your uterus can build and build. This can lead to uterine cancer if not treated. Birth control pills can significantly reduce this risk by ensuring that you menstruate monthly.
There are many other therapy options that you can discuss with your doctor. Keep in mind that hormone therapies do not help decrease your heart disease and diabetes risk. Therefore, you should take the healthy diet and exercise advice very seriously.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome can be a leading cause of infertility and is linked to higher rates of obesity, type II diabetes, heart disease, and some types of cancers. Although there is no cure for the condition, awareness of its subtle symptoms and prompt diagnosis allow women to work with their physicians towards effective and lasting treatments.
Causes
There is no single consensus as to what causes PCOS. Overproduction of male hormones, hormonal imbalances, and failure of the ovaries to release follicles are factors in the condition, but there is no conclusive answer regarding what causes these irregularities. Some believe genetics play a role, others that diet is to blame, and others that the condition strikes entirely at random.
Symptoms
The symptoms of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) are multi-faceted. Different women will experience different symptoms, to varying degrees. Some of the most noticeable symptoms include excess hair growth on body or face, excess weight gain, especially in the midsection, frequent or severe acne, and irregular or absent menstruation/ovulation. A woman may also, when charting her basal temperature, find her chart is erratic with no fixed pattern. This, of course, is due to the irregular nature of her ovulation. Other symptoms, diagnosed by a physician, could include higher insulin levels or insulin resistance, higher blood pressure, higher levels of testosterone, and cysts on the ovaries. Not all symptoms are necessary for an accurate diagnosis.
Treatment
Although PCOS cannot be cured, the treatments can increase fertility and prevent further complications stemming from the syndrome. Some treatments that may be prescribed by a physician include - but are not limited to - a change in diet through lowering carbohydrate intake or using a low-glycemic index, weight loss (if the woman is overweight; lean women can also have PCOS), and medications such as Metformin to decrease insulin resistance or regulate blood sugar levels.
Diagnosis
If a woman suspects she has PCOS, she should discuss it with her physician immediately. Her physician should then do further tests to determine whether the symptoms do, indeed, indicate PCOS. Some family physicians may refer the woman to a fertility or women's health specialist. Although a doctor may suspect PCOS based on the symptoms described, some common methods of providing an accurate diagnosis might also include an ultrasound of the ovaries and/or a number of different blood tests, looking at, for instance, hormone levels, glucose levels, and cholesterol levels.
If you suspect you may have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, don't hesitate! Make an appointment as soon as possible with your physician. The sooner the condition is accurately diagnosed, the better it can be effectively treated.