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Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS):
Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment
·
Causes
·
Symptoms
Polycystic ovary syndrome
(PCOS) is a condition that affects a woman’s hormone levels.
Women with PCOS produce
higher-than-normal amounts of male hormones. This hormone imbalance causes them
to skip menstrual periods and makes it harder for them to get pregnant.
PCOS also causes hair growth
on the face and body, and baldness. And it can contribute to long-term health
problems like diabetes and heart disease.
Birth control pills and
diabetes drugs can help fix the hormone imbalance and improve symptoms.
Read on for a look at the
causes of PCOS and its effects on a woman’s body.
WHAT IS PCOS?
What is PCOS?
PCOS is a problem with
hormones that affects women during their childbearing years (ages 15 to 44).
Between 2.2 and 26.7 percent of women in this age group have PCOS.
Many women have PCOS but
don’t know it. In one study, up to 70 percent of women with PCOS hadn’t been
diagnosed.
PCOS affects a woman’s
ovaries, the reproductive organs that produce estrogen and progesterone —
hormones that regulate the menstrual cycle. The ovaries also produce a small
amount of male hormones called androgens.
The ovaries release eggs to
be fertilized by a man’s sperm. The release of an egg each month is called
ovulation.
Follicle-stimulating hormone
(FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) control ovulation. FSH stimulates the ovary
to produce a follicle — a sac that contains an egg — and then LH triggers the
ovary to release a mature egg.
PCOS is a “syndrome,” or
group of symptoms that affects the ovaries and ovulation. Its three main
features are:
·
cysts in
the ovaries
·
high levels of male hormones
·
irregular or skipped periods
In PCOS, many small,
fluid-filled sacs grow inside the ovaries. The word “polycystic” means “manycysts.”
These sacs are actually
follicles, each one containing an immature egg. The eggs never mature enough to
trigger ovulation.
The lack of ovulation alters
levels of estrogen, progesterone, FSH, and LH. Estrogen and progesterone levels
are lower than usual, while androgen levels are higher than usual.
Extra male hormones disrupt
the menstrual cycle, so women with PCOS get fewer periods than usual.
PCOS isn’t a new condition.
Italian physician Antonio Vallisneri first described its symptoms in 1721.
CAUSES
What causes it?
Doctors don’t know exactly
what causes PCOS. They believe that high levels of male hormones prevent the
ovaries from producing hormones and making eggs normally.
Genes, insulin resistance,
and inflammation have all been linked to excess androgen production.
Genes
Studies show that PCOS runs
in families.
It’s likely that many genes
— not just one — contribute to the condition.
Up to 70 percent of women
with PCOS have insulinresistance, meaning that their cells can’t use insulin properly.
Insulin is a hormone the
pancreas produces to help the body use sugar from foods for energy.
When cells can’t use insulin
properly, the body’s demand for insulin increases. The pancreas makes more
insulin to compensate. Extra insulin triggers the ovaries to produce more male
hormones.
Obesity is
a major cause of insulin resistance. Both obesity and insulin resistance can
increase your risk for type 2 diabetes.
Inflammation
Women with PCOS often have
increased levels of inflammation in their body. Being overweight can also
contribute to inflammation. Studies have linked excess inflammation to higher
androgen levels.
SYMPTOMS
6 common symptoms ofPCOS
Some women start seeing
symptoms around the time of their first period. Others only discover they have
PCOS after they’ve gained a lot of weight or they’ve had trouble getting
pregnant.
The most common PCOS
symptoms are:
·
Irregular periods: A
lack of ovulation prevents the uterine lining from shedding every month. Some
women with PCOS get fewer than eight periods a year.
·
Heavybleeding: The uterine lining builds up for a longer period of time,
so the periods you do get can be heavier than normal.
·
Hairgrowth: More than 70 percent of women with this condition grow
hair on their face and body — including on their back, belly, and chest. Excesshair growth is called hirsutism.
·
Acne: Male
hormones can make the skin oilier than usual and cause breakouts on areas like
the face, chest, and upper back.
·
Weight gain: Up
to 80 percent of women with PCOS are overweight or obese.
·
Male-pattern baldness: Hair
on the scalp get thinner and fall out.
·
Darkening
of the skin: Dark patches of
skin can form in body creases like those on the neck, in the groin, and under
the breasts.
HEALTH EFFECTS
HowPCOS affects your body
Having higher-than-normal
androgen levels can affect your fertility and other aspects of your health.
Infertility
To get pregnant, you have to
ovulate. Women who don’t ovulate regularly don’t release as many eggs to be
fertilized. PCOS is one of the leading causes of infertility in
women.
Metabolic syndrome
Up to 80 percent of women
with PCOS are overweight or obese. Both obesity and PCOS increase your risk for
high blood sugar, high
blood pressure, low HDL (“good”) cholesterol, and high LDL (“bad”)
cholesterol.
Together, these factors are
called metabolic
syndrome, and they increase the risk for heart disease, diabetes,
and stroke.
Sleep apnea
This condition causes
repeated pauses in breathing during the night, which interrupt sleep.
Sleepapnea is more common in women who are overweight — especially
if they also have PCOS. The risk for sleep apnea is 5 to 10 times higher in
obese women with PCOS than in those without PCOS.
Endometrial cancer
During ovulation, the
uterine lining sheds. If you don’t ovulate every month, the lining can build
up.
A thickened uterine lining
can increase your risk for endometrial cancer.
Depression
Both hormonal changes and
symptoms like unwanted hair growth can negatively affect your emotions. Many
with PCOS end up experiencing depression and
anxiety.
DIAGNOSIS
How PCOS is diagnosed
Doctors typically diagnose
PCOS in women who have at least two of these three symptoms:
·
cysts in the ovaries
Your doctor should also ask
whether you’ve had symptoms like acne, face and body hair growth, and weight
gain.
A pelvic exam can look for any
problems with your ovaries or other parts of your reproductive tract. During
this test, your doctor inserts gloved fingers into your vagina and checks for
any growths in your ovaries or uterus.
Blood
tests check for higher-than-normal levels of male hormones. You
might also have blood tests to check your cholesterol,
insulin, and triglyceride levels to evaluate your risk for related conditions
like heart disease and diabetes.
An ultrasound uses sound waves to
look for abnormal follicles and other problems with your ovaries and uterus.
PREGNANCY
AND PCOS
Pregnancyand PCOS
PCOS interrupts the normal
menstrual cycle and makes it harder to get pregnant. Between 70 and 80 percent
of women with PCOS have fertility problems.
This condition can also
increase the risk for pregnancycomplications.
Women with PCOS are twice as
likely as women without the condition to deliver their baby prematurely.
They’re also at greater risk for miscarriage, high blood pressure, and gestational diabetes.
However, women with PCOS can
get pregnant using fertilitytreatments that improve ovulation. Losing weight and lowering
blood sugar levels can improve your odds of having a healthy pregnancy.
DIET AND LIFESTYLE
Dietand lifestyle tips to treat PCOS
Treatment for PCOS usually
starts with lifestyle changes like weight loss, diet, and exercise.
Losing just 5 to 10 percent
of your body weight can help regulate your menstrual cycle and improve PCOSsymptoms. Weightloss can also improve cholesterol levels, lower insulin, and
reduce heart disease and diabetes risks.
Any diet that helps you lose
weight can help your condition. However, some diets may have advantages over
others.
Studies comparing diets for
PCOS have found that low-carbohydratediets are effective for both weight loss and lowering insulin
levels. A low glycemicindex (low-GI) diet that gets most carbohydrates from fruits,
vegetables, and whole grains helps regulate the menstrual cycle better than a
regular weight loss diet.
A few studies have found
that 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise at least three days a week can
help women with PCOS lose weight. Losing weight with exercise also improves
ovulation and insulin levels.
Exercise is even more
beneficial when combined with a healthy diet. Diet plus exercise helps you lose
more weight than either intervention alone, and it lowers your risks for
diabetes and heart disease.
MEDICAL
TREATMENTS
Commonmedical treatments
Birth control pills and
other medicines can help regulate the menstrual cycle and treat PCOS symptoms
like hair growth and acne.
Birth control
Taking estrogen and
progestin daily can restore a normal hormone balance, regulate ovulation,
relieve symptoms like excess hair growth, and protect against endometrial
cancer. These hormones come in a pill, patch, or vaginalring.
Metformin
Metformin (Glucophage,
Fortamet) is a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes. It also treats PCOS by
improving insulin levels.
One study found that taking metformin while
making changes to diet and exercise improves weight loss, lowers blood sugar,
and restores a normal menstrual cycle better than changes to diet and exercise
alone
Clomiphene (Clomid)
is a fertilitydrug that can help women with PCOS get pregnant. However, it
increases the risk for twins and other multiple births.
Hair removal medicines
A few treatments can help
get rid of unwanted hair or stop it from growing. Eflornithine (Vaniqa)
cream is a prescription drug that slows hair growth. Laser hair removal and electrolysis can
get rid of unwanted hair on your face and body.
Surgery
Surgery can be an option to
improve fertility if other treatments don’t work. Ovarian drilling is a procedure
that makes tiny holes in the ovary with a laser or thin heated needle to
restore normal ovulation.
WHEN
TO SEE A DOCTOR
Whento see a doctor
See a doctor if:
·
You’ve missed periods and you’re not pregnant.
·
You have symptoms of PCOS, such as hair growth on your face and
body.
·
You’ve been trying to get pregnant for more than 12 months but
haven’t been successful.
·
You have symptoms of diabetes, such as excess thirst or hunger,
blurred vision, or unexplained weight loss.
If you have PCOS, plan
regular visits with your primary care doctor. You’ll need regular tests to
check for diabetes, high blood pressure, and other possible complications.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a set of symptoms due to elevated androgens (male hormones) in women. Signs and symptoms of PCOS include irregular or no menstrual periods, heavy periods, excess body and facial hair, acne, pelvic pain, difficulty getting pregnant, and patches of thick, darker, velvety skin. Associated conditions include type 2 diabetes, obesity, obstructive sleep apnea, heart disease, mood disorders, and endometrial cancer.
Diagnosis of pregnancy
During a pelvic exam, your doctor visually and manually inspects your reproductive organs for signs of masses, growths or other abnormalities. Blood tests. Your blood may be drawn to measure the levels of several hormones to exclude possible causes of menstrual abnormalities or androgen excess that mimic PCOS.
*Common problems in pregnancy
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), also known as polycystic ovarian syndrome, is a common health problem caused by an imbalance of reproductive hormones. The hormonal imbalance creates problems in the ovaries. The ovaries make the egg that is released each month as part of a healthy menstrual cycle. With PCOS, the egg may not develop as it should or it may not be released during ovulation as it should be. PCOS can cause missed or irregular menstrual periods. Irregular periods can lead to:
- Infertility (inability to get pregnant). In fact, PCOS is one of the most common causes of female infertility.
- Development of cysts (small fluid-filled sacs) in the ovaries
Doctor’s Detail :
A balanced approach is the key when dealing with women’s problems – when you visit us, you are assured of always seeing a female gynecologist Dr.Pallavi Daga, whose years of experience in dealing with genie concerns makes her one of the Best Gynecologist In Kolkata and Best Polycystic Ovary Surgeon in Kolkata, as well as Best Abortion Specialist in Kolkata and also famous breast cancer specialist in kolkata.
Dr. Pallavi Daga
MBBS, MS, MRCOG(LONDON)
Consultant Gynaecologist, Laparoscopic Surgeon
Mobile: 90517 71712
Visiting Consultant: Bhagirathi Neotia
Website : http://drpallavidaga.com
Specialities :
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