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 their body to skip menstrual periods and makes it harder for them to get pregnant. PCOS affects a woman’s ovaries that produce estrogen and progesterone — hormones that regulate the menstrual cycle. It is a syndrome or group of symptoms that affects the ovaries and ovulation. The ovaries also produce a small amount of male hormones called androgens.
PCOS also causes hair growth on the face and body, and baldness. And contributes to long-term health problems like diabetes and heart disease. Birth control pills and diabetes drugs (which combat insulin resistance, a PCOS symptom) helps to fix the hormone imbalance and improve symptoms.
Signs and Symptoms Of Having PCOS
1. Irregular periods: Women with PCOS tend to have no periods, irregular periods or very long periods. Irregular periods are a sign the ovaries are not releasing an egg each month.
2. Acne: Adult acne also prove to be a sign that the reproductive hormones are out of balance.
3. Hair growth: If hair grows in places where they should have no hair – like the chin, back or chest. This kind of hair growth means too many male hormones are being produced.
4. Multiple cysts: Women with PCOS have a lot of cysts on their ovaries. Cysts normally are found with ultrasound, which uses a small transducer (probe) and ultrasound gel placed on the skin.
5. Hair loss: Male-pattern baldness or hair loss are the indication women have a higher level of male reproductive hormones, which is a sign of PCOS.
6. Weight gain: Women with PCOS find it difficult to lose weight. They tend to have higher chance of insulin resistance, where the body doesn't respond to insulin, a hormone that keeps blood sugar in normal range. This requires change in the diet and activity or medications to assist with weight loss.
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7. Infertility: PCOS is a common cause of infertility in women. Women with PCOS have trouble becoming pregnant because they ovulate irregularly or do not ovulate at all. Many women with PCOS benefit from fertility treatments like IVF.
8. Tiredness: Women with PCOS have a higher chance of having sleep apnea, a condition that causes breathing to stop and start repeatedly during the night. Despite going to bed on time and trying to get 8 hours of sleep, they wake up tired, causing them to feel fatigued all day.
9. Mood swings: Women with PCOS have a higher risk for depression, anxiety and extreme or rapid changes in mood because of the hormonal imbalance.
10. Heavy, painful periods: PCOS cause painful periods with heavy bleeding. This further causes additional issues, such as anemia, and is often unpleasant and scary.
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