Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) troubles 4%-18% of women between the ages of 15-44 in America alone. This number is shocking and even more shocking when you discover it is you. But what is it? What causes it? Are there symptoms? Is there treatment? A cure? We will address all of these questions below. Claim Your 20 Free Pregnancy Tests – Click Here
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is hormonal imbalances in the female body that can cause a change in health, ovarian cysts, and their menstrual cycle changes as well. Every woman is different; you may or may not have all of these things happen to you. Most commonly this is diagnosed in women 20-30 years of age but it can be diagnosed in teenagers. Prominently these women are overweight, and usually have insulin resisting antibodies that throw off the hormones in the first place. What some of these women do not know once they are overweight is that this can damage their fertility. They may have struggles getting pregnant due to the weight and the syndrome.
Signs and symptoms are as follows:
-No period after you have had normal ones during puberty and after
-Irregular Periods (come and goes, may or may not be light or heavy)
-Increasing Acne
-Skin changes (thick or dark areas, creases under the arms, around the neck, vaginal area or breasts)
-Body hair developing thick or in places you have never had it before (stomach, face, chest or around the nipple area)
-Deep Voice
-Decrease in breast size
-Swollen Clitoris
-Thinning hair (on your head)
-Oily skin
-Dandruff
-Infertility
-High Blood Pressure
-High Insulin levels
-Obesity or major weight gain
-High cholesterol
If you are showing any signs or symptoms please contact your doctor for an exam as soon as possible. This is a good thing to catch early on.
Once you have contacted you doctor he or she may want to run some tests to check for the less obvious signs of polycystic ovarian syndrome. Some of these tests may include but are not limited to:
-Physical Exam
-Body Fat Check (BMI)
-Blood Tests
-Vaginal Ultrasound
–Pelvic Laparoscopy
Most of those tests may ring bells, but I doubt that you just “know” what Pelvic Laparoscopy is. Let me help you! Pelvic laparoscopy is a surgery performed to get a closer look at your pelvic organs using a tool called a laparoscope. It can be less invasive than an open surgery and recovery time is much quicker as well.
Treatments can vary depending upon the person who needs the treatment. In most cases simply losing weight can help treat most of the symptoms that tag along with PCOS such as the high blood pressure, cholesterol and the hormonal imbalances. Simply losing 5% of your body weight can help most women. Dependent on your weight, that’s not much at all. A 250 pound woman would need to lose 12.5 pounds. That is all! That is within reach and not too much to ask if you truly want a baby.
Other treatments are:
-birth control pills to regulate your periods
-diabetes medication to prevent type 2 diabetes
-Prescription medications to balance your cycle and abnormal hair growth
-Removal of an ovary
As for a cure; there is not a definitive cure for polycystic ovarian syndrome; however, most women who are treated for their PCOS are able to carry on with a successful pregnancy. Speak to your health care provider about your options.
