Polycystic ovary syndrome is the most normal hormone disease in women of childbearing age, affecting between 6% and 15%. Women with PCOS often experience irregular periods, difficulty conceiving, acne, and facial and chest hair development. Usually, signs appear soon after puberty.

What is PCOS?

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a common hormonal disorder that affects up to 1 in 10 girls and women who can have children. It can mess up your period, change your skin and hair, and cause cysts on your ovaries. It is the main reason women can’t have children, but many don’t know they have them. Even though PCOS can’t be fixed, you and your doctor can handle many symptoms.

What can cause PCOS?

When a woman has PCOS, her ovaries make a lot of male hormones. These male hormones can cause the menstrual cycle and other signs. When a woman has PCOS, her ovaries often get bigger. The name comes from the fact that their ovaries may have a lot of cysts on them. It’s not known what causes PCOS, but it’s thought that the way the ovaries work is changed by having too much insulin.

You are more likely to get PCOS if a family member has it, if you have more hormones in the womb, or if your lifestyle or surroundings makes you more likely to get it. Women with PCOS have a 1 in 2 chance of passing the status on to their children or cousins. Families of people with PCOS also tend to have a lot of Type 2 diabetes.

What are the signs of PCOS?

PCOS can show up in a lot of different ways in women. Not every woman with PCOS will require every sign; each woman may have her own story. If you’re concerned about having PCOS, you should see a doctor immediately. Early diagnosis of PCOS can help you deal with the symptoms and lower the long-term health risks.

Some signs of PCOS are:

• When you have too much hair on your face, chest, stomach, or back.
• Baldness or hair loss (alopecia)
• Periods that come and go or don’t come at all; odd bleeding; trouble getting pregnant or not getting pregnant at all; acne.
• Skin with dark spots makes it easy to gain weight.
• A swollen stomach can cause mental health issues like sadness, worry, mood swings, and low self-esteem.

Your doctor could also look for the following:

• High blood pressure
• Symptoms and signs of diabetes

Women who have PCOS are more likely than other women to have health problems like:

• Type 2 diabetes
• Endometrial cancer
• High cholesterol heart disease
• Sexual health problems caused by sleep apnea

How does PCOS get diagnosed?

Most of the time, it’s hard to tell if someone has PCOS because there are so many different signs, and you are not required to have all of them to be labeled. There is no simple method to tell if it is true or not. You should see a physician if you feel sick and have any signs that PCOS could cause. Your doctor will speak to you to figure out what’s wrong based on how you feel. They will look you over. You could be asked to:

• Blood tests check amounts of hormones (like testosterone), Cholesterol, and Glucose.
• An ultrasound examines the ovaries and whether there are multiple cysts (fluid-filled sacs).

How can PCOS be treated?

Your treatment will depend on what your main problems are. It can include taking medicine, getting beauty treatments, and living healthily. The best way to deal with PCOS is to live a healthy life. Many of the physical and mental problems caused by PCOS can be helped by eating well and working out regularly.

Your mental health can get better if you work out. Even a little amount of weight loss can assist you in getting your periods under control, increase your chances of getting pregnant, and lower your chances of getting diabetes and heart disease. PCOS can cause problems with your periods, pregnancy, hair growth, acne, and weight gain. An array of medical treatments can help you deal with these problems.

The oral contraceptive pill, insulin-sensitizing drugs, hormone medicines, weight loss drugs, antidepressants, and drugs that help with nervousness are all these treatments. Regular health checks are important because you are more likely to have health problems as you age. If you need help to control your weight, talk to your doctor. Your doctor can send you to an appropriate health expert, like a chef or an exercise specialist.

What kinds of problems can PCOS cause?

Some major health issues are more likely to happen to women with PCOS. These include type 2 diabetes, heart and blood vessel problems, high blood pressure, and womb cancer. Women with PCOS often have trouble getting pregnant, which is called infertility.

Living with PCOS

Some women have a hard time with the physical signs of PCOS, like gaining weight, getting more hair, and getting acne. Some cosmetic treatments, like laser hair removal and electrolysis, can help you feel better about your appearance. Speak to your doctor about the best methods to treat the signs making you feel bad.

When should I get in touch with my doctor?

If you have been bleeding for a long time, call your doctor.

Things to know about PCOS

• PCOS is a hormone problem that affects many women who are old enough to have children.
• Women with PCOS might not ovulate, have a lot of androgens in their bodies, and have a lot of small cysts on their ovaries.
• PCOS can lead to missed or abnormal cycles, acne, weight gain, and the inability to have children.
• Women with PCOS can get type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems, or uterine cancer.
• How a woman with PCOS is treated could depend on whether she wants to get pregnant. Women who require to have children in the future can take different drugs.