Polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, is a hormonal condition that affects the female reproductive system. PCOS is a lifelong condition with a multitude of symptoms and can impact daily functioning, the ability to conceive, and other health issues like heart conditions and diabetes.
Because PCOS is a series of ailments that can present differently from woman to woman, it can be hard to identify. Many women with PCOS struggle with abnormal irregular menstrual cycles, which is a major alert that something is wrong. Only after testing do they realize that they had other seemingly random issues, like unstable moods, acne, or extreme headaches, which can be connected to PCOS.
That's why it's so important to keep an eye out for all possible PCOS signs. Closely observing all possible symptoms helps make the process of creating a treatment plan easier and individualized to the person.
Symptoms of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
The most common sign that women may seek help for is period irregularities. This includes any missing period, chronically irregular cycles, or extremely long periods. Alongside that, PCOS comes with many signs and symptoms, which can vary in severity.
- Hormonal acne
- Period irregularities
- Hirsutism (excess hair growth)
- Darkened areas of skin
- Mental health and mood changes
- Weight gain
- Headaches
With PCOS, there is a high amount of production for specific hormones, which leads to oily skin, acne, and unwanted hair growth. Hormonal acne tends to be common in PCOS, but usually displays as painful, cystic acne alongside the chin, jaw, and cheeks. Hirsutism is excessive hair growth on areas like the chin and face, chest, back, etc.
Causes of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
While there is not a clear-cut cause of PCOS, there are certain biological factors linked to the development of PCOS. They include:
- Genetics
- Overproduction of some hormones
- Inflammation
- High levels of sugar countering hormones
Genetics might be part of the process of PCOS development, with genes that can increase the risk. However, environmental factors are also a major contributor. Women who are overweight are also likely to have PCOS. With a diet high in sugar and carbohydrates, the body no longer responds to the increasing amounts and neutralizes it in the bloodstream.
Furthermore, the impact of glucose consumption can create a chronic, low-grade inflammatory environment within the body. Inflammation is when cells experience high amounts of oxidative stress.
Hormonal imbalance is a key marker of PCOS. Women with PCOS tend to have higher-than-average levels of some hormones including male hormones. Alongside that, there may be low female reproductive hormones responsible for maintaining a healthy menstrual cycle.
Getting Treatment
Depending on the specific concerns, a doctor can work to tailor the treatment to target them. For example, a woman with PCOS might want to focus on one or more of the following symptoms.
- Hair growth
- Fertility issues
- Acne
- Weight gain
- Period frequency or PMS pains
In general, long-term treatment for PCOS will include implementing lifestyle changes. To manage symptoms of this chronic disorder, women can improve their diet, sleep, and exercise habits. For many, these foundational changes can relieve many PCOS symptoms.
Because all hormones in the endocrine system affect each other in a chain reaction, improving one aspect of PCOS can positively impact others. For example, losing weight, even only several pounds, can improve many issues. A better sleep schedule and working out can vastly improve the balance of reproductive hormones like estrogen and progesterone.
Alongside lifestyle change, PCOS treatment will include various medications or methods to alleviate other issues. In some cases, women may decide to undergo in-vitro fertilization. To alleviate period pains and improve menstrual cycle frequency, women with PCOS may take birth control other medications. Birth control may also reduce hormonal acne and excessive hair growth. Although PCOS is a life-long, complex condition, it remains to be completely manageable.