Polycystic ovary syndrome is the main cause of infertility in women. Know the causes, symptoms and treatment for PCOS.
Polycystic ovary syndrome or shortly PCOS is the main cause of infertility in women. It is actually a hormonal imbalance in the woman’s body that triggers all sorts of unpleasant symptoms and has serious consequences like inability of conceiving babies. The name of this condition comes from the fact that women affected by it have a multitude of small cysts on the ovaries. Contrary to the popular belief, it’s not these cysts that actually help diagnose PCOS. The cysts can be present even in healthy women, so the other symptoms, combined with the cysts warn a doctor about the possibility of this illness.
Since PCOS is actual a hormonal abnormality, women affected by it have an excess of male hormones in the bodies. One of the symptoms and the most common one is the fact that they don’t ovulate regularly and thus don’t have regular periods. Amenorrhea is very common in women with PCOS. Acne and hirsutism (excessive body hair) might also occur, as well as weight problems, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Physicians had noticed that women with PCOS are often insulin resistant and infertile. Other symptoms include skin and hair problems such as oily skin and dandruff and depression.
The causes of polycystic ovary syndrome are not known entirely. One thing is for clear: it is not the cysts that trigger the other symptoms because there are women with cysts who don’t suffer of this syndrome. PCOS might be caused by genetic factors and it also seems that environmental factors and lifestyle might play a part.
Women with PCOS are recommended to live as healthy as possible and to eat nutritious fresh foods mostly. Regular exercise has also proved helpful. It keeps the blood pressure under control, it enhances the health of the heart and it also helps women control their body weight. Weight control is very important in women with PCOS. Besides all these measures that each women needs to take for herself, there is also treatment for PCOS. This has to be recommended by a physician and it might consist of hormonal pills or birth control pills that are supposed to balance the hormonal levels. In serious cases the women are also tested for diabetes and medication for this disease or for high blood pressure is also prescribed. In what concerns skin and hair problems, these are usually kept under control with over the counter products. Excessive body hair can be removed in different ways and there are also options that ensure a permanent or semi-permanent result.
