What Are Polycystic Ovary Syndrome PCOS Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome or PCOS is a common disorder in women that can affect from the age of teens till menopause. Know the causes, symptoms and treatment of PCOS.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a common disorder in women that can affect from the age of 
teens till menopause. It occurs in the reproductive phase of a woman's life resulting in 
irregular menstruation among other symptoms. The signs and symptoms can differ from 
woman to woman in the intensity and severity. Obesity, diabetes and insulin resistance 
are all very closely related with the condition of PCOS. 

Polycystic term means many cysts and it is called so because this condition causes cysts 
to grow on the ovaries in women. The ovary is not able to release eggs and thus eggs 
cannot be fertilized. The woman will not be able to ovulate therefore she has irregular 
menstruation cycle and becomes infertile. The symptoms of PCOS are the following:

1. Infertility: The absence of menses or irregularity of menses means less ovulation. 
This causes decrease in fertility and decrease in chances of the woman getting pregnant.

2. Hair growth: In many women excessive hair growth on the body and face is seen. This 
occurs due to the increase in the androgen hormone in the female. Usually this hormone 
is present in small amounts in the females. If the level of this hormone is disturbed, 
it increases and causes excessive hair growth.

3. Acne: Acne is another symptom of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

4. Miscarriage: Hormonal imbalance can cause a rise in the level of LH which leads to 
miscarriages. 

5. Obesity: Most of the women suffering from PCOS are obese.

6. Insulin resistant: Most of the women with this condition are insulin resistant 
causing increase in the blood sugar levels. This could also lead to diabetes.

The cause of polycystic ovary syndrome is basically the imbalance of the hormones in the 
female body. It could be an inherited problem as chances are that if your mother or 
sister has this, you may suffer from this condition too. Some environmental factors may 
cause it indirectly by creating imbalance of the hormonal levels. A malfunction of the 
blood sugar control system is related to PCOS. A high level of the male hormone called 
androgen is also associated with this condition. Low level of chronic inflammation in 
the body or exposure of the fetus to male hormones can also be linked to polycystic 
ovary syndrome causes. 

For the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), medications are available to 
reduce the symptoms. These drugs help in reducing the irregularity of menses; obesity, 
male hormone androgen, hirsutism and some drugs provide stimulation of the ovarian 
follicles to grow. If the medications do not work for you, a surgery known as 
laparoscopic ovarian drilling is an option. The goal of this surgery is to reduce the 
androgen levels in the body so as to induce ovulation. Other than this one can go in for 
hormonal therapy which is used to control the hormones. Birth control pills, vaginal 
rings and patches may be used in this therapy. Some lifestyle changes in your diet can 
help in preventing and treating PCOS. Regular exercise and quitting smoking also aids in 
overcoming this problem.

Article Tags: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Polycystic Ovary, Ovary Syndrome

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