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| The MomSquawk Library » General Women's Health » |
07/10/2007
If you have irregular periods, trouble losing weight, and problematic facial and body hair, you may be suffering from PCOS.
Between five and ten percent of women of childbearing age suffer from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is a hormonal imbalance that disrupts ovulation. In some women with PCOS, cysts form on the ovaries. These cysts produce the male hormone androgen, which, at high levels, can cause a woman to develop male pattern baldness and acne, and to grow facial, chest, or back hair.
Irregular periods, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, weight gain, and difficulty losing weight are other symptoms of PCOS. In addition to creating fertility problems such as difficulty conceiving and increased risk of miscarriage, PCOS can lead to diabetes and heart disease. Also, if a woman with PCOS does not menstruate for a year or more, she is at an increased risk for uterine cancer. Because it can seriously impact quality of life, not to mention the emotional whack hormonal imbalance can serve up, women with PCOS are at risk for depression.
The cause of PCOS is unknown. But the good news is that treating PCOS can lower the related health risks.
Eating right, exercising, and controlling weight are the cornerstones in the treatment of PCOS. Taking these steps can help your hormonal imbalance correct itself. If you are not trying to conceive, birth control pills can help regulate your menstrual cycles and reduce male-pattern hair growth. Your doctor may also recommend a medication called Spironolactone to reduce your androgen levels.
But if you are trying to conceive, your doctor may recommend the fertility drug clomiphene (Clomid), which helps the body produce more of the hormones it needs to trigger ovulation. (If you do not respond to clomiphene, your doctor may try adding the insulin-promoting drug metformin.)
A less commonly used treatment for women with PCOS who do not respond well to conventional treatments is a procedure known as laparoscopic ovarian drilling. This is a day surgery that involves using a laser to destroy part of the ovaries in order to stimulate ovulation. Apparently, physicians in China are now reporting success with a newer procedure called transvaginal, ultrasound-guided, ovarian, interstitial laser treatment.
Women with PCOS can get pregnant, but unfortunately they face a much higher miscarriage rate than the general population. Pregnancy-info.net puts the miscarriage rate at 45% or greater. Hormone and insulin issues related to PCOS can result in poor egg quality and difficulty with implantation and development of a healthy embryo.
But there are plenty of success stories out there, as well as support groups for women struggling with PCOS, so you don’t have to go it alone.
Between five and ten percent of women of childbearing age suffer from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is a hormonal imbalance that disrupts ovulation. In some women with PCOS, cysts form on the ovaries. These cysts produce the male hormone androgen, which, at high levels, can cause a woman to develop male pattern baldness and acne, and to grow facial, chest, or back hair.
Irregular periods, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, weight gain, and difficulty losing weight are other symptoms of PCOS. In addition to creating fertility problems such as difficulty conceiving and increased risk of miscarriage, PCOS can lead to diabetes and heart disease. Also, if a woman with PCOS does not menstruate for a year or more, she is at an increased risk for uterine cancer. Because it can seriously impact quality of life, not to mention the emotional whack hormonal imbalance can serve up, women with PCOS are at risk for depression.
The cause of PCOS is unknown. But the good news is that treating PCOS can lower the related health risks.
Eating right, exercising, and controlling weight are the cornerstones in the treatment of PCOS. Taking these steps can help your hormonal imbalance correct itself. If you are not trying to conceive, birth control pills can help regulate your menstrual cycles and reduce male-pattern hair growth. Your doctor may also recommend a medication called Spironolactone to reduce your androgen levels.
But if you are trying to conceive, your doctor may recommend the fertility drug clomiphene (Clomid), which helps the body produce more of the hormones it needs to trigger ovulation. (If you do not respond to clomiphene, your doctor may try adding the insulin-promoting drug metformin.)
A less commonly used treatment for women with PCOS who do not respond well to conventional treatments is a procedure known as laparoscopic ovarian drilling. This is a day surgery that involves using a laser to destroy part of the ovaries in order to stimulate ovulation. Apparently, physicians in China are now reporting success with a newer procedure called transvaginal, ultrasound-guided, ovarian, interstitial laser treatment.
Women with PCOS can get pregnant, but unfortunately they face a much higher miscarriage rate than the general population. Pregnancy-info.net puts the miscarriage rate at 45% or greater. Hormone and insulin issues related to PCOS can result in poor egg quality and difficulty with implantation and development of a healthy embryo.
But there are plenty of success stories out there, as well as support groups for women struggling with PCOS, so you don’t have to go it alone.
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