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What causes PCOS?
The exact cause of PCOS is not clear. Many women with PCOS have insulin resistance. This means the body can't use insulin well. Insulin levels build up in the body and may cause higher androgen levels. Obesity can also increase insulin levels and make PCOS symptoms worse.
How is PCOS diagnosed?
Your health care provider will ask about your medical history and your symptoms. You will also have a physical exam . This will likely include a pelvic exam. This exam checks the health of your reproductive organs, both inside and outside your body.
How is PCOS treated?
Treatment for PCOS depends on a number of factors. These may include your age, how severe your symptoms are, and your overall health. The type of treatment may also depend on whether you want to become pregnant in the future.
When should I seek medical care?
If you have missed or irregular periods, excess hair growth, acne, and weight gain, call your doctor for an evaluation.
What hormones are produced by PCOs?
These cysts make hormones called androgens . Women with PCOS often have high levels of androgens. This can cause more problems with a woman’s menstrual cycle. And it can cause many of the symptoms of PCOS. Treatment for PCOS is often done with medication.
What is PCOS in gynecology?
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition in which the ovaries produce an abnormal amount of androgens, male sex hormones that are usually present in women in small amounts.
How to reduce hair growth in PCOs?
Diabetes medication. This is often used to lower insulin resistance in PCOS. It may also help reduce androgen levels, slow hair growth, and help you ovulate more regularly. A change in diet and activity. A healthy diet and more physical activity can help you lose weight and reduce your symptoms.
What is PCOS?
PCOS is a set of symptoms related to a hormonal imbalance that can affect women and girls of reproductive age. Women with PCOS usually have at least two of the following three conditions: 1
What are the symptoms of PCOS?
In addition to the three features used to diagnose polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) (absence of ovulation, high levels of androgens, and ovarian cysts), PCOS has many signs and symptoms, some of which may not seem to be related: 1, 2
What causes PCOS?
Researchers and health care providers know that genetic and environmental factors contribute to the development of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), but do not know exactly what causes PCOS.
How do health care providers diagnose PCOS?
Health care providers look for three characteristic features of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): absence of ovulation, high levels of androgens, and cysts on the ovaries. Having one or more of these features could lead to a diagnosis of PCOS. If your medical history suggests that you might have PCOS, your health care provider will rule out other conditions that may cause similar symptoms.
Is there a cure for PCOS?
There is currently no cure for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and it does not go away on its own.
What are the treatments for PCOS?
Because polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has a broad range of symptoms, health care providers may use a variety of treatments for this condition and its symptoms.
Are there disorders or conditions associated with PCOS?
Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are at higher risk for several other health conditions, some of them serious.
What are the reproductive organs that regulate the menstrual cycle?
Trusted Source. ). PCOS affects a woman’s ovaries, the reproductive organs that produce estrogen and progesterone — hormones that regulate the menstrual cycle. The ovaries also produce a small amount of male hormones called androgens. The ovaries release eggs to be fertilized by a man’s sperm.
What age group is PCOs?
PCOS is a problem with hormones that affects women during their childbearing years (ages 15 to 44). Between 2.2 and 26.7 percent of women in this age group have PCOS ( 1, 2. Trusted Source. ). Many women have PCOS but don’t know it. In one study, up to 70 percent of women with PCOS hadn’t been diagnosed ( 2.
How many periods do women with PCOs have?
Irregular periods. A lack of ovulation prevents the uterine lining from shedding every month. Some women with PCOS get fewer than eight periods a year or none at all ( 10 ).
What is PCOS in pregnancy?
Diet and lifestyle. Medical treatments. When to see a doctor. Bottom line. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition that affects a woman’s hormone levels. Women with PCOS produce higher-than-normal amounts of male hormones.
Why does the pancreas produce insulin?
Insulin is a hormone the pancreas produces to help the body use sugar from foods for energy. When cells can’t use insulin properly, the body’s demand for insulin increases. The pancreas makes more insulin to compensate. Extra insulin triggers the ovaries to produce more male hormones.
Why is it hard to get pregnant with PCOs?
This hormone imbalance causes their body to skip menstrual periods and makes it harder for them to get pregnant . PCOS also causes hair growth on the face and body, and baldness. And it can contribute to long-term health problems like diabetes and heart disease.
How does PCOs affect women?
Hormone imbalances can affect a woman’s health in many ways. PCOS can increase the risk of infertility, metabolic syndrome, sleep apnea, endometrial cancer, and depression.
