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Written by Jane Carrasco

abnormal periods

 

 

What is Polycystic Ovarian Disease?

 

Polycystic ovary syndrome is an endocrine disorder that affects approximately 5% of all women. Most women with PCOS grow many small cysts on their ovaries. The cysts themselves are not harmful, but lead to hormone imbalances. It can cause problems with menstrual periods, or amenorrhea and make it difficult to get pregnant. Women who have PCOS do not regularly ovulate. In fact, it is a leading cause of infertility. If left untreated or undiagnosed, over time, it can lead to diabetes and heart disease.
 

What Are The Symptoms Of PCOS?

 

If the ovaries produce too much androgen (hormones such as testosterone) a woman may develop male characteristics. PCOS may cause unwanted changes in the way you look.
 
 
Physical symptoms include:


# Acne
# Weight gain and trouble losing weight.
# Extra hair on the face and body. Often women get thicker and darker facial hair and more hair on the chest, belly, and back.

# Thinning hair on the scalp
# Oily skin
# Dandruff
# Skin discolorations


 

The principal characteristics of PCOS are weight problems, amenorrhea, and excessive amounts or effects of androgenic (masculinizing) hormones. The symptoms and severity of the syndrome vary greatly among women.

 

According to a 2002 study, nearly 30% of obese women with PCOS had amenorrhea. (The rate was lower--4.7%--in women with normal weight.)

What Causes PCOS?

 

The cause of PCOS is unknown. Though it is not true in every case, PCOS seems to run in families, from either your mother's or father's side. Chances of having it are higher if other women in your family have PCOS, irregular periods, or diabetes.
 
 
pcos information

 

 

What is known is known that the ovaries of women with polyscystic ovary syndrome produce excess amounts of male hormone known as androgen. This excessive production of androgen may be a result of the abnormalities in insulin production. A malfunction of the body's blood sugar control system (insulin system) is frequent in women with PCOS, and researchers believe that these abnormalities may be related to the development of PCOS. Insulin resistance, diabetes, and obesity are all strongly correlated with PCOS.
 
 
 

 

 

More Dr. Brady Videos

 

The diagnosis of PCOS is generally made on the basis of clinical signs and symptoms as discussed above. The doctor will want to exclude other illnesses that have similar features, such as tumors of the ovary or adrenal glands. These tumors can produce elevated male hormone (androgen) and mimic symptoms of PCOS.Also, they may check for low thyroid hormone blood levels- hypothyroidism, or elevated levels of a milk-producing hormone.
 
 
 
 
 

Treating Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

 

Treatments for PCOS include the following:

 

# Weight loss and a moderate exercise program.


# Metformin (Glucophage) is commonly used to increase insulin levels and control blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. This agent and similar ones used in diabetes are showing great promise in reversing symptoms, reducing male hormones, and restoring regular menstrual cycles and ovulation in some women with PCOS.

# Oral contraceptives, combination birth control pills or progestins alone may be used to restore regular periods in women. The progestins in any Oral contraceptive should be newer ones, which are less apt to produce male characteristics.


# PCOS has typically been treated with clomiphene as fertility treatment even for women who do not want to conceive. This fertility drug blocks estrogen, which tricks the pituitary into producing the reproductive hormones FSH and LH. Gonadorelin (GnRH) administered in pulses, used alone or in combination with clomiphene, gonadotropins, or oral contraceptives, has been successful in some cases where clomiphene alone has failed. Women who want to become pregnant can take either clomiphene or superovulation agents (FSH agents or hMG) with or without assisted reproductive technologies.


# Agents that block male hormone, such as flutamide, spironolactone, or finasteride, may be helpful alone or in combination with OCs to reduce male symptoms. They can cause birth defects in male offspring and so should be used by women who are also taking a birth control pill.


# D-chiro-inositolis a natural substance found in fruits and vegetables. It improves insulin sensitivity and is under investigation.


# Drugs that treat prolactins, such as cabergoline or bromocriptine, which reduce hyperprolactinemia, (high levels of prolactin) may be useful for some women with PCOS. (They do not appear to be useful in women with PCOS and normal prolactin levels.)


# Ovarian surgical procedures that cauterize or open up the ovaries may be helpful for some women. A procedure safe and effective for PCOS, called ovarian drilling, involves the surgeon opening six to 12 small holes in the ovary. It also reduces the risk for multiple pregnancies compared to fertility treatments. A promising alternative to ovarian drilling is an ultrasound guided injection of hot saline (salt water) into the ovaries.?This procedure achieved ovulation in 73% of women.
 
 
 
 

Other names for this syndrome include polycystic ovary disease (PCOD), functional ovarian hyperandrogenism, Stein-Leventhal syndrome (original name, not used in modern literature), ovarian hyperthecosis and sclerocystic ovary syndrome.
 
 

 

Disclaimer
The information provided herein should not be used for diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. The content provided is intended strictly for informational purposes to help patient understanding of medical terms and conditions.

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