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Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: The Facts
What is it?
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (or PCOS) is a condition found in
5-10% of women between late adolescence and menopause.
PCOS involves ovary enlargement and the growth of multiple tiny
cysts on the ovaries themselves. A cyst is a fluid filled sack that
erupts on the surface of the ovary.
Symptoms
The symptoms of PCOS are usually noticeable over a period of
several months and are not ordinarily sudden changes. Symptoms
of this condition commonly include obesity, growth of facial hair,
acne, and irregular periods. However, some women with PCOS
are not overweight, and some cease to have their periods at all.
Women with PCOS also stop ovulating. This is what causes the
irregular or nonexistent periods.
Recent studies have shown that patients with PCOS have seven
times the risk of heart attack and heart disease of other women
and by the age of 40, nearly 40% with have type 2 diabetes or
reduced sugar tolerance. These problems are mostly related to the
lack of the hormones of the menstrual cycle.
Treatment
The method of treatment for PCOS depends upon if the woman
would like to resume being fertile. If fertility is desired, then
hormone replacements are prescribed, which should assist the
body in resuming ovulation, in addition to rebalancing the body's
hormonal levels, which will in turn lessen the severity of the other
symptoms.
If fertility is not an issue, oral contraceptives (the pill) are used to
suppress facial hair growth. Women with PCOS are also at risk for
growths on the uterus, but this can be avoided by taking the pill.
Newer treatments are also aimed at managing hormonal
abnormalities through diabetes treatment techniques and attention
to cardiovascular risk factors such as cigarette smoking, high
blood pressure, physical exercise, and obesity.
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