PCOS can cause missed or irregular menstrual periods, excess hair growth, acne, infertility, and weight gain. Women with PCOS may be at higher risk for type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems, and endometrial cancer.
Signs and symptoms of PCOS
Acne on your face, back, or chest. Darkening of skin on your neck, groin, or under your breasts. Excess hair on your face, chin, chest, fingers, toes, or other places where men typically have hair.
Symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
difficulty getting pregnant as a result of irregular ovulation or no ovulation. excessive hair growth (hirsutism) – usually on the face, chest, back or buttocks. weight gain. thinning hair and hair loss from the head.
However, their PCOS hormonal imbalance does not change with age, so they may continue to have symptoms of PCOS. Also, the risks of PCOS-related health problems, such as diabetes, stroke, and heart attack, increase with age. These risks may be higher in women with PCOS than those without.
Recent studies have shown that women who were diagnosed as having PCOS 30 years ago have a completely normal life expectancy. An inspection of more than 700 death certificates from women with PCOS has shown that there is no excess risk of cancer in any organ or of heart disease.
The group with PCOS had been diagnosed at a mean age of 27 years. The mean follow-up time was 13.1 years in both groups, during which 1,003 controls and 177 women with PCOS died. The mean age at death was 51.4 years for the PCOS group versus 52.6 years for the control women, a significant difference (P < . 001).
With PCOS, it's thought that increased levels of insulin in the body causes the ovaries to work differently, which produces high levels of androgens (male-type hormones). These hormones cause various symptoms, such as irregular periods and hair and skin conditions.
Like any other syndrome, PCOS can involve a variety of different symptoms. One of the more common ones is abdominal weight gain, which is often referred to as the “PCOS belly.” A PCOS belly is the result of PCOS-related weight gain and may be caused by different factors.
If polycystic ovary syndrome is left untreated, the syndrome may lead to serious, life-threatening illnesses such as cardiovascular and heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and uterine and endometrial cancers. Therefore, PCOS treatment is critical and one cannot afford to ignore!
Symptoms of PCOS
PCOS affects your hormones dramatically, so you may experience these symptoms: Hair loss from your scalp and/or hair growth (hirsutism) in unexpected places. Oily skin and acne problems. Infertility (ovulation problems) or repeat miscarriages.
To receive a diagnosis of PCOS, you must meet two of the following criteria: irregular ovulation, which is usually indicated by an irregular menstrual cycle or a lack of a cycle. signs of increased androgen levels or a blood test confirming you have increased levels. multiple small cysts on the ovaries.
Physical Exam
Your doctor may check your blood pressure, BMI (body mass index), and waist size. They may also look at your skin to check for extra hair growth, acne, and discolored skin, which can all happen if you have PCOS.
There's no single test for it, but a physical exam, ultrasound, and blood tests can help diagnose PCOS.
PCOS affects 8–13% of reproductive age women, with around 21% of Indigenous women affected. “Obtaining a timely PCOS diagnosis is challenging for women, with many experiencing significant delays with multiple different doctors involved,” as Teede and colleagues have recently published from women around the world..
Long-term health risks of PCOS
increased risk of the development of diabetes, especially if women are overweight. cholesterol and blood fat abnormalities. cardiovascular disease (heart disease, heart attack and stroke) endometrial cancer (if there is long-standing thickening of the lining of the womb).
The short answer is yes, you can have both PCOS and endometriosis at the same time. One condition does not affect the other, but there may be multiple symptoms that you are experiencing that overlap and can be the root cause of your infertility or pain.
There is also a long list of symptoms and disorders that are linked to PCOS such as insulin resistance, weight gain, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, body image issues, pregnancy-related complications, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, endometrial cancer, infertility, and many more.
PCOS can produce two types of cysts on your ovaries: functional and pathological. Functional cysts form due to the menstrual cycle and are rarely cancerous or cause symptoms. They usually go away without treatment. Pathological cysts are much rarer and slightly more likely to become cancerous.
There is currently no cure for PCOS. Management will differ depending on the most bothersome symptoms and on a woman's desire to become pregnant. For women who are not seeking pregnancy, treatment will likely focus on correcting or harnessing the underlying hormonal imbalances.
Unmanaged PCOS can impact short and long term health. It's associated with type 2 diabetes, infertility, cardiovascular disease, obesity, sleep apnea (disrupted breathing in sleep), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and depression (9-11).
A hysterectomy is not a cure for PCOS and here's why. Androgens are still being produced. For women with PCOS who have had a hysterectomy and her ovaries removed, she will still experience the long-term effects of having elevated androgens (male sex hormones like testosterone).
Lea Michele
The Glee star has opened up about being diagnosed with PCOS after experiencing severe acne and fluctuating weight. “The side effects [of PCOS] can be brutal — like weight gain and bad skin,” Lea shared with Health. “I went to a great doctor, and the minute she looked at me, she was like, 'Oh, you have PCOS.