What is PCOS?
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormone imbalance that can cause irregular periods, unwanted hair growth, and acne. PCOS begins during the teenage years and can be mild or severe.
What are the signs of PCOS?
Young women with PCOS commonly have one or more signs. Some of the most common signs include:
* irregular periods – periods that come every few months, not at all, or too often
* extra hair on your face or other parts of your body, called “hirsutism” (her-suit-is-em)
* acne
* weight gain and/or trouble losing weight
* patches of dark skin on the back of your neck and other areas, called “acanthosis nigricans” (a-can-tho-sis ni-gri-cans)
Could I have PCOS?
If you have some or all of the above signs, you might have PCOS. There may be other reasons why you might have one or more of these signs. Only your doctor can tell for sure. If you do have PCOS, you'll want to know what causes it and how to treat it. Check out this quiz to help you find out if you might have PCOS.
What causes PCOS?
No one knows the exact cause of PCOS. Still, we do know that PCOS results from an imbalance in the hormones in your brain and your ovaries. Hormones are natural body chemicals that affect or control other parts of your body. Many girls with PCOS also have too much insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps turn food into energy. It may be that the ovaries react to this extra insulin by making too much testosterone, which is also a hormone. This can lead to acne, excess body hair, weight gain, and irregular periods.
1. The pituitary (pi-tu-i-tary) gland in your brain makes the luteinizing (lu-tin-iz-ing) hormone and the follicle (fall-ih-call)-stimulating hormone (LH and FSH).
2. After getting the signal from the LH and FSH hormones, the ovaries make estrogen (es-tro-gen) and progesterone (pro-ges-ter-one), the female sex hormones. All normal ovaries also make a little bit of the androgen testosterone (an-dro-gen teh-stass-tuh-rone), the male sex hormone.
3. The pancreas (pang-cre-us) is an organ that makes the hormone insulin. High levels of insulin can also cause the ovaries to make more of the testosterone hormone.
Why are my periods so irregular?
Having PCOS means that your ovaries are not getting the right hormonal signals from your pituitary gland. Without these signals, you will not ovulate (make eggs). Your period may be irregular or you may not have a period at all.
Let’s review a regular menstrual cycle.
* The menstrual cycle starts when the brain sends LH and FSH to the ovaries. A big surge of LH is the signal that tells the ovaries to ovulate, or release a ripe egg.
* The egg travels down the fallopian tube and into the uterus. Progesterone from the ovary tells the lining of the uterus to thicken.
* If the egg isn't fertilized, the lining of the uterus is shed. This shedding is your menstrual cycle or period.
* After the menstrual period, the cycle begins all over again.
The diagram on top shows a normal menstrual cycle. The diagram on the bottom shows a PCOS cycle where the menstrual cycle stops just before ovulation. As a result, girls with PCOS may ovulate occasionally or not at all. Their periods may be too close together or, more often, too far apart. Some girls may not get a period at all.
Now, let's look at what happens during a menstrual cycle with PCOS.
* With PCOS, LH levels are often high when the menstrual cycle starts. The levels of LH are also higher than FSH levels.
* Because the LH levels are already quite high, the surge that sets off the chain reaction causing ovulation does not happen. Without this LH surge, ovulation does not occur and periods are irregular.
What types of tests will my doctor do to diagnose PCOS?
Your doctor will ask you a lot of questions about your menstrual cycle and your general health and then do a complete physical examination. You most likely will need to have a blood test to check your hormone levels, as well as your blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Your doctor may also want you to have an ultrasound test of your uterus and ovaries. An ultrasound creates images so the doctor can see what's happening inside your body.
Does PCOS mean I have cysts on my ovaries?
The term "polycystic ovaries" means that there are lots of tiny cysts, or bumps, inside of the ovaries. Some young women with PCOS have these cysts; many others do not. Even if you do have them, they are not harmful and do not need to be removed.
Why do I get acne and/or extra hair on my body?
Acne and extra hair on your face and body can happen if your body is making too much testosterone. All women make testosterone, but if you have PCOS, your ovaries make a little bit more testosterone than they are supposed to. Skin cells and hair follicles are extremely sensitive to the slight increases in testosterone found in young women with PCOS.
Why do I have patches of dark skin?
Many adolescents with PCOS have higher levels of insulin in their blood. Higher levels of insulin can sometimes cause patches of darkened skin on the back of your neck, under your arms, and in your groin area (inside upper thighs).
Will PCOS affect my ability to have children some day?
Women with PCOS have a normal uterus and healthy eggs. Many women with PCOS have trouble getting pregnant, but some women have no trouble at all. If you are concerned about your fertility (ability to get pregnant) in the future, talk to your doctor about all the new options available, including medications to lower your insulin levels and to help you ovulate each month.
Does PCOS put me at risk for other conditions?
If you have PCOS, you may be at higher risk for other health problems. Women with PCOS often have low levels of the hormone progesterone. Progesterone causes the endometrium to shed each month as your period. If you don't have enough progesterone, the endometrium becomes thick, which can cause heavy or irregular bleeding. In time, this can lead to endometrial hyperplasia or cancer for some women. Women with PCOS are also at higher risk for diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Getting your PCOS symptoms under control at an early age may help to reduce this risk.
What can I do about having PCOS?
While you can't cure PCOS, you can treat it. A healthy lifestyle is very important, including healthy eating and daily exercise. There are excellent long-term medications to help you manage irregular periods, hair growth, and acne. Ask your doctor about the various options, including hormone treatment and insulin-sensitizing medications. For more information on healthy eating and daily exercise if you have PCOS, read this Healthy Lifestyle Guide.
What is the treatment for PCOS?
The most common form of treatment for PCOS is the birth control pill. Birth control pills contain hormone medicine. Your doctor may prescribe birth control pills because they contain the hormones that your body needs to treat your PCOS. By taking the birth control pill either continuously or in cycles you can:
* correct the hormone imbalance
* lower the level of testosterone which will improve acne and lessen hair growth
* regulate your menstrual periods
* lower the risk of endometrial cancer (which is higher in young women who don’t ovulate regularly)
Is there any other medicine to treat PCOS?
Metformin is a medicine that helps the body lower the insulin level. It is especially helpful in girls who have high levels of insulin or have pre-diabetes or diabetes. If you have PCOS, your doctor may also ask you to take an oral glucose tolerance test which measures your body's ability to use glucose. This will help your doctor find out if you are more likely to get diabetes. You will need to have your kidney and liver function checked before taking metformin. It is important to discuss with your doctor whether this medicine is right for you. Sometimes girls are treated with both metformin and birth control pills at the same time. If you are getting ready to have a glucose tolerance test, read this guide to help you prepare for the test and understand what the results might mean.
Ask your doctor about treating hair growth
Only you and your doctor can decide which treatment is right for you. Options may include bleaching, waxing, depilatories, spironolactone (spi-ro-no-lac-tone) which is an anti-hair growth medication, electrolysis, and laser treatment.
Ask your doctor about treatment for acne
There are various ways to treat acne, including the birth control pill, topical creams, oral antibiotics, and other medications.
Ask your doctor about a weight loss plan
If you are overweight, losing weight may reduce some of the symptoms of PCOS. Talk to your doctor or nutritionist about healthy ways to lose weight and increase your exercise. Following a nutrition plan that helps manage insulin levels may help girls with PCOS manage their weight too. It also keeps your heart healthy and lowers your risk of developing diabetes.
* Choose nutritious, high-fiber carbohydrates instead of sugary carbohydrates.
* Balance carbohydrates with protein and healthy fats.
* Eat small meals and snacks throughout the day instead of large meals.
* Exercise regularly to help manage insulin levels and your weight.
What if I have worries about having PCOS?
If you have been told you have PCOS, you may feel frustrated or sad. You may also feel relieved that at last there is an explanation and treatment for the problems you have been having with keeping a healthy weight, having excess body hair, acne, or irregular periods. Having a diagnosis without an easy cure can be difficult. However, it is important for girls with PCOS to know they are not alone. Finding a doctor who knows a lot about PCOS and who you feel comfortable talking to is very important. Keeping a positive attitude and working on a healthy lifestyle even when results seem to take a long time is very important too! Many girls with PCOS tell us that talking with a counselor about their concerns can be very helpful. Other girls recommend Internet chats.
What else do I need to know?
It is important to follow-up regularly with your doctor and make sure you take all the medications prescribed to regulate your periods and lessen your chance of getting diabetes and other problems. Because you have a slightly higher chance of developing diabetes, your doctor may suggest that you have your blood sugar tested once a year or have a glucose challenge test every few years. Quitting smoking (or never starting) will also improve your overall health.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormone imbalance that can cause irregular periods, unwanted hair growth, and acne. PCOS begins during the teenage years and can be mild or severe.
What are the signs of PCOS?
Young women with PCOS commonly have one or more signs. Some of the most common signs include:
* irregular periods – periods that come every few months, not at all, or too often
* extra hair on your face or other parts of your body, called “hirsutism” (her-suit-is-em)
* acne
* weight gain and/or trouble losing weight
* patches of dark skin on the back of your neck and other areas, called “acanthosis nigricans” (a-can-tho-sis ni-gri-cans)
Could I have PCOS?
If you have some or all of the above signs, you might have PCOS. There may be other reasons why you might have one or more of these signs. Only your doctor can tell for sure. If you do have PCOS, you'll want to know what causes it and how to treat it. Check out this quiz to help you find out if you might have PCOS.
What causes PCOS?
No one knows the exact cause of PCOS. Still, we do know that PCOS results from an imbalance in the hormones in your brain and your ovaries. Hormones are natural body chemicals that affect or control other parts of your body. Many girls with PCOS also have too much insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps turn food into energy. It may be that the ovaries react to this extra insulin by making too much testosterone, which is also a hormone. This can lead to acne, excess body hair, weight gain, and irregular periods.
1. The pituitary (pi-tu-i-tary) gland in your brain makes the luteinizing (lu-tin-iz-ing) hormone and the follicle (fall-ih-call)-stimulating hormone (LH and FSH).
2. After getting the signal from the LH and FSH hormones, the ovaries make estrogen (es-tro-gen) and progesterone (pro-ges-ter-one), the female sex hormones. All normal ovaries also make a little bit of the androgen testosterone (an-dro-gen teh-stass-tuh-rone), the male sex hormone.
3. The pancreas (pang-cre-us) is an organ that makes the hormone insulin. High levels of insulin can also cause the ovaries to make more of the testosterone hormone.
Why are my periods so irregular?
Having PCOS means that your ovaries are not getting the right hormonal signals from your pituitary gland. Without these signals, you will not ovulate (make eggs). Your period may be irregular or you may not have a period at all.
Let’s review a regular menstrual cycle.
* The menstrual cycle starts when the brain sends LH and FSH to the ovaries. A big surge of LH is the signal that tells the ovaries to ovulate, or release a ripe egg.
* The egg travels down the fallopian tube and into the uterus. Progesterone from the ovary tells the lining of the uterus to thicken.
* If the egg isn't fertilized, the lining of the uterus is shed. This shedding is your menstrual cycle or period.
* After the menstrual period, the cycle begins all over again.
The diagram on top shows a normal menstrual cycle. The diagram on the bottom shows a PCOS cycle where the menstrual cycle stops just before ovulation. As a result, girls with PCOS may ovulate occasionally or not at all. Their periods may be too close together or, more often, too far apart. Some girls may not get a period at all.
Now, let's look at what happens during a menstrual cycle with PCOS.
* With PCOS, LH levels are often high when the menstrual cycle starts. The levels of LH are also higher than FSH levels.
* Because the LH levels are already quite high, the surge that sets off the chain reaction causing ovulation does not happen. Without this LH surge, ovulation does not occur and periods are irregular.
What types of tests will my doctor do to diagnose PCOS?
Your doctor will ask you a lot of questions about your menstrual cycle and your general health and then do a complete physical examination. You most likely will need to have a blood test to check your hormone levels, as well as your blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Your doctor may also want you to have an ultrasound test of your uterus and ovaries. An ultrasound creates images so the doctor can see what's happening inside your body.
Does PCOS mean I have cysts on my ovaries?
The term "polycystic ovaries" means that there are lots of tiny cysts, or bumps, inside of the ovaries. Some young women with PCOS have these cysts; many others do not. Even if you do have them, they are not harmful and do not need to be removed.
Why do I get acne and/or extra hair on my body?
Acne and extra hair on your face and body can happen if your body is making too much testosterone. All women make testosterone, but if you have PCOS, your ovaries make a little bit more testosterone than they are supposed to. Skin cells and hair follicles are extremely sensitive to the slight increases in testosterone found in young women with PCOS.
Why do I have patches of dark skin?
Many adolescents with PCOS have higher levels of insulin in their blood. Higher levels of insulin can sometimes cause patches of darkened skin on the back of your neck, under your arms, and in your groin area (inside upper thighs).
Will PCOS affect my ability to have children some day?
Women with PCOS have a normal uterus and healthy eggs. Many women with PCOS have trouble getting pregnant, but some women have no trouble at all. If you are concerned about your fertility (ability to get pregnant) in the future, talk to your doctor about all the new options available, including medications to lower your insulin levels and to help you ovulate each month.
Does PCOS put me at risk for other conditions?
If you have PCOS, you may be at higher risk for other health problems. Women with PCOS often have low levels of the hormone progesterone. Progesterone causes the endometrium to shed each month as your period. If you don't have enough progesterone, the endometrium becomes thick, which can cause heavy or irregular bleeding. In time, this can lead to endometrial hyperplasia or cancer for some women. Women with PCOS are also at higher risk for diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Getting your PCOS symptoms under control at an early age may help to reduce this risk.
What can I do about having PCOS?
While you can't cure PCOS, you can treat it. A healthy lifestyle is very important, including healthy eating and daily exercise. There are excellent long-term medications to help you manage irregular periods, hair growth, and acne. Ask your doctor about the various options, including hormone treatment and insulin-sensitizing medications. For more information on healthy eating and daily exercise if you have PCOS, read this Healthy Lifestyle Guide.
What is the treatment for PCOS?
The most common form of treatment for PCOS is the birth control pill. Birth control pills contain hormone medicine. Your doctor may prescribe birth control pills because they contain the hormones that your body needs to treat your PCOS. By taking the birth control pill either continuously or in cycles you can:
* correct the hormone imbalance
* lower the level of testosterone which will improve acne and lessen hair growth
* regulate your menstrual periods
* lower the risk of endometrial cancer (which is higher in young women who don’t ovulate regularly)
Is there any other medicine to treat PCOS?
Metformin is a medicine that helps the body lower the insulin level. It is especially helpful in girls who have high levels of insulin or have pre-diabetes or diabetes. If you have PCOS, your doctor may also ask you to take an oral glucose tolerance test which measures your body's ability to use glucose. This will help your doctor find out if you are more likely to get diabetes. You will need to have your kidney and liver function checked before taking metformin. It is important to discuss with your doctor whether this medicine is right for you. Sometimes girls are treated with both metformin and birth control pills at the same time. If you are getting ready to have a glucose tolerance test, read this guide to help you prepare for the test and understand what the results might mean.
Ask your doctor about treating hair growth
Only you and your doctor can decide which treatment is right for you. Options may include bleaching, waxing, depilatories, spironolactone (spi-ro-no-lac-tone) which is an anti-hair growth medication, electrolysis, and laser treatment.
Ask your doctor about treatment for acne
There are various ways to treat acne, including the birth control pill, topical creams, oral antibiotics, and other medications.
Ask your doctor about a weight loss plan
If you are overweight, losing weight may reduce some of the symptoms of PCOS. Talk to your doctor or nutritionist about healthy ways to lose weight and increase your exercise. Following a nutrition plan that helps manage insulin levels may help girls with PCOS manage their weight too. It also keeps your heart healthy and lowers your risk of developing diabetes.
* Choose nutritious, high-fiber carbohydrates instead of sugary carbohydrates.
* Balance carbohydrates with protein and healthy fats.
* Eat small meals and snacks throughout the day instead of large meals.
* Exercise regularly to help manage insulin levels and your weight.
What if I have worries about having PCOS?
If you have been told you have PCOS, you may feel frustrated or sad. You may also feel relieved that at last there is an explanation and treatment for the problems you have been having with keeping a healthy weight, having excess body hair, acne, or irregular periods. Having a diagnosis without an easy cure can be difficult. However, it is important for girls with PCOS to know they are not alone. Finding a doctor who knows a lot about PCOS and who you feel comfortable talking to is very important. Keeping a positive attitude and working on a healthy lifestyle even when results seem to take a long time is very important too! Many girls with PCOS tell us that talking with a counselor about their concerns can be very helpful. Other girls recommend Internet chats.
What else do I need to know?
It is important to follow-up regularly with your doctor and make sure you take all the medications prescribed to regulate your periods and lessen your chance of getting diabetes and other problems. Because you have a slightly higher chance of developing diabetes, your doctor may suggest that you have your blood sugar tested once a year or have a glucose challenge test every few years. Quitting smoking (or never starting) will also improve your overall health.
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