PCOS Awareness Month: PCOS and It's Impact on Fertility

 

September is for PCOS awareness! It's a common yet unspoken disorder amongst women. Here's a few things you should know about PCOS:

PCOS, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a group of symptoms rather than a specific disease. It is one of the leading causes of infertility in women. 1 out of 10 women are diagnosed with PCOS during gynecologic visits.

Polycystic Ovary syndrome results from hormonal imbalance in the body. There may or may not be cysts at the outer edges of the ovaries. These hormonal changes may lead to infertility, type 2 diabetics, increased risk of endometrial cancer.

                                    

A woman who has Polycystic Ovaries fails to ovulate or does not produce eggs during her cycle leading to irregular menstrual period or absence of it (Amenorrhea). The ovaries are the female reproductive organ that stores a lifetime supply of female eggs. They produce estrogen and progesterone which helps to regulate a woman's menstrual cycle and play a very important role in pregnancy. When there is an imbalance in production of these hormones, it leads to ovulation disorder. 

A woman with PCOS could also have an excess production of male hormone called androgen. This prevents the ovaries from releasing an egg (Ovulation) during each menstrual cycle. Androgens also messes up the production of the female sex hormones -- estrogen and progesterone. All these factors affects fertility in women.

What Causes PCOS?

The cause of Polycystic ovarian syndrome is not exactly known, however, there are contributing factors. They include:

•  Genetic factors or having a family history of PCOS
•  Excess androgen hormone. High levels of male hormones might prevent the ovaries from producing making eggs normally

Signs & Symptoms of PCOS

• Amenorrhea (absence of menstrual period) /irregular menstrual period
• Abnormal hair growth in a women’s face,chest, belly and back (Hirsutism)
• Acne
• Weight gain
• Rising blood sugar leading to pre-diabetics and diabetes
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol levels
• Increased risk of endometrial cancer

Treatment Options For Women With PCOS

Women with PCOS are usually not able to get pregnant because of the hormonal imbalance and irregular menstrual cycle. However the condition can be treated with lifestyle modification (discontinue smoking, dieting) and exercise (losing weight)

There are medical treatments available to help correct the ovarian dysfunction and lead to a normal pregnancy. They include Birth control pills (to cause regular menses and lower testosterone), Anti-androgen drugs, metformin (lowers insulin level), nutrition change, fertility drugs. Your specialist would be able to decide the best form of treatment for you.

Other treatment option is surgery. Your doctor might recommend Laparoscopic Ovarian Drilling procedure after all has been done and failed to restore ovulation. The result from the procedure would reduce testosterone production overtime and ovulation may occur.

Thank You For Reading! Do well to share with your loved ones.