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Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is the most common ovulation disorder. It affects or disrupts the menstrual cycle in women and can lead to infertility issues.
The treatment success rate for PCOS is quite high. Most women who seek medical help can become pregnant through lifestyle changes, reasonable weight loss, and basic infertility treatments and medications.
How Does PCOS Develop?
Under normal conditions, during a woman’s menstrual cycle, many small follicles develop in the ovaries, producing eggs. In the middle of the cycle, during ovulation, an egg is released from the ovaries, and other follicles break down.
However, in women with PCOS, ovulation does not occur properly, and eggs are not released.
Instead of breaking down, the follicles fill with fluid and turn into cysts in the ovaries. Therefore, it is called polycystic ovary syndrome. Cysts are not harmful, but if left untreated, they can lead to hormonal imbalances that may negatively affect fertility.
What Are the Symptoms of PCOS?
The symptoms associated with PCOS vary from patient to patient. Most of the symptoms are related to excessive male hormone (androgen) production. Some common symptoms in women are:
- Irregular, infrequent, or absent menstrual bleeding
- Excessive hair growth on the face and body
- Infertility or miscarriage
- Thinning hair on the scalp
- Weight gain or obesity
- Insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes
- Acne
What is the Connection Between PCOS and Hormonal Imbalances?
Hormonal imbalances lay the foundation for most of the symptoms associated with PCOS.
Women with PCOS have irregular production of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). As a result, egg development is limited. There is an increase in testosterone and other typical male hormones.
Therefore, hormonal blood tests are performed as diagnostic tests in PCOS.
The levels of androgen hormones also rise due to abnormal insulin metabolism. The abnormal insulin mechanism associated with PCOS often leads to obesity. It causes anovulation (lack of ovulation). This disrupts ovulation and sometimes egg quality.
What is the Connection Between PCOS and Insulin Resistance?
In most people, insulin activity works effectively. In the case of insulin resistance, cells are less sensitive to insulin, so excess insulin is produced by the pancreas to maintain normal blood sugar levels. The excess insulin in the blood is thought to trigger most of the hormonal changes seen in PCOS.
What is the Connection Between PCOS and Obesity?
Obesity worsens insulin resistance levels. Research shows that excess abdominal fat further exacerbates insulin resistance.
Even a 10% weight loss can normalize hormone levels and increase a woman’s chances of getting pregnant.
What Services Do We Offer?
The first step in confirming PCOS is that your doctor will thoroughly inquire about your history. A comprehensive examination is performed focusing on hormone anomalies and metabolic abnormalities.
During this examination, a detailed treatment plan is developed, and decisions are made regarding the need for further tests based on your symptoms.
What is a PCOS Test?
There is no specific test for diagnosing PCOS.
In women with irregular menstrual cycles, the diagnosis can be made when blood tests and physical symptoms show increased male hormone levels or when a typical PCOS appearance is seen on ultrasound.
In many women, the diagnosis of PCOS is made after evaluating infertility and miscarriage.
For your doctor to diagnose PCOS, your medical history and pelvic examination are required. Additional tests may also be needed to confirm the diagnosis. Blood tests to check hormone levels are critical.
Your final diagnosis is made by evaluating clinical, ultrasound, and laboratory findings, which may include one or more of the following:
- Blood hormone levels; determined by a blood test that measures the levels of specific hormones in the blood, such as FSH, LH, estrogen (estradiol), and androgens.
- Ultrasound; detects cysts in the ovaries.
- Medical history and pelvic examination
- Endometrial biopsy; may be needed to explain the cause of irregular menstrual bleeding.
What Are the Treatments for PCOS?
Treatment plans for PCOS are determined based on the individual’s specific needs.
With diet and exercise, most of the general PCOS symptoms in women can be successfully managed.
However, to increase fertility, ovulation-stimulating medications (clomiphene citrate, aromatase inhibitors, or gonadotropin therapy) and metformin treatment to help ovulation and pregnancy are often necessary.
Your IVF doctor and clinical team will work with you to create a treatment plan that suits your goal of expanding your family. Some treatments provided are as follows:
- Fertility medications like clomiphene citrate to help with ovulation
- Diabetes medications like metformin that make the body more insulin-sensitive, leading to more regular ovulation
- IVF, which offers the best chance for pregnancy in any given cycle…
- Changes in diet and lifestyle
In this article, we discussed “What is PCOS” on behalf of Kalem Bebek. You can visit our website for more information about IVF and pregnancy processes.
