Everything Women Need To Know About PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome)

PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) is a grouping of symptoms rather than the simple existence of cysts on the ovaries. While these cysts do tend to appear in women with the problem, these don't seem to be the abnormality that causes the most difficult symptoms. Understanding this grouping and why it happens is helpful when seeking treatment.

With any chronic disease, it's easier to cope with when the patient empowers herself with information. When she has a good idea of the problem, she can assess whether she's happy with how she's being treated, seek supportive, holistic aides and can generally feel more comfortable with the problem she has.

It's important that patients don't attempt to diagnose themselves through the internet or other methods. A clinical opinion is an absolute necessity. With problems of cysts on the ovaries, symptoms can be severe, so it's crucial that the patient seek guidance through a clinician, preferably a gynecologist.

The only symptom in this disorder that must be present if a positive diagnosis is to be made is irregular menstrual periods or the absence of menstruation for three months or more. All other symptoms may or may not be present when a diagnosis is made. These vary from woman to woman.

The primary cause of these other symptoms is caused by excess male hormones, or androgens. The result of this could be oily skin, excess hair growth on the body, male pattern baldness, oily skin and acne. Other symptoms occur that aren't related to androgens. They include infertility, weight gain or obesity, dandruff, high cholesterol and skin discoloration.

Cysts on the ovaries may not be present, and a patient may qualify for positive diagnosis even if she has no ovarian cysts. These cysts don't seem to be the causal factor for symptoms. They are mentioned as part of the disorder only because they have a tendency to exist in most women who have the problem.

Women with this problem frequently have malfunctioning insulin levels. This might be one of the causes for the problem. However, a number of other suspected causes exist. Genetics seems to play a huge role. Most affected women have a family member who was affected by it too.

Slight chronic inflammation in the body may also be a contributing factor. It's also suspected that women may have been exposed to too much male hormone in the womb. When doctors make a diagnosis, it's important that they rule out a number of other potential problems that may cause the same symptoms. Patients should ensure that this ruling out is made, or the doctor may be suspected of having made a basket diagnosis.

Tumors on the ovaries must be checked for because they can produce the same symptoms. Low thyroid levels and prolactin must also be ruled out. Tumors on the adrenal gland can also produce high levels of androgen and needs to be checked for.

An ultrasound can be used to establish whether or not there are cysts, but even if there aren't any, a woman might still be diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) There are excellent methods of treatment for the disorder. Some are lifestyle related while others are clinical.


The Facts Involved With PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome)

PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) is a cluster of symptoms and not only the presence of ovarian cysts. Women who have the problem often do have cysts, but the difficult symptoms aren't actually caused by them. Knowing what's involved in the diagnosis of the disorder is helpful for women looking for the best treatment.

Chronic diseases tend to be easier to deal with when one is empowered with information about one's disorder. People who know what the issue is can decide whether they're happy with the way they're being treated and look for holistic measures to support the clinical help they're receiving. They also tend to feel more confident and at ease with their problem.

Diagnosing oneself through the web or other sources isn't advisable. It's necessary to seek a doctor's opinion on the matter. When one has symptoms that indicate that there may be ovarian cysts, it's important to get a doctor's opinion, especially a gynecologist's.

There is just one symptom that must exist before one can be diagnosed with the problem and that's irregular or absent periods for more than three months. The other symptoms involved don't have to be there for a woman to be diagnosed. They are different with every woman.

Excess androgens, or male hormones, are believed to be the main cause of the symptoms. This results in excess growth of hair on the body, male pattern baldness, oily skin and acne. There are other symptoms which aren't caused by androgens. They include weight gain, infertility, dandruff, skin discoloration and high cholesterol. How these are caused is a topic that's still being debated and investigated.

A woman can have the syndrome without having ovarian cysts, and she can have ovarian cysts without having the syndrome. The cysts don't appear to cause the symptoms at all. They're part of a diagnosis only due to the fact that so many who have the issue have cysts.

Malfunctioning insulin levels might be a cause for the problem. Doctors are unsure of the precise cause, though. There are many other suspected causes. Genes seem to play a role in it. Most women with it have others in their family who do as well.

A minor level of chronic inflammation might also cause it. There's also a suspicion that it's caused by exposure to excess male hormones as a fetus. When a diagnosis is made, the doctor must rule out other possibilities that can cause identical symptoms. Patients should make sure that this is done, or the doctor may make a basket diagnosis. Basket diagnoses occur when doctors aren't thorough, instead making a vague attempt to group symptoms under any easily found name.

Ovarian tumors must be ruled out because they create the same problems. So do low thyroid levels and prolactin. Adrenal gland tumors should also be looked for because they induce over production of androgen.

An internal ultrasound will probably be the chosen method for picking up the cysts, but if there are none, a positive diagnosis of PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome)can still be made. Treatment methods are many and various. There are some lifestyle changes to be made as well as clinical treatments.


All A Woman Needs To Know About PCOS (polycystic Ovary Syndrome)

PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) is a group of different symptoms and not, as many believe, simply the presence of ovarian cysts. In fact, these cysts aren't very important as a cause of the most challenging symptoms to cope with. Knowing about what makes up a diagnosis helps patients when they're being treated.

Chronic illness of any kind tends to be far easier to deal with for people with information about their disorder and the best treatment for it. This empowerment helps the patient to weigh up the quality of the care she's receiving and also aids in the seeking of holistic supportive measures. Generally, those with information feel more at ease with their problem.

Patients should try to make their own diagnosis using web sites or alternative sources. A medical opinion or two is particularly important. When one has ovarian cysts, there can be severe symptoms so it's absolutely crucial that a woman looks for the opinion of a medical professional. A gynecologist is best.

There is just one symptom that exists in every woman who has this disorder, and that's unstable or absent periods. These must have been absent for three or more months. The other symptoms vary between women, and don't have to exist for a diagnosis to be positive.

It's believed that the main causal factor is an increase in androgens. They result in one or more of the following symptoms: male pattern baldness, acne, oily skin, excess bodily hair and acne. There are other symptoms that aren't caused by androgens. They are obesity, weight gain, infertility, skin discoloration, high cholesterol and dandruff.

Ovarian cysts don't have to be there for a diagnosis to be made. Some women do, in fact, have cysts, and don't have PCOS. Cysts don't seem to be the cause of the problems associated with the disorder. They're mentioned in the symptom charts because most women with the disorder have them.

Insulin levels that aren't regular are thought to be a possible cause. There are, however, many problems that are suspected to be causal. It's believed that the disorder is familial because most women with it have it in their family trees too.

A minor level of bodily inflammation might also contribute to symptoms. Doctors also think that women with it might have been exposed to too much male hormone when they were in the womb. When a diagnosis is made, it's crucial that doctors rule out many other problems that create the same symptoms. Patients can watch that this is done to ensure they're not given a basket diagnosis.

Tumors on the ovaries can create the same problems, so they need to be ruled out. Women may also have low thyroid levels, and tumors on their adrenal glands. These cause a rise in androgen levels so they must be looked for before a diagnoses is made.

Internal ultrasounds are commonly done to find out if there are ovarian cysts, but if they're absent it doesn't mean the patient doesn't have PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome). Treatment is a combination of medicine and lifestyle improvement. These have excellent results.



