A Closer Look at the Effects of PCOS and How It Impacts You
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a complex disorder of ovarian reproductive steroid hormone
production and cycling that affects approximately 25 percent of women worldwide, and affects reproductive and metabolic health.
What Causes PCOS?
The exact cause is unknown, and it tends to run in families. To be diagnosed with it you must have at least two of the following:
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Irregular Menstrual Periods
These can typically be 35-50 days apart but often periods can skip months at a time or even be absent in severe cases.
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Higher Level of Androgens
Your laboratory blood tests demonstrate a higher level of androgens produced by the ovary, i.e., male
hormones such as testosterone.
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Sacs or Cysts On the Ovaries
The ovaries, when imaged with ultrasound, are slightly enlarged and contain multiple, tiny fluid-filled sacs, or cysts, on their surfaces.
How Do the Effects of PCOS Impact My Period?
In order to have regular menstrual bleeding, the ovary must release an egg (oocyte) once per month, which normally happens about 2 weeks after you begin a menstrual period.
Ovulation is under the control of the pituitary gland. Ovulation will cause the ovary to produce progesterone, the hormone that will be produced and support the uterine lining for the rest of the cycle. If you aren’t pregnant, the ovary will stop producing progesterone, and its absence triggers the uterus to release all of its lining as a period.
Women with PCOS, due to a derangement of communication between the pituitary gland and the ovary, do not ovulate regularly every month. They may only ovulate 4-5 times per year: Therefore, since ovulation is irregular, menstrual periods occur irregularly.
Can I Have Children If I Have PCOS?
Most women with PCOS do indeed have children successfully. However, since ovulation may occur less often in women with PCOS, their opportunities for an egg to be released, encounter a sperm, and be fertilized may be reduced.
Many women with PCOS spontaneously conceive, but when pregnancy isn’t forthcoming, medical assistance to stimulate ovulation often successfully results in pregnancy.
If you wish to avoid pregnancy, do not assume you are infertile just because you may have irregular periods. You should still use a contraceptive method in that case.
Why Are PCOS Patients Advised to Consider Treatment With Birth Control Pills?
Another effect of PCOS is that the ovaries not only produce estrogen and progesterone irregularly, but they also are programmed to release slightly greater amounts of androgens as noted above.
These hormones stimulate hair follicles on the face to begin producing dark thicker hairs in young adult women which can be cosmetically annoying. Birth control pills will suppress the ovary’s ability to produce these hormones and reduce the development of facial hair.
Not only will birth control pills suppress the release of male hormones, the release of estrogen and progesterone will be suppressed also. These pills allow your body to get the proper amounts of these steroids needed in a cyclic manner to regulate the frequency of menses. The use of these pills can protect you from losing a lot of blood with menses which can happen if you don’t have a period for several months.
Can the Effects of PCOS Cause Other Health Problems Not Related to Reproduction?
PCOS can be associated with difficulty controlling weight gain. Insulin resistance, a condition in which higher levels of insulin are needed to do the job of storing glucose, is also associated with PCOS, so the risk of developing type 2 diabetes is elevated.
The risks of hyperlipidemia and coronary artery disease later in life is also increased. These risks can be reduced by working with your primary care physician to manage weight and cholesterol with medication, if necessary, and by incorporating regular exercise as a healthy habit.
Not Sure If You’re Feeling the Effects of PCOS? Schedule an Appointment With Us
PCOS presents many challenges, and we want you to know that we will work closely with you to discover the most effective treatment tailored just for you. Contact us to schedule an appointment.
