Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) causes hormonal and metabolic problems in some women. It can have various symptoms. Read on to learn more about signs you might have this condition.
1. Menstruation Problems
Women with PCOS often have problems with their menstruation cycle. For example, you might have fewer or more periods than normal. Your menstruation cycle might be irregular and hard to predict.
Or, you might regularly skip a period for no reason. In some cases, women with PCOS have no periods at all. This can last for a few months or can be a permanent problem.
2. Weight Problems
Women with PCOS typically find it hard to lose weight. They might gain weight even if they try to lose it or stay at a stable level. This happens because PCOS affects how your hormones work. It prevents your body from processing insulin and causes insulin resistance.
When this happens, your body doesn't convert insulin into energy completely and allows unconverted insulin to turn into excess glucose in your blood. This encourages weight gain and is a barrier to weight loss.
As well as affecting your weight, insulin resistance can cause other health conditions. For example, you might be more likely to develop diabetes if you have undiagnosed or untreated PCOS.
3. Hair and Skin Problems
If you have high insulin levels in your bloodstream, then your body produces more of the androgen hormone. This hormone can make changes to your hair and skin.
Androgen is a male hormone so you might start to grow more hair in unexpected areas. For example, you might grow hair on your face, especially on your chin. Or, you might start to lose some hair on your head. You might start to show balding in areas traditionally associated with male baldness.
Excess androgen can also trigger spots and acne. Here, you usually get outbreaks on your chest, back, and/or face.
Some women with PCOS also notice that parts of their skin become darker than usual. This darkening usually occurs in areas of the body with skin creases. So, you might see some color changes under your breasts or in folds around your neck.
4. Fertility Problems
PCOS can also affect fertility. Its hormonal problems affect your ovaries, so your body won't produce eggs correctly. If you have symptoms of PCOS and are struggling to get pregnant, then this might be the cause of your problems.
If you think that you might have PCOS, then schedule an appointment with a gynecology clinic. A gynecologist can evaluate your symptoms and run tests to see if you do have this condition. They can then recommend relevant treatments.
Contact a local gynecologist to learn more.
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