Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is sometimes called polycystitis, although that term is general and could refer to other types of polycystic disorders. PCOS is a health condition that can affect a woman's menstrual cycle, her heart, ability to have children, hormone levels, blood vessels and appearance. The symptoms of PCOS are typically:
  - missed or irregular periods
  - high levels of androgens, also called male hormones (although women produce smaller amounts of them naturally)
  - small cysts on the ovaries
  - acne
  - weight gain, typically around the waist
  - thinning hair on the head, but increased hair growth on the face and body
  - type 2 diabetes
  
  

See a Doctor

• If a woman suspects she might have PCOS, she should see her family physician or gynecologist and discuss all of symptoms she has. Statistically, 10 percent of women of childbearing age have PCOS, and it can occur in girls as young as 11. A doctor will do a physical examination and take a woman's medical history to determine whether or not she has PCOS. A woman should allow any symptoms, such as body hair growth, to show for the examination.
  
  

Birth Control Pills as Treatment

• Birth control pills are the most common treatment for PCOS. Birth control pills control hormone levels, producing regular periods and reducing the male hormone levels that cause male symptoms like body hair growth and baldness. The pill contains two female hormones, progestin and estrogen, which are similar to the hormones produced by the ovaries. In women with PCOS, the ovaries do not produce enough hormones to allow an egg to fully mature and be released from its follicle inside the ovary. Follicles can start to build up fluid, but never release the egg. Some follicles remain as cysts. If an egg is not released, the hormone progesterone is not produced and the menstrual cycle stalls. The hormones in birth control pills restart the cycle and get it on a regular schedule.
  
  Other effects of the pill are reduced acne; reduced chances of developing endometrial cancer (lining of the uterus), ovarian cancer and ovarian cysts; lighter periods; possibly less menstrual cramping; and less unwanted hair. These effects may take several months to show improvement.
  
  Birth control pills are not the ideal treatment for women who are trying to become pregnant. The pill is not a cure. If a woman discontinues treatment with an oral contraceptive, PCOS symptoms will return.
  
  

Other treatment options

• Besides birth control pills, other treatments include:
  - diabetes medication
  - fertility medication
  - anti-androgens, or medication to reduce male hormones and hair growth
  - surgery
  - lifestyle modifications to control weight, insulin and hormone levels