Pcos how do i know if i have it

If fertility medicines are not effective, a simple surgical procedure called laparoscopic ovarian drilling LOD may be recommended. This involves using heat or a laser to destroy the tissue in the ovaries that's producing androgens, such as testosterone.

Page last reviewed: 01 February Next review due: 01 February The 3 main features of PCOS are: irregular periods — which means your ovaries do not regularly release eggs ovulation excess androgen — high levels of "male" hormones in your body, which may cause physical signs such as excess facial or body hair polycystic ovaries — your ovaries become enlarged and contain many fluid-filled sacs follicles that surround the eggs but despite the name, you do not actually have cysts if you have PCOS If you have at least 2 of these features, you may be diagnosed with PCOS.

Polycystic ovaries Polycystic ovaries contain a large number of harmless follicles that are up to 8mm approximately 0. More than half of these women do not have any symptoms. A healthy lifestyle can help you manage PCOS.

Eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly can help ease some of the possible physical and mental issues associated with PCOS. Exercising regularly can also reduce your risk of diabetes and improve your chances of getting pregnant.

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Contact us Help. You are here: Home News and events 7 signs you might have polycystic ovarian syndrome. It's important to get those symptoms caused by male hormones under control because even though they're cosmetic, they can impact your quality of life. That may mean prescribing hormonal birth control if you're not trying to start a family. JC: At all stages of PCOS, we worry about possible future development of heart disease, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and stroke, along with type 2 diabetes.

I want to help my patients maintain a healthy lifestyle by eating well and getting recommended levels of exercise, like we talked about before. This helps reduce risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes in the future. When you've finished menopause , estrogen and testosterone hormones come down naturally, and then PCOS symptoms can improve.

A reproductive endocrinologist can help. Skip to content. Jessica Chan. You need to meet 2 of these 3 "official" criteria to be diagnosed:.

Irregular, heavy, or missed periods due to missed ovulation—the release of an egg from your ovaries. This also keeps you from becoming pregnant. Signs of higher-than-normal levels of androgens—male hormones that women also have.

Page last reviewed: 01 February Next review due: 01 February Some women only experience menstrual problems or are unable to conceive, or both. Common symptoms of PCOS include: irregular periods or no periods at all difficulty getting pregnant because of irregular ovulation or failure to ovulate excessive hair growth hirsutism — usually on the face, chest, back or buttocks weight gain thinning hair and hair loss from the head oily skin or acne You should talk to your GP if you have any of these symptoms and think you may have PCOS.

Fertility problems PCOS is one of the most common causes of female infertility.