PCOS, which is short for Polycystic ovarian syndrome, can be an extremely frustrating condition for many women. Some of the symptoms of PCOS can include irregular periods, vaginal bleeding, hair loss, irregular hair growth, acne, insulin resistance, weight gain in the upper body, sleep apnea, chronic pelvic pain, high blood pressure, and infertility. For women who are trying to get pregnant, this can be very disheartening; even if they do manage to conceive, women with PCOS are at an increased risk for miscarriages.

For a woman who wishes to become pregnant, the way to treat her PCOS is to treat the symptom of infertility. One of the most popular treatments is Clomid. Clomid is used to stimulate ovulation. Clomid will help around 4 out of 5 women ovulate, and can greatly increase a woman’s chances of becoming pregnant. Clomid does carry an increased risk of having a multiple or twin pregnancy.

If Clomid does not successfully treat infertility, the next step is often to use hormones to try to stimulate the ovaries into producing eggs. Here again, this treatment, referred to as ovarian stimulation, carries the risk of multiple or twin pregnancy.

There is a surgical procedure that is similar to ovarian stimulation. Known as Ovarian drilling, this operation uses the making of several small holes in each ovary with a fine probe or laser. For some women, this can restore ovulation, or at least make their ovaries more likely to respond to Clomid.

A more radical procedure, IVF or in vitro fertilization, remains an option for a woman who has not responded to other treatments. The success rates of IVF can vary greatly depending on a variety of individual factors, including the length of infertility, weight, and age.

The higher levels of glucose and insulin that, for about a third of women, accompany PCOS, may be responsible for a higher miscarriage rate once becoming pregnant. Some studies suggest that women with PCOS will have a miscarriage rate that is as much as 45% higher than women without PCOS. In addition to problems with glucose and insulin, the late ovulation that sometimes accompanies PCOS can reduce the quality of her eggs, further adding to the chance of miscarriage.

The most effective way for a woman with PCOS to prevent miscarriage is to try to get her hormone levels normalized. This will improve ovulation. In addition, normalizing blood sugar and glucose levels can help to reduce the risk of miscarriage.

While there is no cure for PCOS, there are a variety of treatments that are available for PCOS. Some health care providers will recommend diabetic medications, such as Metformin, to help the patient with PCOS. Also known as Glucophage, this medication impacts the way that insulin regulates glucose, and it also helps to cause a decrease in the production of testosterone. This can help ovulation to return, and can also help to slow down the irregular hair growth. For women who are trying to conceive, Clomid or other fertility medications may be used to help the woman’s ovulatory cycle stabilize. These medications may help control other side effects, as well.

The disease known as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, or PCOS for short, is characterized by a variety of symptoms. They can include irregular periods, vaginal bleeding, hair loss, irregular hair growth, acne, insulin resistance, weight gain in the upper body, sleep apnea, chronic pelvic pain, high blood pressure, and infertility. Another symptom can be the presence of cysts on the ovaries, hence the name Poly (many) cystic (cysts) ovarian (on the ovaries) syndrome.

A cyst refers to a sac that is filled with fluid. An ovarian cyst is one of these sacs that is found on the surface of the ovaries. Most of the time, these cysts are undiagnosed and will not have any symptoms. Most of the time, cysts on the ovaries are harmless. Sometimes, however, they can lead to serious problems such as PCOS. Somewhere between four and ten percent of women will develop PCOS. Many of the symptoms of PCOS are due to the activity of the ovarian cysts, and how they interact with the woman’s body.

Ovarian cysts can sometimes cause problems other than those associated with PCOS. They can cause a woman to feel discomfort while having intercourse. Sometimes, the ovarian cysts will bleed or rupture, which can cause a great deal of pain in the pelvis. In rare cases, ovarian cysts can turn cancerous.

Ovarian Cysts, especially in the case of a woman with PCOS, are often treated with birth control pills. The pill can help keep the menstrual cycle regular, and it can also reduce the levels of male hormones. Birth control pills may also help to clear acne associated with PCOS.

Birth control pills are not always a good option, however. Many women who have PCOS only discover that they have it because they are trying to conceive. In these cases, Clomid or other fertility medications may be used to help the woman’s ovulatory cycle stabilize. These medications may help control other side effects, as well.

Some health care providers will recommend diabetic medications, such as Metformin, to help the patient with PCOS. Also known as Glucophage, this medication impacts the way that insulin regulates glucose, and it also helps to cause a decrease in the production of testosterone. This can help ovulation to return, and can also help to slow down the irregular hair growth.

There are medications available that will also help with the extra male hormones present in the woman’s systems. Spironolactone is a medication that is typically used for blood pressure, but is also known to help reduce hair growth. Some research suggests that Propecia, a medication used by men to combat hair loss, can also help with unwanted hair.

There are surgical options for the woman with PCOS as well. Ovarian cysts can be removed through surgery if they are causing pain and/or other problems. Sometimes, a surgeon will want to remove the affected ovary.

Not all women with PCOS will actually have ovarian cysts.

PCOS, which is short for Polycystic ovarian syndrome, can be an extremely frustrating condition for many women. Some of the symptoms of PCOS can include irregular periods, vaginal bleeding, hair loss, irregular hair growth, acne, insulin resistance, weight gain in the upper body, sleep apnea, chronic pelvic pain, high blood pressure, and infertility. For women who are trying to get pregnant, this can be very disheartening; even if they do manage to conceive, women with PCOS are at an increased risk for miscarriages.

As with many other health concerns, genetics may be an important factor in PCOS. Some research suggests that the female children of a woman with PCOS have somewhere around a 50% chance of developing PCOS themselves. Frequently, a woman who has PCOS will have a mother or a sister who also has PCOS.

Other studies suggest an important link between PCOS and a variety of hormonal changes. These can include:

- Androgens. Androgens are hormones that can cause a variety of problems, such as hair appearing in odd places and acne, and it can also interfere with the process of ovulation.

- Ovarian hormones. The hormones that trigger ovulation are an important part of a woman’s cycle. If these hormones are not at the correct levels, the ovaries will not relapse an egg each month and ovulation will not occur.

- Insulin and blood sugar. Roughly 50% of the women who suffer from PCOS will have difficulty with the way that there body uses insulin. This is known as insulin resistance. Insulin resistance causes their blood sugar levels to grow to dangerous levels. IN some instances, this can even lead to diabetes.

The higher levels of glucose and insulin that, for about a third of women, accompany PCOS, may be responsible for a higher miscarriage rate. Some studies suggest that women with PCOS will have a miscarriage rate that is as much as 45% higher than women without PCOS. In addition to problems with glucose and insulin, the late ovulation that sometimes accompanies PCOS can reduce the quality of her eggs, further adding to the chance of miscarriage.

The most effective way for a woman with PCOS to prevent miscarriage is to try to get her hormone levels normalized. This will improve ovulation. In addition, normalizing blood sugar and glucose levels can help to reduce the risk of miscarriage.

While there is no cure for PCOS, there are a variety of treatments that are available for PCOS. Some health care providers will recommend diabetic medications, such as Metformin, to help the patient with PCOS. Also known as Glucophage, this medication impacts the way that insulin regulates glucose, and it also helps to cause a decrease in the production of testosterone. This can help ovulation to return, and can also help to slow down the irregular hair growth. For women who are trying to conceive, Clomid or other fertility medications may be used to help the woman’s ovulatory cycle stabilize. These medications may help control other side effects, as well.

PCOS, also known as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, affects around six percent of women in the United States. Women with PCOS experience a variety of symptoms, including irregular menstruation, facial and body hair, hair loss, weight gain in the upper body, acne, and cysts on the ovaries.

Women who have PCOS often become insulin resistant. Insulin resistance is a condition in which the body does not correctly process insulin. As a result, levels of sugar increase in the blood. This can lead to diabetes and a variety of other problems. This increased amount of insulin is thought to lead to an increased production of androgens, or male hormones. These hormones are often responsible for many of the symptoms of PCOS, including facial and body hair, hair loss, and weight gain. Some studies even suggest that insulin resistance is a cause, rather than a result, of PCOS. Around a third of women who have PCOS will also have insulin resistance.

Some factors that increase your risk of becoming insulin resistant include:

- Age. If you are over 40, you are at higher risk.

- Family history. This includes a history of Type II diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease.

- Weight. Being overweight puts you at increased risk.

If you have PCOS, you should talk with your health care provider about insulin resistance. Insulin resistance can be diagnosed with a simple test that will check your body’s tolerance for glucose. If your insulin resistance is not treated, it can create a variety of problems, including diabetes, kidney damage, vision loss, nerve damage, and heart problems.

Insulin resistance can be treated with medications, such as Metformin, that control glucose production in the body, and thereby reduces your body’s needs for insulin. Also known as Glucophage, this medication impacts the way that insulin regulates glucose, and it also helps to cause a decrease in the production of testosterone. This can help ovulation to return, and can also help to slow down the irregular hair growth. Weight reduction may also help with your insulin resistance, as will other medications, known as insulin-sensitizing agents. Treating insulin resistance may be the best way to treat PCOS.

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, known as PCOS for short, is one of the leading causes of infertility among women. While there is no known cure for PCOS, it may be possible for a woman with PCOS to become pregnant with the right treatment or treatments.

Most women with PCOS will not experience any major problems with trying to conceive. However, for those that do, PCOS can be an extremely frustrating condition. PCOS can cause a variety of problems, from a delay in conception to higher miscarriage rates to complications with pregnancy. For some women, the first symptoms of PCOS are that they are having very few or even no periods. This typically is measured by having less than 9 periods in a twelve month timeframe. Some women with PCOS will have no period whatsoever. Some will have regular periods, but may not ovulate every month, or at all.

For a woman who wishes to become pregnant, the way to treat her PCOS is to treat the symptom of infertility. One of the most popular treatments is Clomid. Clomid is used to stimulate ovulation. Clomid will help around 4 out of 5 women ovulate, and can greatly increase a woman’s chances of becoming pregnant. Clomid does carry an increased risk of having a multiple or twin pregnancy.

If Clomid does not successfully treat infertility, the next step is often to use hormones to try to stimulate the ovaries into producing eggs. Here again, this treatment, referred to as ovarian stimulation, carries the risk of multiple or twin pregnancy.
There is a surgical procedure that is similar to ovarian stimulation. Known as Ovarian drilling, this operation uses the making of several small holes in each ovary with a fine probe or laser. For some women, this can restore ovulation, or at least make their ovaries more likely to respond to Clomid.

A more radical procedure, IVF or in vitro fertilization, remains an option for a woman who has not responded to other treatments. The success rates of IVF can vary greatly depending on a variety of individual factors, including the length of infertility, weight, and age.

While PCOS can be responsible for infertility, there are a variety of ways that this infertility may be able to be treated.