PCOS patient education

Polycystic ovarian
syndrome (PCOS)

2
Content  Introduction
 Signs and symptoms
 Causes of PCOS
 Diagnosis
 Management
 Risk of other health problems
 Complications and its prevention

Introduction
What is PCOS?
Polycystic ovary syndrome is
a hormonal disorder involving:
 infrequent or prolonged menstrual
periods
 excess male hormone (androgen)
levels
 many small cysts (fluid-filled sacs)
in their ovaries.

Introduction
What does PCOS affect?
PCOS is a health problem that
can affect a woman's:
 Menstrual cycle
 Ability to have children (fertility)
 Hormones
 Heart
 Blood vessels
 Appearance (weight gain)

What are the signs and symptoms of PCOS?
The symptoms of PCOS can vary from woman to woman.
Some of the symptoms of PCOS include:
Infertility (not able to get
pregnant) because of not
ovulating. PCOS is the
most common cause of
female infertility.

Infrequent, absent,
and/or irregular
menstrual periods

Hirsutism: increased
hair growth on the face,
chest, abdomen, back,
thumbs or toes

Cysts: fluid filled sacs
in the ovary

Acne, oily skin, or
dandruff

Weight gain or obesity,
usually with extra
weight around the waist

Male-pattern baldness
or thinning hair

Patches of skin on the
neck, arms, breasts, or
thighs that are thick and
dark brown or black

Skin tags: excess flaps
of skin in the armpits or
neck area

Pelvic pain
Anxiety or depression

How many women are affected by PCOS?
 Between 1 in 10 and 1 in 20
women of childbearing age
has PCOS
 Prevalence ranging from
2.2% to 26%
 It can occur in girls as young
as 11 years old
 50% women with PCOS go
undiagnosed

What causes PCOS?
Cause of PCOS is unknown. Most experts think
that several factors, including genetics, could
play a role.
Main underlying problem with PCOS is
a hormonal imbalance.
In women with PCOS, the ovaries
make more androgens than normal.
High levels of these hormones affect
the development and release of eggs
during ovulation.

Insulin may be linked to PCOS.
 Because of insulin resistance (and/or diabetes)
there is insulin excess in the body.
 Excess insulin appears to increase production of
androgen.
 High androgen levels can lead to:
• Acne
• Excessive hair growth
• Weight gain
• Problems with ovulation
What causes PCOS? (contd….)

How do I know if I have PCOS?
There is no single test to diagnose PCOS. Your doctor
will take the following steps to find out if you have
PCOS or if something else is causing your symptoms.
Medical History: Your doctor will ask about
your menstrual periods, weight changes and
other symptoms.
Physical Exam: Your doctor will want to
measure your blood pressure, body mass index
(BMI), and waist size. He or she also will check
the areas of increased hair growth.

How do I know if I have PCOS?
(contd….)
Pelvic Exam: Your doctor might want to check
to see if your ovaries are enlarged or swollen by
the increased number of small cysts.
Blood Tests: Your doctor may check the
androgen hormone and glucose (sugar) levels in
your blood.
Ultrasound (USG): It might be used to examine
your ovaries for cysts and check the
endometrium (lining of the womb). This lining
may become thicker if your periods are not
regular

How is PCOS treated?
Treatment goals:
 are based on your symptoms
 whether or not you want to become pregnant
 lowering your chances of getting heart disease and diabetes.
Many women will need a combination of treatments to
meet these goals. Some treatments for PCOS include:
Lifestyle modification
Birth control pills
Diabetes medication
Fertility medication
Surgery

What is lifestyle modification for PCOS?
You can help manage your PCOS by eating healthy
and exercising to keep your weight at a healthy level.
Healthy eating tips include:
 Limiting processed foods and foods with added sugars
 Adding more whole-grain products, fruits, vegetables, and lean
meats to your diet
 Regular exercise
This helps:
to lower blood glucose (sugar) levels
improve the body's use of insulin
and normalize hormone levels in your body.
Even a 10% loss in body weight can restore a normal period and
make your cycle more regular.

What are the medications for PCOS?
Always consult your doctor before taking any
medications for PCOS.
 Birth control pills: For women who don't want to get pregnant,
birth control pills can:
Control menstrual cycles
Reduce male hormone levels
Help to clear acne
 Diabetes medication (Metformin): is used to treat type 2
diabetes. It has also been found to help with PCOS symptoms.
 Fertility medications: Several medications that stimulate
ovulation can help women with PCOS become pregnant.
 Surgery: "Ovarian drilling" is a surgery that may increase the
chance of ovulation.

How does PCOS affect a woman during
pregnancy?
Women with PCOS appear to have higher rates of:
Miscarriage
Gestational diabetes (diabetes during
pregnancy)
Pregnancy-induced high blood pressure
(preeclampsia)
Premature delivery

Does PCOS put women at risk for other
health problems?
Women with PCOS have greater chances of
developing several serious health conditions, including
life-threatening diseases. Recent studies found that:
More than 50 % of women with PCOS will have diabetes
or pre-diabetes (impaired glucose tolerance) before the
age of 40.
The risk of heart attack is 4 to 7 times higher in women
with PCOS than women of the same age without PCOS.
Women with PCOS are at greater risk of having high
blood pressure.

Does PCOS put women at risk for other
health problems? (contd….)
 Women with PCOS have high levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol
and low levels of HDL (good) cholesterol.
 Women with PCOS may also develop anxiety and depression.
 Women with PCOS are also at risk for endometrial cancer.

I have PCOS. What can I do to prevent
complications?
If you have PCOS, get your symptoms under control at
an earlier age to help reduce your chances of having
complications like diabetes and heart disease.
Steps you can take to lower your chances of health
problems include:
Eating right (healthy nutritious diet)
Exercising regularly
Not smoking

PCOS patient education

More Related Content

What's hot

Similar to PCOS patient education

More from Chaithanya Malalur

Recently uploaded

PCOS patient education