symptoms of pcos
Symptoms of PCOS include changes in your period (menstrual cycle). PCOS includes a heterogeneous collection of signs and symptoms with varying degree of mildness and severity in affecting the reproductive, endocrine and metabolic functions.The classic triad of the disorder includes hirsutism, menstrual dysfunction, and obesity.
Menstrual disorders: PCOS mostly produces oligomenorrhea or amenorrhea, but other types of menstrual disorders may also occur.Irregular menstruation is where there is variation in menstrual cycle length of more than approximately eight days for a woman. The term metrorrhagia is often used for irregular menstruation that occurs between the expected menstrual periods.Oligomenorrhea is the medical term for infrequent, often light menstrual periods (intervals exceeding 35 days).
Amenorrhea is the absence of a menstrual period in a woman of reproductive age. Physiologic states of amenorrhoea are seen during pregnancy and lactation (breastfeeding). Outside of the reproductive years there is absence of menses during childhood and after menopause.
Common SYMPTOMS of PCOS include:
references :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_ovary_syndrome
http://www.wellbeingofwomen.org.uk/your-wellbeing/your-health/polycystic-ovarian-syndrome/
http://women.webmd.com/tc/polycystic-ovary-syndrome-pcos-topic-overview
Menstrual disorders: PCOS mostly produces oligomenorrhea or amenorrhea, but other types of menstrual disorders may also occur.Irregular menstruation is where there is variation in menstrual cycle length of more than approximately eight days for a woman. The term metrorrhagia is often used for irregular menstruation that occurs between the expected menstrual periods.Oligomenorrhea is the medical term for infrequent, often light menstrual periods (intervals exceeding 35 days).
Amenorrhea is the absence of a menstrual period in a woman of reproductive age. Physiologic states of amenorrhoea are seen during pregnancy and lactation (breastfeeding). Outside of the reproductive years there is absence of menses during childhood and after menopause.
- No period after you have had one or more normal ones during puberty (secondary amenorrhea)
- Irregular periods, that may come and go and may be very light to very heavy
- Hyperandrogenism: The most common signs are acne and hirsutism (male pattern of hair growth), but it may produce hypermenorrhea (very frequent menstrual periods) or other symptoms.Approximately three-quarters of patients with PCOS (by the diagnostic criteria of NIH/NICHD 1990) have evidence of hyperandrogenemia. In women, symptoms of hyperandrogenism frequently include acne, scalp hair loss (androgenic alopecia), excessive facial and body hair (hirsutism), high libido, and others. Collectively, these symptoms are known as virilization. This is called virilization. Symptoms include:
- Body hair growing on the chest, belly, face, and around the nipples
- Decreased breast size
- Enlargement of the clitoris
- Thinning of the hair on the head, called male-pattern baldness
- Voice gets deeper
- Acne that gets worse
- Dark or thick skin markings and creases around the armpits, groin, neck, and breast
- Hyperinsulinemia
This is too much (hyper) insulin in the blood (-emia). Insulin is a very powerful hormone that tells the body when to dispose of sugar in the blood. Many women with PCOS are insulin resistant, meaning their body’s cells don’t respond to insulin the way they should. Since the sugar doesn’t get disposed of, it builds up in the blood, which stimulates production of more insulin. This is a vicious cycle that can be very dangerous if it goes uncontrolled and can lead to type II diabetes in the long term and a life-threatening conditon called ketoacidosis if it goes untreated for long enough. - Hyperglycemia
This is too much sugar (the root glyco means “sugar”) in the blood. It is caused by insulin resistance . - Obesity/Overweight
Many women with PCOS are obese or overweight, and a woman with PCOS is significantly more likely than a woman without PCOS to be obese or overweight. This is probably a result of insulin resistance, although other factors can play important roles. Moreover, women with PCOS, because they have hyperandrogenism, will frequently have a masculinized adipose distribution. This means that their excess weight will go to the midriff, typical of men, as opposed to the breasts, buttocks, and thighs, which is typical of women.
Common SYMPTOMS of PCOS include:
- Depression
Depression is more common and more severe in women with PCOS than in those without PCOS. This has been shown in numerous studies over several decades. Some of this may be caused by the abnormal hormonal profile, and there also appears to be a link between body satisfaction (which is affected by many signs of PCOS) and depression. - Anxiety
Feelings of worry or uneasiness are slightly more common in women with PCOS than in those without PCOS. It is still unclear whether this is related primarily to the hormonal changes associated with PCOS or to coping with the social pressure of PCOS signs. - Mood Swings
Women with PCOS often report mood swings, significant changes in mood without an obvious cause. This may be linked to dramatic changes in blood sugar and the many hormonal imbalances that often accompany PCOS.
references :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_ovary_syndrome
http://www.wellbeingofwomen.org.uk/your-wellbeing/your-health/polycystic-ovarian-syndrome/
http://women.webmd.com/tc/polycystic-ovary-syndrome-pcos-topic-overview