A Quick #PCOS Overview with #PCOSgurl

Ashley Levinson

Twitter: @PCOSgurl

PCOS Overview

PCOS 101

• Is also known as Stein-Leventhal Syndrome or Polycystic Ovary Disease (PCOD).
• Affects an estimated 6-10% of all women and most don't even know they have it.
• Is treatable, but not curable, by medications, changes in diet and exercise.
• Is one of the leading causes of infertility in Women.
• Has been identified for 75 years and they still aren't sure what causes it.
• PCOS is generally considered a syndrome rather than a disease (though it is sometimes called Polycystic Ovary Disease) because it manifests itself through a group of signs and symptoms that can occur in any combination, rather than having one known cause or presentation.
• There is no cure for PCOS. It is a condition that is managed, rather than cured.
• Affects far more than just reproduction.
• At this time, there is no single definitive test for PCOS. This is because no exact cause of PCOS has been established yet. This is why there is a wide-range of opinion on how to diagnose and treat PCOS.
• Treatment of the symptoms of PCOS can help reduce risks of future health problems.
• PCOS is associated with increased risk for endometrial hyperplasia, endometrial cancer, insulin resistance, type II diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease.
• IT IS NOT just a cosmetic problem.
• Although up to 15 million women in the U.S. alone have PCOS, less than half know they have it!

Can include the following symptoms:

•       Irregular or absent menses
•       Numerous cysts on the ovaries in many, but not all, cases
•      High blood pressure
•       Acne
•      Elevated insulin levels, Insulin Resistance, or Diabetes
•   Infertility
•    Excess hair on the face and body
•  Thinning of the scalp hair (alopecia)
•  Weight Problems or obesity that is centered around midsection

What a Polycystic Ovary looks like:

The many cysts in a polycystic ovary are follicles that have matured but, due to abnormal hormone levels, were never released. In a normal ovary, a single egg develops and is released each month.