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Learn more about heart disease and stroke. Unhealthy cholesterol. High cholesterol raises your risk of heart disease and stroke. Sleep apnea. This is when momentary and repeated stops in breathing interrupt sleep. Many women with PCOS have overweight or obesity, which can cause sleep apnea. Sleep apnea raises your risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Depression and anxiety. Depression and anxiety are common among women with PCOS. Endometrial cancer. Problems with ovulation, obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes all common in women with PCOS increase the risk of developing cancer of the endometrium lining of the uterus or womb.

Will my PCOS symptoms go away at menopause? How is PCOS diagnosed? To help diagnose PCOS and rule out other causes of your symptoms, your doctor may talk to you about your medical history and do a physical exam and different tests: Physical exam. Your doctor will measure your blood pressure, body mass index BMI , and waist size.

They will also look at your skin for extra hair on your face, chest or back, acne, or skin discoloration. Your doctor may look for any hair loss or signs of other health conditions such as an enlarged thyroid gland.

Pelvic exam. Your doctor may do a pelvic exam for signs of extra male hormones for example, an enlarged clitoris and check to see if your ovaries are enlarged or swollen. Pelvic ultrasound sonogram. This test uses sound waves to examine your ovaries for cysts and check the endometrium lining of the uterus or womb.

Blood tests. Blood tests check your androgen hormone levels, sometimes called "male hormones. Your doctor may also test your cholesterol levels and test you for diabetes. Once other conditions are ruled out, you may be diagnosed with PCOS if you have at least two of the following symptoms: 5 Irregular periods, including periods that come too often, not often enough, or not at all Signs that you have high levels of androgens: Extra hair growth on your face, chin, and body hirsutism Acne Thinning of scalp hair Higher than normal blood levels of androgens Multiple cysts on one or both ovaries.

How is PCOS treated? Many women will need a combination of treatments, including: Steps you can take at home to help relieve your symptoms Medicines. Healthy eating habits and regular physical activity can help relieve PCOS-related symptoms.

Losing weight may help to lower your blood glucose levels, improve the way your body uses insulin, and help your hormones reach normal levels. Removing hair. You can try facial hair removal creams, laser hair removal, or electrolysis to remove excess hair. You can find hair removal creams and products at drugstores. Procedures like laser hair removal or electrolysis must be done by a doctor and may not be covered by health insurance. Slowing hair growth. A prescription skin treatment eflornithine HCl cream can help slow down the growth rate of new hair in unwanted places.

What types of medicines treat PCOS? The types of medicines that treat PCOS and its symptoms include: Hormonal birth control, including the pill, patch, shot, vaginal ring, and hormone intrauterine device IUD. PCOS can increase the risk of infertility, metabolic syndrome, sleep apnea, endometrial cancer, and depression. Doctors typically diagnose PCOS in women who have at least two of these three symptoms 17 :. A pelvic exam can look for any problems with your ovaries or other parts of your reproductive tract.

During this test, your doctor inserts gloved fingers into your vagina and checks for any growths in your ovaries or uterus. You might also have blood tests to check your cholesterol , insulin, and triglyceride levels to evaluate your risk for related conditions like heart disease and diabetes.

An ultrasound uses sound waves to look for abnormal follicles and other problems with your ovaries and uterus. Doctors diagnose PCOS if women have at least two of three main symptoms — high androgen levels, irregular periods, and cysts in the ovaries. A pelvic exam, blood tests, and ultrasound can confirm the diagnosis. PCOS interrupts the normal menstrual cycle and makes it harder to get pregnant.

Between 70 and 80 percent of women with PCOS have fertility problems This condition can also increase the risk for pregnancy complications. Women with PCOS are twice as likely as women without the condition to deliver their baby prematurely.

However, women with PCOS can get pregnant using fertility treatments that improve ovulation. Losing weight and lowering blood sugar levels can improve your chances of having a healthy pregnancy.

PCOS can make it harder to get pregnant and increase your risk for pregnancy complications and miscarriage. Weight loss and other treatments can improve your chances of having a healthy pregnancy. Losing just 5 to 10 percent of your body weight can help regulate your menstrual cycle and improve PCOS symptoms 11 , Weight loss can also:. Any diet that helps you lose weight can help your condition. However, some diets may have advantages over others.

Studies comparing diets for PCOS have found that low carbohydrate diets are effective for both weight loss and lowering insulin levels.

A low glycemic index low GI diet that gets most carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains helps regulate the menstrual cycle better than a regular weight loss diet A few studies have found that 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise at least 3 days a week can help women with PCOS lose weight. Losing weight with exercise also improves ovulation and insulin levels Exercise is even more beneficial when combined with a healthy diet.

Diet plus exercise helps you lose more weight than either intervention alone, and it lowers your risks for diabetes and heart disease There is some evidence that acupuncture can help with improving PCOS, but more research is needed PCOS treatment starts with lifestyle changes like diet and exercise.

Birth control pills and other medications can help regulate the menstrual cycle and treat PCOS symptoms like hair growth and acne. These hormones come in a pill , patch , or vaginal ring. Metformin Glucophage, Fortamet is a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes.

They can increase the chance for a multiple birth twins or more. And they can cause ovarian hyperstimulation. This is when the ovaries release too many hormones. It can cause symptoms such as abdominal bloating and pelvic pain.

Birth control pills. These help to control menstrual cycles, lower androgen levels, and reduce acne. Diabetes medication. This is often used to lower insulin resistance in PCOS. It may also help reduce androgen levels, slow hair growth, and help you ovulate more regularly.

Medications to treat other symptoms. Some medications can help reduce hair growth or acne. Women with PCOS are more likely to develop certain serious health problems. These include type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, problems with the heart and blood vessels, and uterine cancer. Women with PCOS often have problems with their ability to get pregnant fertility.

Some women struggle with the physical symptoms of PCOS, such as weight gain, hair growth, and acne. Cosmetic treatments, such as electrolysis and laser hair removal, may help you feel better about your appearance. Talk with your health care provider about the best ways to treat the symptoms that bother you.

If you have missed or irregular periods, excess hair growth, acne, and weight gain, call your doctor for an evaluation. Women with PCOS may not ovulate, have high levels of androgens, and have many small cysts on the ovaries. PCOS can cause missed or irregular menstrual periods, excess hair growth, acne, infertility, and weight gain.

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.