Pcos Syndrome

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a common endocrine disorder that can affect many women. It is also “an incurable disorder that affects 1 in 10 women and over 50% do not know they have it” (PCOS Awareness Association, 2014). An ultrasound exam can reveal that women with PCOS have a collection of follicles on enlarged ovaries. The particular cause of polycystic ovary syndrome is unknown. It could be connected to long-term complications; therefore, doctors recommend weight loss to reduce this risk. Also, early diagnosis and treatment can have an impact on deciphering if a woman will have long-term complications. Such complications include type 2

The motive of this paper is to present a analysis of current research on polycystic ovary syndrome more commonly known as PCOS. Pcos is one the most common endocrine disorders in women of reproductive age, affecting 5-10% of the population. Despite it's prevalence, pcos remains largely unknown. The main focus of this paper will be explaining what PCOS is, the causes, the diagnosis and the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome.

The summer before my freshman year, I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is an endocrine disorder that is characterized by fatigue, unmanageable weight, infertility, increased androgen levels, and excess insulin, among others. I was prescribed a medicine called Metformin, which, while considered a medication for Type 2 diabetics, is effective in treating PCOS as well. Later I was also put on a birth control pill to regulate my hormones. Throughout the past three years I have had to learn about nutrition, and specifically a PCOS diet, and exercise and why my body needs proper nutrition and exercise more than others might. This has been difficult for me because even though I consider myself active, I had never before worked out with a purpose to be healthier.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a heterogeneous collection of signs and symptoms that together for a spectrum disorder with a mild presentation in some but a severe in others. The pathophysiology of PCOS appears to be multifactorial and polygenic. (Fox, 2011)

According to PubMed Health, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a condition in which women possess abnormally high level of male hormones. The high hormone levels lead to risks of irregular or absent menstrual cycles, insulin resistance, ovarian cysts, issues related to the circulatory system, obesity, heart disease, diabetes and etc. Symptoms differ between each woman therefore, despite research data collected showing that PCOS affects 5-10% of women between the age of 18-44, there are many women who live their lives unaware that they have PCOS. The most common symptoms include: absences of ovulation, high levels of androgen present, and abnormal hair growth. The cause of PCOS is still unknown as more research is much-needed to better understand the disorder.

The two most common are Cushing Syndrome and Amenorrhea. “Cushing syndrome occurs when your body is expose to high levels of the hormone cortisol for a long time.” (Mayo Staff Clinic, 2016, p.1) There are several symptoms that Cushing Syndrome shares with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Some of the symptoms are: weight gain, acne, hirsutism and/or irregular or absent menstrual periods. Evidently, the two diseases share similar symptoms. Another disease that shares similarities with PCOS is Amenorrhea. It is when one or more menstrual cycles are missed or the absence of menstruations. Some of the symptoms are: hair loss, excess facial hair and acne. Amenorrhea, also,

One study done on one hundred patients with PCOS showed that administration of metformin and pioglitazone shows 50 percent effectiveness in helping menstrual cycle irregularities by the end of six-months of treatment. Both medications also showed a decrease in LDL and an increase in HDL overall, but this was seen more in the pioglitazone group. This study showed that 64% of women with PCOS also had hyperinsulinism. HOMA-IR, used to assess insulin resistance, was shown to have a 15% decrease with metformin and a 50% decrease in patients who used pioglitazone. Thus, for protection from diabetes pioglitazone may be the better treatment. Ovulation was shown to be restored in up to 56% of patients on metformin and pioglitazone. This study showed that pioglitazone may be a new and better option for treatment of PCOS since it can delay onset of type II diabetes, help with signs of hyperandrogenism, and regulate menstrual cycles (sangeeta,

If the pancreas can manage with your body’s high demand for insulin your blood sugar levels will remain normal and you would not become a diabetic. Because diabetes and PCOS is closely related it is monitored closely. It is shown that women with PCOS is in much greater risk in developing diabetes. Research has shown that once the pancreatic islet cells have become exhausted and depleted in the over production of insulin to satisfy the body requirements, your pancreas stop making insulin and your blood sugar becomes elevated. When that happens the patient becomes diabetic. Besides diabetes a woman with PCOS is more likely to develop uterine cancer and heart disease. Patients are also advised not to smoke while diagnosed with PCOS because it increases the risk for heart disease.

Irregular periods, pelvic pain, infertility, excess sebum production, acne, patches of thickened skin, headaches, fatigue, thinning hair on the head, and excess hair growth on the face, chest, thighs, and stomach are associated with PCOS, and these symptoms are generally more severe in obese women (Medline Plus). If a cyst reaches a large size, it may burst, undergo torsion, a twisting of the cyst around its blood supply, cause bleeding, bloating, or pain during bowel movements and sexual

Since PCOS is the most common endocrine disorder for women of reproductive ages, Questions to explore are: How does lifestyle factors such as obesity impacts the development of PCOS, how does PCOS affects a women quality of life and what are the best treatment options?

Increased androgen hormone levels within the body can negatively affect the normal ovulation process and cause fluid-filled cysts to form on the ovaries. PCOS prevents ovarian egg release during the menstrual cycle, which causes infertility in women with this condition. Additional symptoms of PCOS include pelvic pain, acne, oily skin, hair loss or excessive hair growth on the body or face. Currently, there is no cure for PCOS but hormone therapy can help regulate your menstrual cycle or clear up your skin.

Once thought to be a disease of thirty some year old women, PCOS has also been

The ovary is a critical organ of the female reproductive and endocrine system. When preforming in an optimal manner, the ovary functions as a gonad, by producing mature gametes and by synthesizing and excreting hormones within a set point. It is essential for sexual maturation and reproduction. When it deviates away from this normal physiology, many serious heath problems can emerge. A principal example of ovarian abnormal physiology is polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Polycystic ovarian syndrome is one of the most prominent endocrinopathies in the world, affecting anywhere between 5-10% of the female population (Dunaif, 1995). Although this disease affects so many women, not much is known about the exact origin of it and all of the shortcomings

Naturally, for women with PCOS, it is only too easy to worry about how menopause will disrupt the way their body adjusts to the often difficult effects of pre-existing

There is one dream that every little girl has when growing up, that is becoming a mother; to love and watch her children grow. No one ever dreams of that not happening to them or being part of that group being label as infertile. It happens to millions of women living in the United States every day. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is the most common endocrine disease that affects women of reproductive age, which is typically puberty to menopause. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome does not only affect a woman’s ovaries and chances of conceiving, but it affects the whole endocrine system in the body. It can cause Excess Androgen Production, Insulin Resistant, Obesity, Hirsute and Cardiovascular problems.