Understanding Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

Diagnosis Of PCOS

The best way to diagnose a woman with PCOS is through an ultrasound, as cysts on the ovaries are often indicators that a patient may be suffering from this condition, and can only be viewed through an ultrasound. These types of tests can help diagnose a woman with PCOS. However, a doctor can refer the patient to a specialist for hormones, or an endocrinologist, to determine one-hundred percent if the patient has PCOS and is not being misdiagnosed with a different hormone-related condition.

How To Treat PCOS

There is no cure for PCOS. However, there are a variety of treatments available to women who suffer from this disorder to make life easier. Treatment can be simple, such as making suitable lifestyle changes such as losing weight and exercising more frequently. Birth control pills are the most common treatment used to control some of the symptoms of PCOS, as it can help improve the regularity of menstrual cycles, excess hair growth, and acne, and lowers the overall levels of androgen and protects the inner lining of the uterus.

Although not approved by the FDA, doctors will often prescribe metformin as the medicine helps the body become more sensitive to insulin, which helps lower blood glucose, insulin, and androgen levels. Typical acne treatments and hair removal techniques can also help, and women who want to become pregnant are encouraged to improve their fertility chances by losing weight and using clomiphene, which induces ovulation, or metformin. As mentioned, women trying to conceive may also use IVF when other fertility treatments are not as effective.