Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a common disorder affecting approximately one in 10 women of childbearing age. It is a leading cause of female factor infertility. Symptoms of PCOS include excess body hair, insulin resistance, delayed or absent menstruation, irregular ovulation, and cysts on the ovaries. The symptoms of PCOS can vary from woman to woman, and there is no definable cause for PCOS. As it is incurable, treatment for PCOS is limited to addressing the symptoms through a combination of medication and diet management.
Instructions
1. Determine the nature of the PCOS symptoms to be addressed. This will involve a visit to a doctor or endocrinologist, who will perform bloodwork and possibly a transvaginal ultrasound to determine the nature of the disease as well as rule out other possible causes, such as thyroid issues.
2. Discuss the course of treatment with your doctor. As many of the medications used to treat PCOS symptoms are available by prescription only, a medical consultation is necessary. Medications such as birth control may be prescribed to address amenorrea, and a medication such as glucophage may be prescribed to combat insulin resistance.
3. Adjust your diet, if necessary. For women who exhibit the insulin resistance symptoms of PCOS, decreasing carbohydrate intake can aid in weight loss and in improving overall health. This, combined with glucophage, can successfully mitigate the effects of PCOS.
4. Increase exercise. As women with PCOS are also prone to obesity, it is crucial that an exercise regimen be observed.
5. If infertility is being addressed, have a consultation with a reproductive endocrinologist. This medical professional can map out a course of treatment to combat the irregular ovulation and ovarian cysts common in PCOS sufferers.
Tags: insulin resistance, course treatment, irregular ovulation,