Home California What Is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)? Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment

What Is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)? Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment

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While there’s currently no cure for PCOS, the symptoms can be managed with medications, lifestyle modifications, and, in rare cases, surgery. The right PCOS treatment method for you will depend on your symptoms and whether you’re planning to become pregnant.

Medication Options

Medications to help treat PCOS symptoms include:

  • Combined hormonal birth control pills: Birth control pills containing both estrogen and progestin help regulate your period and are the primary treatment for women with PCOS who are not trying to become pregnant. They can be used long term and may help reduce excess hair and acne, as well as decrease the risk of endometrial cancer.

  • Diabetes medications: Certain diabetes drugs, such as metformin, can be prescribed off-label to help your body respond to insulin, lose weight, decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes, and improve ovulation.

  • Anti-androgens: These medications can block the effects of excess androgens on your body, helping to decrease unwanted hair growth, reduce scalp hair loss, and improve acne.
  • Acne treatments: Retinoids, antibacterial agents, and antibiotics are all common medications used to treat acne.

It’s important to tell your doctor if you’re trying to become pregnant, as they can help advise you on the best medications for your situation. Women who are trying to conceive need to take a special approach to treating PCOS, because they will not be able to use hormonal birth control.

Treatments for Infertility

For many women, infertility is one of the most distressing complications of PCOS. Many women with PCOS do not naturally ovulate, or only ovulate irregularly, and will struggle to conceive without treatment.

A doctor may recommend the following treatments to start ovulation and improve your chances of becoming pregnant:

  • clomiphene (Serophene)
  • letrozole (Femara)
  • metformin (Glucophage)
  • gonadotropins

If you are overweight or have obesity, losing weight may also help improve your fertility.

If medications are unsuccessful, a doctor may recommend in vitro fertilization, or IVF. In this procedure, eggs are removed from the ovaries, fertilized outside of the body, and then placed into the uterus.

Complementary and Integrative Therapies

If you’re experiencing excess, bothersome hair growth as a PCOS symptom, there are many ways to remove it. You can shave, pluck, or wax hair as a temporary fix. For a longer-lasting option, you can also use laser hair removal. And to permanently remove hair, there’s electrolysis, which involves a trained professional using a small needle to destroy hair follicles.

Researchers are beginning to look into other complementary treatments, including vitamins and supplements, for managing PCOS symptoms. While available research is limited and more studies are needed to determine their benefits, the following therapies may be useful:

  • Vitamin D: Taking a vitamin D supplement may help improve insulin metabolism and regulate ovulation issues. Vitamin D also has anti-inflammatory properties, so it could help if you have low-grade inflammation.
  • Vitamin E: Some evidence suggests that vitamin E can improve blood sugar and cholesterol. It may also affect androgen hormones.
  • Acupuncture: This complementary therapy may benefit PCOS treatment by improving symptoms related to ovulation and period irregularities.
  • Probiotics and prebiotics: Your gut microbiome has a hand in many aspects of your health and is associated with PCOS. Prebiotics and probiotics can support a healthy gut, improve your hormones, and reduce inflammation.
  • Folic acid: Folic acid supplements have been shown to reduce body mass index in people with PCOS. Weight gain is a common symptom of PCOS.
  • Selenium: This supplement is an antioxidant and has anti-inflammatory properties. While selenium doesn’t seem to help with hormone imbalances, it may reduce cholesterol and insulin levels.

Be sure to contact a doctor before starting any new supplement, as it may interfere with the medications you’re already taking. Plus, your doctor can do a simple blood test to check your vitamin and mineral levels, showing where you may have a deficiency.

Surgery

Surgery to treat PCOS is rarely used.

However, your doctor might recommend an outpatient surgical procedure, known as ovarian drilling, if you want to become pregnant and medications are not helping you ovulate.

In this procedure, a surgeon will make a small incision in your belly and use tools to destroy some ovarian follicles and androgen-producing ovarian tissue. This can sometimes help improve ovulation and follicle maturation.

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