{"id":1799,"date":"2018-05-08T05:34:01","date_gmt":"2018-05-08T05:34:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=1799"},"modified":"2021-03-16T19:15:19","modified_gmt":"2021-03-16T19:15:19","slug":"15-pcos-symptoms-you-might-not-be-aware-of","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/15-pcos-symptoms-you-might-not-be-aware-of\/","title":{"rendered":"15 PCOS Symptoms You Might Not Be Aware Of"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Polycystic ovarian syndrome, often shortened as PCOS, is a gynecological condition that affects around 10 million women around the world. The exact cause of this condition is yet to be determined, but most doctors agree that it is mostly caused by an imbalance of hormones inside the body. Even if some nonsexual hormones like insulin are affected by polycystic ovarian syndrome, estrogens and androgens are the most affected hormones in polycystic ovarian syndrome.<\/p>\n

This imbalance causes a variety of symptoms that are often overlooked, and for that reason, it isn’t uncommon for this syndrome to go undiagnosed for years. Polycystic ovarian syndrome should never be self-diagnosed, because it shares common symptoms with very different conditions, and a doctor should run tests on you to confirm the diagnosis. However, knowing the possible symptoms can be a sign of alert, so here is a list of 15 PCOS symptoms you might have right now without noticing.<\/p>\n

1. Ovarian cysts<\/h3>\n

Although this is the symptom that gives the syndrome its name, not all women with polycystic ovarian syndrome<\/a> actually have cysts in their ovaries. Polycystic means \u201cmany cysts\u201d, but what is exactly a cyst? The name itself could sound a bit scary, but the matter of the fact is that many people have cysts somewhere in their bodies, and most cysts are functional and harmless, and even go away by themselves.<\/p>\n

A cyst is a small bag in an organ or tissue that is full of liquid. The hormonal changes in polycystic ovarian syndrome can interrupt the normal flow of eggs from the ovaries to the Fallopian tubes and as a result a small bag forms in the ovary which gets filled with fluid. An echography can show many cysts forming in the outside of ovaries in a person with the polycystic ovarian syndrome, often arranged in rows. These cysts aren’t dangerous but could cause secondary symptoms.\"\"<\/p>\n

2. Infertility<\/h3>\n

Polycystic ovarian syndrome is a not very uncommon cause of infertility<\/a> among women in their reproductive age. The syndrome causes alterations in the function of the ovaries and also the rest of the reproductive system. Not all women with polycystic ovarian syndrome are infertile, and some of them can get pregnant without any professional aid, but in other cases, the disfunction of their reproductive organs and the imbalance of their hormones are so big that they cannot conceive naturally.<\/p>\n

The unusual level of androgens and estrogens in the body interrupt the menstrual cycle and produce changes in the pattern of periods and endometrial proliferation, which are fundamental for the implantation of the embryo. Also, some eggs might not be released in proper time from the ovaries, which makes it more difficult for the woman to conceive naturally. If you have been trying to get pregnant for a while but failed, consider consulting your doctor.<\/p>\n

\"\"3. Acne<\/h3>\n

Most of us have dealt with acne during our teenage years. Acne<\/a> is, in itself, an accumulation of fatty liquids underneath our skin, creating bumps that can look irritated or swollen or even get infected. Teenage acne is caused by the sudden increase of hormones in our bodies; one of the consequences of this new level of sexual hormones is the increase of fatty deposits under our skin, and as a result, we get more acne.<\/p>\n

This type of acne often goes away by itself by the end of puberty, and it can be treated with topic creams that make the skin drier and less greasy. In the worst cases, acne can be fought with special antibiotics. However, some forms of acne are resistant to traditional treatments, and\/or last for longer than our puberty and into our adult years. If this is your case, you might have a hormonal imbalance that is probably caused by polycystic ovarian syndrome.<\/p>\n

\"\"4. Skin features<\/h3>\n

Acne isn’t the only dermatological symptom of polycystic ovarian syndrome, it is just the most common symptom<\/a>, and it is usually mentioned in abridged lists of symptoms, but there are more than just acne in PCOS. The hormonal imbalance and the physiological and metabolic consequences of the increased concentration of androgens and estrogens in the bloodstream can affect your skin and cause features that often go unnoticed, or at least don’t make you think there is something going on in your body.<\/p>\n

For example, women with polycystic ovarian syndrome develop skin tags more frequently than people without the said syndrome. Skin tags are benign, small growths of skin on the surface of your body. They don’t hurt and they are harmless. Also, people with polycystic ovarian syndrome are more likely to develop darkened patches of skin. A skin tag or a dark patch is not enough to suspect polycystic ovarian syndrome, but if they add up to a list then you should get checked.\"\"<\/p>\n

5. Thinning hair on your scalp<\/h3>\n

An increased level of androgens<\/a>, commonly \u2013 yet mistakenly \u2013 called male hormones, produces changes in a woman’s body as well. Many of these changes are common in a boy developing during puberty and are rarely seen in a girl in the same period of her life. But in the case of the polycystic ovarian syndrome, as well as other syndromes or alterations where the level of androgens in female bodies are higher than expected, some classically male physical characteristics can manifest.<\/p>\n

In the case of women with polycystic ovarian syndrome, the most common phenomenon directly caused by androgens is a male hair pattern. For this reason, and especially starting middle age, women with polycystic ovarian syndrome may have thinning hair on their heads, but not in the rest of their bodies. This is the direct result of the action of androgens on the hair follicles of their scalps.\"\"<\/p>\n

6. Excessive hair in your body<\/h3>\n

The way androgens affect hair isn’t restricted to the head, but it includes the rest of the body. As a matter of fact, an increased level of androgens often results in more abundant and stronger growth of hair on your body. This condition is called hirsutism, and there are different levels in which it can manifest, from mild and almost unnoticeable, to the more extreme cases where your body is covered in fur-like hair.<\/p>\n

This extreme never happens with the polycystic ovarian syndrome, but the fact is that it isn’t uncommon for women with PCOS to have more body hair than other women. Some areas of the body are more likely to grow more hair, and those include the back and chest, the abdomen, thumbs and toes, arms and face. Body hair can vary due to genetics<\/a> and race but if you believe something else might be behind it you should go see a doctor.\"\"<\/p>\n

7. Irregular periods<\/h3>\n

All sexual hormones, including not only estrogens and progesterone<\/a> but also androgens, have a direct effect on the menstrual cycle and the periods of women in their fertile age. Both the excess and the lack of sex hormones will impact their periods and, as a result, their fertility as well. Women with the polycystic ovarian syndrome often have irregular periods, because the level of sexual hormones they have in their blood cannot properly regulate the many things that happen during a menstrual cycle that plays a part in the reproductive life.<\/p>\n

For example, the proliferation, which is the growth of the endometrium, will influence how heavy a period will be. Also, the release of eggs from an ovary will also set the pace at which periods will happen, and since ovulation is affected by polycystic ovarian syndrome, it can contribute to making your periods more irregular and unpredictable, and you might even skip periods.<\/p>\n

\"\"8. Pelvic pain<\/h3>\n

Contrarily to what it could seem, cysts themselves don’t cause any pain<\/a>. Even if they are abnormal growths on your ovaries, they don’t really cause any inflammation or tissue damage that could cause you pain. However, the syndrome itself does cause pain sometimes, and that is due to the dysregulation of reproductive cycles because of the abnormal level of sexual hormones.<\/p>\n

Many women experience cramps and other sorts of pelvic pain during menstruation, and this could be due to a number of reasons, including the normal contractions of the uterus during the period, which is meant to help the flow leave the body. The hormonal dysregulation of the polycystic ovarian syndrome can cause pain during menstruation as well as heavy bleeding, but in some other cases, the pain doesn’t happen during the bleeding days. For example, during the ovulation, an egg can be trapped inside a follicle instead of being released, thus causing pelvic pain.\"\"<\/p>\n

9. High blood sugar levels<\/h3>\n

So far, the only hormones we have talked about are androgens and estrogen. Those are the hormones that are affected the most in polycystic ovarian syndrome, but that doesn’t mean they are the only ones. As a matter of fact, there is another hormone that is affected by this syndrome and is fundamental for our wellbeing and our bodily balance, and that hormone is insulin. Insulin<\/a> is often mentioned nowadays as a key factor in diabetes, and that’s because it regulates how much sugar cells absorb from our bloodstream.<\/p>\n

Studies show that the bodies of people with polycystic ovarian syndrome tend to be less responsive to the action of insulin, which means that the cells take less sugar from the bloodstream. This sugar starts accumulating and the blood levels rise. High sugar levels can have many negative consequences for our bodies, so it is important to keep our blood sugar levels under control.\"\"<\/p>\n

10. Weight gain<\/h3>\n

The specific role of some hormones such as insulin and sex hormones in the regulation of some of our bodily functions and our metabolism is yet to be fully understood. The mechanisms through which many of these substances influence our organic life is complex and still a bit obscure, but researchers work every day in order to better understand how this works and how we can fix problems whenever they arise.<\/p>\n

For that reason, scientists aren’t sure of how polycystic ovarian syndrome can cause a sustained gain of weight, but statistics show that overweight and even obesity are quite frequent among the population of patients with POCS. This type of obesity<\/a>, since is regulated by hormones and not directly by life habits or diet, is particularly difficult to revert, and resistant to most traditional approaches on weight management. If you have unsuccessfully tried to lose weight, a hormonal unbalance could be the cause.\"\"<\/p>\n

11. Fatigue<\/h3>\n

Many people with polycystic ovarian syndrome report that they feel less energized and more tired than people around them, even if they haven’t performed a particularly hard exercise or effort recently. Some of the fatigue<\/a> associated with polycystic ovarian syndrome could be explained by the lack of proper sleep, as detailed in the next paragraph. However, many researchers believe that there is a hormonal factor that heavily affects how much energy people with PCOS actually feel during the day.<\/p>\n

Many women are familiar with the symptom of fatigue and sleepiness that is often experienced before or during periods, so they are aware of how much hormones can affect our fatigue. However, in the case of the polycystic ovarian syndrome, the hormonal alterations happen every day of the month and not only around the bleeding days, so the effects of said hormones in the level of energy is often constant.\"\"<\/p>\n

12. Sleep problems<\/h3>\n

Similar to what happens with fatigue, the hormonal imbalance of polycystic ovarian syndrome may affect the quantity and the quality of sleep. Sleeping enough hours a day, including getting enough hours of deep sleep and of REM sleep \u2013 mostly known as the stage of sleep when we dream \u2013 is fundamental for our mental health<\/a> as well as our wellbeing. When we sleep, we consolidate our memory, regenerate our tissues and regulate our emotions, as well as many other positive effects of rest.<\/p>\n

Polycystic ovarian syndrome can interrupt or affect our natural pattern of sleep, thus causing emotional and physical difficulties. Many people with polycystic ovarian syndrome report difficulties sleeping and some among them actually qualify for a diagnosis of insomnia. Insomnia happens when the patient cannot fall asleep until late in the night, or the other way around, they wake up early in the night and then cannot fall asleep again.\"\"<\/p>\n

13. Sleep apnea<\/h3>\n

The low quality sleep of people with polycystic ovarian syndrome isn’t due just only to insomnia and lack of hours of deep sleep. There is a sleep disorder called sleep apnea<\/a>, which is more commonly seen in people with PCOS than in people without PCOS. Apnea means the absence of breathing, and sleep apnea is the type of apnea that happens only when we are sleeping.<\/p>\n

People with sleep apnea have a worse quality of sleep because they don’t oxygenate their bodies well during the night. Sleep apnea happens when our breathing is interrupted for a few seconds when we are asleep. Sometimes, sleep apnea can wake us up in the middle of the night, but in most cases, we just don’t realize and keep sleeping, so our sleep apnea could go for months or even years without being diagnosed and treated. Sleep apnea decreases the quality of our sleep.\"\"<\/p>\n

14. Headaches<\/h3>\n

The same way it happens with fatigue caused by a hormonal imbalance, many women are familiar with headaches<\/a> as a normal symptom of menstruation, be it during the bleeding days or in the days immediately before the bleeding. This type of mild and constant headache, which often happens with fatigue, loss of energy and mood swings, is typical of the premenstrual stage and the menstrual days and isn’t necessarily due to a condition or health problem.<\/p>\n

However, it is more frequent in women with the polycystic ovarian syndrome. The abnormal hormonal levels can cause headaches just the same way it happens during the menopause and the premenstrual days. Even if these headaches are easily treated with analgesics, you should pay attention if you experience them very often. They might be more than just your normal headache, and instead, be telling you more about a syndrome you don’t know you have.\"\"<\/p>\n

15. Emotional distress<\/h3>\n

Just as many other items in this list, the emotional and mood symptoms of polycystic ovarian syndrome sometimes mimic those of many normal premenstrual women, and that’s because they have the same cause: the levels of sex hormones in our blood. However, in the case of PCOS, these symptoms can be more evident and persist during the entire reproductive cycle.<\/p>\n

Also, other symptoms of PCOS can increase the effect of the whole syndrome in mood and mental health; for example, obesity that is resistant to treatment could increase our chances for depression, or the lack of quality sleep makes us more prone to mood swings and irritability. PCOS is known to increase our likeability to develop psychiatric conditions such as depression and anxiety<\/a>, and also increase our mood swings and alterations. If you feel that your mood is often changing and you experience symptoms of an emotional disorder such as anxiety and\/or depression, a visit to the doctor won’t hurt.<\/p>\n\r\n

<\/div>