PCOS means that you have many ovaries on one or both ovaries and at the same time often have a lot of testosterone in the body. You can have PCOS without any hassles, but if you have it, there is help to get.
PCOS is most often detected when you try to get pregnant, but it doesn’t. The fact that you do not get pregnant is probably due to the fact that you rarely or never have ovulation.
Symptoms of polycystic ovarian syndrome
PCOS often causes one or more of the following symptoms:
- You rarely or never have menstruation.
- You have a lot of hair on the body, for example in the face, chest, stomach, and thighs.
- You have pimples.
- You have an easy to gain weight.
- You have trouble getting pregnant.
- You may feel dejected and hopeless.
- You have decreased sex drive.
You can have PCOS without having any symptoms. The symptoms of PCOS can also vary.
When and where should I seek care?
Contact a health care center or gynecologic clinic if any of the following is true of you:
- You have menstruation less than four times a year.
- You feel that you get more hair on your body than before.
- You have trouble getting pregnant.
The youth reception is for you who are young. Exactly what ages are welcome can be different at different receptions.
What can I do for myself?
Testosterone affects weight and weight affects testosterone. It may be enough to lose a few pounds if you are overweight and want to reduce your testosterone content. This makes the ovulation more regular or getting started again. Weight loss can also cause body hair to decrease.
It can be difficult to lose weight because testosterone gives you a greater appetite and gets more craving for fast carbohydrates. On the other hand, testosterone also makes it possible to quickly build up both fitness and muscle.
There is help to get if it is difficult to lose weight. For example, you can contact a dietician who can set up a program. Contact the health care center, youth reception or student health for advice and support.
Investigations
You are being examined by a gynecologist. You will be told how you are feeling and about your problems. Then the gynecologist does a body examination and a gynecological examination.
You are given a blood test to measure the levels of hormones in the blood. The doctor also examines the ovaries with ultrasound to see if you have many small ovaries.
You should understand the information you receive
In order for you to be involved in your care and treatment, it is important that you understand the information you receive from the healthcare personnel. Ask questions if you don’t understand. For example, you should receive information about treatment options and how long you may have to wait for care and treatment.
Children should also be involved in their care. The older the child, the more important it is.
If you need tools, you should get information about what is available and how to get it.
Your consent is important
Once you have received information about what options and options for the care you have, you can give your consent or otherwise express a yes. This also applies to you who are not of legal age.
You may choose not to give your consent to the care you are offered. You may also withdraw your consent at any time.
Treatment of the polycystic ovarian syndrome
The treatment of polycystic ovarian syndrome you need depends on the symptoms you have, but most often you are given hormonal effects to reduce the amount of testosterone in your body.
Medicines for hair growth and pimples
Combined birth control pills containing both estrogen and progestogen can help both against increased body hair and against pimples. Gestagen is a synthetic hormone similar to the body’s progesterone. Combined hormonal contraceptives counteract the effect of testosterone.
The drug Diane is used to treat pimples, but can also cause hair reduction. Both birth control pills and Diane function simultaneously as contraceptives.
There is also a drug called Spironolactone that can reduce hair loss.
In some county councils and regions, you may be eligible for permanent epilation or laser hair removal. Ask your doctor what applies in your county or region.
Medicines to get the men started
Having menstruation at least four times a year reduces the risk of getting uterine cancer . Therefore, it is good to take medicine if you have less menstrual than that.
Birth control pills make your period regular, but you don’t get ovulation and can’t get pregnant. There are also medicines that contain progestin, such as Provera or Primolut-Nor, which make the period regular while you have the possibility of becoming pregnant. These preparations are tablets that you take 10-12 days each month.
Medicines to get pregnant
It is usually easy to get the ovulation started if you have PCOS, as there are many eggs. Usually, you will start with tablets in tablet form.
One drug is Letrozole which causes the pituitary gland to produce more of the pituitary hormones that lead to ovulation. You take one tablet every day for five days and then ovulation comes five to ten days later.
Sometimes Metformin is given for a few months as pretreatment for ovulation stimulation with Letrozole. Metformin is really a diabetes drug that increases insulin sensitivity and that can facilitate ovulation.
You can also get hormone injections or undergo a test tube fertilization, known as IVF.
Easier to get pregnant through IVF
Contact a gynecologist for help if you have PCOS and want to get pregnant. So you don’t have to try for a year first, like the one that doesn’t have PCOS.
People with PCOS have easier than others to get pregnant through test-tube fertilization, IVF. Those who have PCOS also have more eggs than others, which means that it is often possible to raise children higher in age. You usually come to the menopause a little later.
Many people with PCOS get ovulation and more regular menstruation as they begin to approach their 40s and it may then be easier to get pregnant. At the same time, the age of the eggs with age so one should not wait too long to try to get pregnant.
The mood can be affected by the treatment
Testosterone affects mood. Therefore, the treatment that reduces the amount of testosterone can make you more easily depressed, helpless and have reduced sex drive. Talk to your doctor if you get any side effects from your medication.
Complications and sequelae
There is a greater risk of having type 2 diabetes and myocardial infarction if you have PCOS, especially if you are overweight. Losing weight reduces the risk of having type 2 diabetes or a heart attack.
There may be a risk of uterine cancer if you have menstruation less often than four times a year. You can get help to kick start your period by taking drugs containing progestin, or using birth control pills, vaginal ring or transdermal patch.
What happens in the body?
PCOS is an abbreviation for the polycystic ovarian syndrome. PCO stands for polycystic ovary, which means “many small ovaries on the ovaries”. You often also have a lot of the sex hormone testosterone in relation to the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone if you have PCOS.
Testosterone can cause you to gain weight, get pimples and increased hair, for example on the lower abdomen, chest, thighs, and face.
Immature eggs lead to missing menstruation
Estrogen and progesterone control the ovulation and menstruation. A lot of testosterone means that the eggs do not develop enough to cause ovulation. The fact that the period is irregular or completely absent does not depend on the absence of eggs, but on the fact that they do not mature enough to ovulate.
The egg will remain in the ovary to eventually fully resuscitate if you do not get any ovulation. In some people, one or both ovaries are filled with many small ovaries that have not matured enough to ovulate. Such ovaries are called polycystic ovaries.