Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: Introduction and Symptoms

PCOS is a health problem that can affect a woman’s menstrual cycle, fertility, hormones, insulin production, heart, blood vessels, and appearance. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, women with PCOS have these characteristics:

• high levels of male hormones, also called androgens

• an irregular or no menstrual cycle

• may or may not have many small cysts in their ovaries. Cysts are fluid-filled sacs.

PCOS is the most common hormonal reproductive problem in women of childbearing age.

What are the symptoms of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)?

These are some of the symptoms of PCOS listed by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services:

• infrequent menstrual periods, no menstrual periods, and/or irregular bleeding

• infertility or inability to get pregnant because of not ovulating

• increased growth of hair on the face, chest, stomach, back, thumbs, or toes

• acne, oily skin, or dandruff

• pelvic pain

• weight gain or obesity, usually carrying extra weight around the waist

• type 2 diabetes

• high cholesterol

• high blood pressure

• male-pattern baldness or thinning hair

• patches of thickened and dark brown or black skin on the neck, arms, breasts, or thighs

• skin tags, or tiny excess flaps of skin in the armpits or neck area

• sleep apnea – excessive snoring and breathing stops at times while asleep

Tips for planning a baby

Conception depends on the successful completion of three processes: ovulation, fertilization of the egg by the sperm, and division of the fertilized egg after which it attaches itself to the uterus.

These are things couples can do to ensure a successful conception:

• Have a general health checkup: Couples who are trying to conceive should undergo a routine medical examination to ascertain if they are in good physical health.
• Maintain an exercise routine: Regular exercise helps couples planning a baby, to stay healthy. It increases their ability to relax, promote sound sleep, and fight physical and mental stress. This will increase their chances of conceiving a baby.

• Eat well: Having a balanced diet, that will provide them with all the essential nutrients they require, is important for couples to conceive a baby.
• Avoid smoking and alcohol: Alcohol or smoking can interfere with healthy sperm production and hamper successful conception.
• Tracking the woman’s menstrual cycle: This will help couples to time sexual intercourse to coincide with ovulation. Having sex during this time is important for successful conception to occur.

What are the Symptoms of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

These are some of the symptoms of PCOS listed by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services:

• infrequent menstrual periods, no menstrual periods, and/or irregular bleeding
• infertility or inability to get pregnant because of not ovulating
• increased growth of hair on the face, chest, stomach, back, thumbs, or toes
• acne, oily skin, or dandruff
• pelvic pain
• weight gain or obesity, usually carrying extra weight around the waist
• type 2 diabetes
• high cholesterol
• high blood pressure
• male-pattern baldness or thinning hair
• patches of thickened and dark brown or black skin on the neck, arms, breasts, or thighs
• skin tags, or tiny excess flaps of skin in the armpits or neck area
• sleep apnea – excessive snoring and breathing stops at times while asleep

PCOS – How is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Treated?

Because there is no cure for PCOS, it needs to be managed to prevent problems. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, treatment is based on the symptoms each patient is having and whether she wants to conceive or needs contraception. Below are descriptions of treatments used for PCOS.

• Birth control pills: For women who don’t want to become pregnant, birth control pills can regulate menstrual cycles, reduce male hormone levels, and help to clear acne. However, the birth control pill does not cure PCOS. The menstrual cycle will become abnormal again if the pill is stopped. Women may also think about taking a pill that only has progesterone, like Provera, to regulate the menstrual cycle and prevent endometrial problems. But according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, progesterone alone does not help reduce acne and hair growth.
• Diabetes Medications: The medicine, Metformin, also called Glucophage, which is used to treat type 2 diabetes, also helps with PCOS symptoms. Metformin affects the way insulin regulates glucose and decreases the testosterone production. Abnormal hair growth will slow down and ovulation may return after a few months of use. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, these medications will not cause a person to become diabetic.
• Fertility Medications: The main fertility problem for women with PCOS is the lack of ovulation. Even so, your sperm count should be checked and your spouse’s tubes checked to make sure they are open before fertility medications are used. Clomiphene (pills) and Gonadotropins (shots) can be used to stimulate the ovary to ovulate. PCOS patients are at increased risk for multiple births when using these medications. In vitro Fertilization (IVF) is sometimes recommended to control the chance of having triplets or more. Metformin can be taken with fertility medications and helps to make PCOS women ovulate on lower doses of medication.
• Medicine for increased hair growth or extra male hormones: If a woman is not trying to get pregnant there are some other medicines that may reduce hair growth. Spironolactone is a blood pressure medicine that has been shown to decrease the male hormone’s effect on hair. Propecia, a medicine taken by men for hair loss, is another medication that blocks this effect. Both of these medicines can affect the development of a male fetus and should not be taken if pregnancy is possible. Other non-medical treatments such as electrolysis or laser hair removal are effective at getting rid of hair. A woman with PCOS can also take hormonal treatment to keep new hair from growing.
• Surgery: Although it does not recommend as the first course of treatment, surgery called ovarian drilling is available to induce ovulation. The doctor makes a very small incision above or below the navel, and inserts a small instrument that acts like a telescope into the abdomen. This is called laparoscopy. The doctor then punctures the ovary with a small needle carrying an electric current to destroy a small portion of the ovary. This procedure carries a risk of developing scar tissue on the ovary. This surgery can lower male hormone levels and help with ovulation. However, these effects may only last a few months. This treatment does not help with increased hair growth and loss of scalp hair.
• A healthy weight: Maintaining a healthy weight is another way women can help manage PCOS. Since obesity is common with PCOS, a healthy diet and physical activity help, maintain a healthy weight, which will help the body lower glucose levels, use insulin more efficiently, and may help restore a normal period. Even loss of 10% of her body weight can help make a woman’s cycle more regular.

Bringing on Labor and Natural Induction

Its just over the predicted due date but your little prince or princess has not arrived yet. If your baby has not arrived yet, you can count on your wife to be quite frustrated, which, given her size and difficulty moving around, you can totally understand.

When you do get to these final days, you may consider some of the homespun ideas for bringing on labor. Since labor will start on its own right about now, it’s hard to know if any of these actually work, but your wife might be in the mood to try just about anything to bring on labor.

For us, it was a good dinner of spicy Indian food, but you might want to try some of these ideas: walking, spicy Mexican food, massage, nipple stimulation, or a warm bath. Anything else, including herbal remedies, should be okayed by a doctor.

It also appears that the old wives’ tale that having sex can bring on labor has been disproved by medical authorities.

This is the week your spouse is due for delivery. However, there is every possibility that she has already given birth, or may not do so until next week. Due date predictions are not very accurate.

If your spouse’s pregnancy extends beyond her due date, her doctor may decide to induce labor. In fact, there some everyday activities that are popularly believed to induce labor. None of these is medically proven to work. But, if nothing else has helped, there may be no harm in trying one of these. However, do consult your spouse’s doctor about it first.

• Spicy food: This is a popular method of bringing on labor naturally. Certain spices such as cumin are especially considered effective in stimulating the onset of labor.

• Walking:Walking is a simple and pleasurable way to induce labor. It helps push the baby deeper into the pelvis. It helps to make the contractions, once they have started, more regular. This way it can encourage labor to progress smoothly.

• Sex: Natural prostaglandins found in semen help to stimulate the cervix in and prepare it for delivery. Additionally, oxytocin released when the woman experiences orgasms can also trigger labor contractions. It is better to consult the doctor before having sex at this stage of the pregnancy.

• Castor oil: While not very pleasant to taste, swallowing castor oil can induce labor by causing the colon to start contracting, which can then trigger contractions in the uterus.

• Stimulating the nipples: Your spouse should never try this method unless under the supervision of her doctor. While this is an effective method of inducing labor, it could prove harmful if overdone.

If your wife’s pregnancy extends beyond her due date, her doctor may decide to induce labor. Read about some common labor inducers.

Know More About Alcohol and Pregnancy

If your spouse drinks alcohol during her pregnancy, it could be harmful for herself as well as for the baby. Even a small amount of alcohol, or occasional drinking, can prove dangerous during the pregnancy and nursing period. Because women are often not aware that they are pregnant, until a few months into their pregnancy, health officials recommend that a pregnant or nursing woman should stay away completely from alcohol. 

One way in which alcohol intake affects the unborn baby is by increasing the risk of fetal alcohol syndrome. Babies with fetal alcohol syndrome typically display a group of mental and physical defects. They may have severe handicaps and may require lifelong special medical care. 

Children born with fetal alcohol syndrome may have:

• A smaller than average size and weight
• Disturbed eating and sleeping patterns
• Sight and hearing problems
• Decreased attention levels
• Learning problems
• Behavioral problems
• Need for special schooling

These are some tips to help your spouse give up alcohol:

• Learning to say no whenever offered a drink
• Staying away from places or situations that stimulate the urge to drink
• Using non-alcoholic substitutes such as cider, grape juice, and other non-alcoholic drinks
• Taking her doctor into confidence
• Joining an alcohol treatment program or support group