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Annika Persson

Mrs. Long

Health Science 1 Honors

24 October 2017

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Sometimes a disease does not have to be outwardly expressed, or even recognized for it to wreak

havoc on someone’s life and general wellbeing. Silent diseases are by far some of the more

dangerous diseases out there, some with no symptoms, or symptoms that can be confused for

other ailments and can go unnoticed by doctors. Eventually, diseases that go unnoticed can lead

to fatal consequences and irreparable damage to a patient’s body.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a silent disease for the victims of the condition, often

times the symptoms of this endocrine based illness are confused for that of puberty or other times

in which hormones are rampant in a person’s body. PCOS is commonly passed down through

inheritance, a woman is more likely to develop the disease if she also has a mother or sister with

the disease. PCOS is more common in women with obesity, diabetes, or those already

genetically predisposed to the illness. Over 200,000 women suffer every year with this disease,

most cases being diagnosed in women 14-60. Up to 5-10% of women that are of childbearing

age experience PCOS, making the disease fairly rare.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is an endocrine disorder that mainly affects the hormones in

a woman’s body, their fertility and periods. PCOS can cause irregular periods, excess androgen,

polycystic ovaries (enlarged ovaries that contain follicles that surround the eggs, causing the

ovaries to fail to function regularly). Some of the superficial symptoms of PCOS include excess

hair growth, excess acne, oily skin, and thicker than normal skin. However the superficial
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symptoms can be confused for the signs of puberty, as both begin around the same age

(childbearing age) and include similar symptoms. PCOS is not a fatal disease however, and is

rather something that people live with and can manage well with appropriate treatment and

therapy.

PCOS can impact a woman’s emotional and physical state harshly, for some it impacts

their future and chances of having children which can be detrimental to their emotional state.

PCOS completely changes some patients daily routines, dietary habits, and social interactions,

making it harder for them to live as they were before. Certain tasks such as shaving, exercising,

talking with friends and family, and eating can become harder due to the changes and limitations

it forces onto the afflicted.

Emotional afflictions cannot be shown physically most of the time, but the effects of

emotional issues caused by PCOS are real, and damaging. Support groups for PCOS are not

common, but are used by women with PCOS to find others who are going through the same

experience. Support groups help women a lot emotionally as it provides another group of people

a woman can relate her life and symptoms to, which can help decreases the rate of depression

and anxiety commonly associated with newly diagnosed diseases.

Some of the major symptoms, superficial and internal, of PCOS include, Infertility, Lipid

abnormalities, Cardiovascular problems, Sleep Apnea, Rapid hair growth, thickening of the skin,

darkening patches of skin, and oily skin which can lead to excess acne. Infertility or the inability

to get pregnant results from the cysts in the ovaries, enlarged ovaries and imbalance of hormones

leading to irregular menstruation periods. Lipid abnormalities are caused by increased

testosterone which can lead to unfavorably high amounts of fat in the bloodstream. In some

women, the blood lipid profile may show a lower rate good cholesterol (HDL) and a higher rate
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of bad cholesterol (LDL). Increased testosterone also leads to the increase of acne on the skin

and rapid hair growth that a woman may experience with PCOS.

Women with PCOS have abnormally large ovaries that are lined with cysts along the

lining, compared to the smaller ovaries of women without PCOS. Women with PCOS also

experience Hyperandrogenism, or an increase in testosterone, compared to a normal woman’s

relatively equal amounts of estrogen and testosterone in the body. The exact cause of PCOS is

unknown, but women have a higher chance of getting the disease if they are genetically

predisposed to the disease or if they have a mother or sister with the disease. Factors that play a

role in the development of PCOS include excess insulin, heredity, low-grade inflammation or

excess androgen in the body. PCOS increases the chances of a woman developing Type II

Diabetes, and Heart disease.

PCOS can be treated relatively easily, despite the exact cause of the disease being

unknown. There is no distinctive test to diagnose PCOS, but a look at a patient’s medical history

including menstrual periods and weight changes to determine if PCOS is a possibility. A doctor

may recommend tests to be done to determine if PCOS is a possibility, including Ultrasounds,

blood tests, and pelvic exams. PCOS treatment mostly focuses on managing individual concerns

including lifestyle changes like infertility, acne, obesity, and hirsutism (Rapid Hair Growth).

Lifestyle changes and medication are both fairly common in women with PCOS, weight loss and

low-calorie diets playing a large role in the management of the disease.

The most common medications women take for PCOS are Birth Control Pills (pills that

commonly contain estrogen and progestin, while decreasing androgen production and regulating

estrogen). Progestin therapy is also common, but not as often available to women suffering with

PCOS. Progestin therapy involves a patient taking progestin for 10-14 days every 1-2 months in
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hopes of regulating periods and protecting against endometrial cancer. To help with ovulation a

doctor may recommend Clomiphene, Letrozole, Metformin, or Gonadotropins.

There may not be a prevention to PCOS for some women who are genetically

predisposed to the disease, however lifestyle changes can be made to prevent the disease from

worsening and making it easier to manage. Maintaining a healthy weight, being active, and

limiting carbohydrates are all major lifestyle changes that can go into preventing a woman from

developing PCOS. Women who already have the disease can manage it fairly easily with the

right combination of medications and lifestyle changes. Weight loss, and healthy eating habits

paired with birth control pills and Metformin is a popular method used by women to maintain

their everyday lives and to manage their PCOS.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a good subject to make a Public Service Announcement

about as it is a common, but misunderstood disease. Commonly interpreted as symptoms of

puberty in adolescent women who are just beginning to reach childbearing age, PCOS is often

times brushed over by doctors, as young women not having had periods is also common for their

age. Combined with the lack of exact cause for PCOS, it is hard to determine whether the

symptoms a woman is exhibiting is simply a result of puberty of PCOS.

Citations-

“PCOS | Polycystic Ovary Syndrome | MedlinePlus.” MedlinePlus Trusted Health

Information for You, 17 June 2016

“Symptoms and Causes.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and

Research
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“Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical

Education and Research, 29 Aug. 2017