Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, or PCO for short, is one of the most common causes of infertility.
If a doctor diagnoses PCO, a change in lifestyle will also help.
Irregular or absent periods, hair loss, acne and male hair growth on the cheeks and chin *: Symptoms that suggest polycystic ovary syndrome.
Only a doctor can determine the hormonal disorder and initiate the appropriate therapy.
But there is a lot you can do yourself to restore the hormonal balance in your body.
A horror idea for every woman: The hair on the head falls out, but it grows in places where it shouldn't grow.
For example on the stomach, back and face - as with men.
Masculinization is a symptom of polycystic ovarian syndrome, and those affected can develop receding hairlines.
Acne and an unfulfilled desire to have children also speak in favor of
PCO, which affects around ten percent of all women
, as informed by the Hormone Center at the Munich Opera.
By definition, PCO syndrome is associated with polycystic ovaries (ovaries).
We speak of these when at least ten follicles with a size of up to 12 millimeters are detected in the ultrasound.
In addition, PCO leads to hormonal and metabolic changes,
such as obesity and overproduction of male hormones.
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Not pregnant from PCO: these causes are behind it
According to the Clinic for Gynecology and Obstetrics at the Münster University Hospital, the following factors are discussed as the cause of the development of polycystic ovaries: too much insulin (hormone from the pancreas that regulates the sugar balance), too much male hormones and disorders of the secretion of hormones in the brain.
Polycystic ovaries are a signal for the chronic absence of ovulation
, which is an explanation for the unfulfilled desire to have children.
PCO can also lead to lipid metabolism disorders, type 2 diabetes mellitus as well as high blood pressure and arteriosclerosis, according to the website of the Münster University Hospital.
If PCO is suspected, the attending physician will perform blood tests, an ultrasound of the ovaries and usually also a check of the thyroid gland.
If the symptoms are actually polycystic ovarian syndrome, various treatment approaches are possible.
Although the disease cannot be cured, the symptoms can be significantly alleviated
.
The following treatments and measures are effective in PCO:
Reducing excess weight:
PCO patients often have great problems losing
weight
due to hormonal factors.
A change in lifestyle and eating habits helps to regulate the disturbed hormone balance, as the Norddeutsche Rundfunk (NDR) informs.
Endurance and weight training and healthy food can melt pounds: If the hormone-producing belly fat in particular decreases, the cells would react better to insulin, which causes the blood sugar level to drop - and with it the production of male hormones.
According to the NDR, patients should avoid white flour and sweets and use vegetables, whole grain products, filling protein and healthy fats such as flax or walnut oil.
If PCO patients are affected by diabetes,
therapy with oral diabetes medication
such as metformin may be indicated.
Not only is the sugar metabolism normalized, menstrual cycle disorders and other PCO symptoms can also be alleviated.
Clomiphene is a medicine that
stimulates
the
ovaries and promotes ovulation
.
It can be used when the desire to have children is unfulfilled.
If there is no desire to have children, the
birth control pill
can be
taken to stabilize the cycle.
Some pills are anti-androgenic, improving hair loss and acne, and reducing beard growth.
(jg) * Merkur.de is part of the Germany-wide Ippen-Digital editorial network
.
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