Polycystic ovary syndrome

Mareike Müller is a freelance writer in the medical department and assistant doctor for neurosurgery in Düsseldorf. She studied human medicine in Magdeburg and gained a lot of practical medical experience during her stays abroad on four different continents.

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Polycystic ovary syndrome is a condition that women of childbearing age suffer from. Small water-filled vesicles appear on the ovaries. The women affected suffer from irregular menstrual cycles, increasingly male body hair and changes in body structure. With the right therapy, the symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome can be relieved. Read everything you need to know about the disease.

ICD codes for this disease: ICD codes are internationally recognized codes for medical diagnoses. They can be found, for example, in doctor's letters or on certificates of incapacity for work. E28

Polycystic ovary syndrome: description

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, PCOS for short. It is a disease that mainly affects young women of childbearing age. The disease is also named "Stein-Leventhal syndrome" after its first description from 1935. It is a disturbance in the hormonal control loop. Male hormones in particular are overproduced, which is why typical symptoms such as male body hair appear.

In the ovaries of the affected women there are many small, fluid-filled blisters called follicles. An egg cell usually matures in each of these. Maturation is disturbed in PCOS. In addition, there may be more than usual ("poly"). Cysts, in turn, are basically encapsulated, fluid-filled cavities in the tissue - similar to the follicles. This is why the term "polycystic" has become established.

Around three to four percent of women worldwide are affected by PCO syndrome. The disease usually begins during puberty, but symptoms often only appear between the ages of twenties and thirties.

Polycystic ovaries develop in some patients during puberty and regress in adulthood. Then one speaks of a "temporary multicystic ovarian syndrome / ovary syndrome".

Polycystic ovary syndrome: symptoms

PCOS can cause many different symptoms, each with a different degree of severity. Common complaints are:

• Menstrual cycle disorders (e.g. absence of menstrual bleeding)
• Hirsutism (development of a male hair type) and virilism (the body stature becomes male)
• Loss of hair on the head
• Blemishes
• infertility
• mental problems

Menstrual cycle disorders

Some women who have PCOS have no menstrual bleeding or it only occurs every few months. Some women also have what are known as anovulatory cycles. Ovulation does not occur during the cycle. In that case the woman is sterile.

Hirsutism and Virilism

When there is an excess of male hormones in the body, women with polycystic ovary syndrome develop a male hair type. This phenomenon is also called "hirsutism". Hair grows on the chest, thighs and back, the pubic hair changes, and a beard develops. Hirsutism and the masculinization of the body (virilism) can be traced back to the effects of the increased presence of male hormones. It develops ...

• ... a deeper voice
• ... a bald head
• ... an enlarged clitoris

The breast size can also decrease in the process.

Polycystic ovary syndrome: causes and risk factors

It is still unclear why the polycystic ovary syndrome develops. The tendency to have polycystic ovaries is believed to be inherited, as some families often affect more than one woman.

About 50 to 70 percent of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome are overweight. Often there is also what is known as insulin resistance. This means that the receptors for the hormone "insulin", which takes care of the absorption of sugar into the cells, are no longer fully functional. A sugar intolerance or a "diabetic metabolic situation" develops. The diabetic metabolic situation worsens the symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome.

Androgen production is further fueled by various hormone effects and the symptoms of PCO syndrome worsen. However, there are also women of normal weight who do not suffer from a sugar metabolism disorder and who have polycystic ovary syndrome. Therefore, it is wrong to assume that polycystic ovary syndrome only develops if you are overweight. It is assumed, however, that today's “lifestyle” with a high-fat and high-sugar diet and little exercise contributes to the development of PCOS.

Polycystic ovary syndrome: examinations and diagnosis

In order to diagnose a PCO syndrome, the gynecologist will first ask about the medical history. Among other things, he would like to know the following:

• is the menstrual cycle regular? Has he changed?
• do you have diabetes mellitus?
• have you put on weight lately?
• has the body hair changed?
• do you have an unfulfilled wish to have children?
• does a relative suffer from polycystic ovary syndrome?

This is followed by a physical exam and an ultrasound scan of the ovaries. In addition, certain blood values ​​are measured, including hormone concentrations and blood sugar levels. The polycystic ovary syndrome is considered confirmed if the following symptoms occur:

1. multiple menstrual cycles without ovulation
2. multiple cysts on the ovaries
3. increasingly male hair type
4. has been shown to have increased levels of male hormones in the blood

Polycystic ovary syndrome: treatment

While there is no cure for polycystic ovary syndrome, the symptoms can be relieved with medication and lifestyle changes. The therapy is adjusted depending on how severe the symptoms are and whether you want to have children. In addition, cosmetic problems can be alleviated by medication or appropriate cosmetic treatment.

PCO syndrome: desire to have children

Patients who want to have children must take medication that stimulates the ovaries and thus promotes ovulation. The success of the treatment is checked after about nine to twelve months. If the ovaries are overstimulated, water may be retained in the abdomen and chest. In addition, multiple pregnancies are more likely to occur with such stimulation.

PCO syndrome: no desire to have children

If there is no desire to have children, the cycle can be stabilized with the help of ovulation inhibitors (birth control pills). Ovulation inhibitors prevent ovulation and decrease the production of male hormones.

Polycystic ovary syndrome: diet

In addition to drug therapy, it is important that the women affected change their lifestyle and especially their diet. If you are overweight, losing weight can lead to a serious improvement in symptoms. Sufficient physical activity also stabilizes the hormonal balance and the sugar metabolism.

Polycystic ovary syndrome: disease course and prognosis

Many women who have polycystic ovary syndrome don't just suffer physically. Due to the increasing body hair, missing menstruation and infertility, they can increasingly feel uncomfortable in their body, withdraw socially and develop depression. It is therefore extremely important that patients receive psychological help from a therapist or in a self-help group.

Usually today it is possible to get pregnant despite having polycystic ovary syndrome. However, pregnancy is more risky with polycystic ovary syndrome. There are more miscarriages, gestational diabetes and multiple pregnancies. Therefore, pregnant women with polycystic ovary syndrome have to undergo regular medical examinations in order to be able to identify complications quickly.

The polycystic ovary syndrome increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The risk can be reduced through medication and a change in diet. After the menopause, the symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome may decrease or increase.

Tags:  nourishment unfulfilled wish to have children vaccinations