I think this post is going to be useful not just for women with PCOS but also for the mothers whose daughters are at the puberty stage. I am saying this because the symptoms start appearing in their mid teens and that is the best time to start treating this as it could be controlled way too effectively if it were to be treated at an early stage.

What are the changes that indicate PCOS?

• The first and the most visible – ACNE. Yes, most teenagers who have PCOS have bad cases of Acne which trust me, does not respond to anything on this earth :(  These acne outbreaks come without any regularity (I mean some girls get a pimple or two just before their monthly cycle – but the PCOS one gets them anytime).
• The second predominant symptom is the unwanted facial hair – again no permanent solution for this. Some people may also have hair growth in chest and stomach areas. Frustratingly accompanied with loss of hair in scalp.
• Abnormal weight gain or weight loss – That’s yet another strange thing about PCOS. Anything on the either side of normal signals PCOS.
• Irregular menstrual cycles – Again as is the case with PCOS, this might be lesser than 9 periods in a year with very less bleeding or more periods with very heavy bleeding.
• Mood swings – Mostly this is depression. This might be less noticeable in young girls but becomes a greater problem with women.
• In most cases, the syndrome is diagnosed only when there is a fertility issue. So I can also add Infertility or Fertility problems as one of the symptoms.

Is PCOS Hereditary?

Yes it is. Unlike one might think, one can get this syndrome if it ran in either of the parent’s family.  But that is just one thing. There are several other reasons why the hormone levels are not normal like environmental factors, dietary factors, etc. So if you have a doubt, start with checking if other women in the family have irregular periods, diabetes or fertility problems.

What are the diagnostics?

Be prepared to be embarrassed with questions and diagnostics when you go to a doctor for the first time for PCOS. I am sure none of us would ever forget our first visit and the questions that we had to answer for. But trust me, this will all sound just like regular discussion after a couple of visits to your doctor. So here’s what they ask/do:

1. Questions on hereditary factors like anyone else in family with PCOS and stuff
2. Questions on previous medical conditions and health in general
3. Physical examination of the body – to check for unwanted hair growth
4. Lot of blood work – to test for various hormone levels and to overrule other problems like thyroid/gland problems as they have similar symptoms.
5. In most cases, a scan or ultrasound which could be either pelvic or trans-vaginal. This not only confirms the PCOS but also helps the doc to make sure that you don't have any other major issues.

So what are the treatment?

The first thing that the doc would say if you are on the higher side of weight levels is to reduce the weight. Regular exercise and diet plans are the first step recommended (if ever you met a good doctor). Otherwise, the docs prescribe a medicine called Metformin – a  diabetes drug and birth control pills to regulate the periods or fertility medicine if you are trying to get pregnant. Some doctors suggest some kind of Acne soaps, astringents or creams for acne, but from my experience, they don’t work at all :(  So the best thing to do is stop being conscious and DO NOT pick the acne as they leave a scar which is again not easy to get rid of. For the unwanted facial hair, tweezing, threading or waxing are temporary solutions. I tried 4 sittings of laser and that didn’t work for me and am back to waxing now. Not sure how far permanent electrolysis is. But these are costly and painful alternatives.