What are the symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome?

Written by He Bing
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Updated on September 23, 2024
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Polycystic ovary syndrome often begins in adolescence, with primary clinical manifestations including menstrual disorders, excess androgens, and obesity. First, menstrual disorders are the most prominent symptoms, often characterized by infrequent menstruation, with cycles ranging from 35 days to 6 months, or amenorrhea. Before amenorrhea, there may be scanty menses or infrequent menstruation. It can also present as irregular uterine bleeding with no regular pattern in menstrual cycle, period, or flow. Second, infertility. Women of childbearing age may experience infertility due to ovulatory disorders. Third, hirsutism is the most common manifestation of high androgen levels. It appears in varying degrees, primarily affecting sexual hair, with dense pubic hair showing a male pattern tendency, extending around the anus, groin, or midline of the abdomen. There may also be fine mustache hair on the upper lip or hair around the nipple. Oily skin is also common, related to the accumulation of androgens stimulating vigorous secretion from the sebaceous glands. Fourth, obesity. Over 50% of patients are obese, commonly exhibiting abdominal obesity. Fifth, acanthosis nigricans. Occurs in areas such as the labia, the back of the neck, armpits, under the breasts, and the groin, where skin folds are present. This is characterized by symmetric grey-brown pigmentation, thickened skin, and a soft texture.

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Written by He Bing
Obstetrics and Gynecology
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Can polycystic ovary syndrome recur?

Patients with polycystic ovary syndrome can manage symptoms effectively if diagnosed early, treated promptly, and receive active treatment for complications. However, if patients neglect daily care afterward, the disease is very likely to recur. Therefore, patients need to continue good nursing care after treatment to reduce the chance of recurrence. Patients with polycystic ovary syndrome need to pay attention to lifestyle adjustments: maintain a suitable living environment, change bad habits, and avoid staying up late; especially during long-term treatment, it is important to rest adequately, maintain physical strength, eat a nutritious diet, dress appropriately for weather changes, and avoid infections from bacteria and viruses. Diet should involve long-term restriction of calorie intake, choosing low-sugar, high-fiber options. A light diet rich in high-quality protein should be emphasized. Patients should quit smoking and drinking, and avoid high-sugar, high-fat, and spicy foods. The most important aspect is weight control. Patients should engage in aerobic exercises such as brisk walking, jogging, or swimming at least 5 days per week, each session lasting at least 30 minutes. Lastly, it is crucial to stabilize emotions, manage oneself, maintain an optimistic outlook, and avoid extreme anger, depression, excessive tension, and long-term anxiety.

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Written by Zhang Xiu Rong
Obstetrics and Gynecology
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Can polycystic ovary syndrome naturally conceive?

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by symptoms such as amenorrhea, obesity, infertility, acne, and hirsutism. In cases of PCOS, the chances of natural conception are slim unless one regularly maintains a disciplined lifestyle, manages PCOS through exercise, weight loss, and a regulated life routine which normalizes hormone levels, thus enabling normal ovulation and the possibility of natural conception. Otherwise, a distinctive feature of PCOS is anovulation, and to achieve conception, hormone levels must be normalized. Once hormone levels are normalized, some individuals may ovulate on their own, while others may need medication to stimulate ovulation. Therefore, the chances of natural conception with PCOS are very low.

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Written by He Bing
Obstetrics and Gynecology
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How long does it take to cure polycystic ovary syndrome?

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), like hypertension and diabetes, is a chronic disease that can be managed but not cured. The clinical manifestations of PCOS are diverse and vary from person to person. Some people have mild symptoms, such as slightly irregular menstruation without complete anovulation, which still allows for the possibility of natural conception. Additionally, if an individual pays close attention to adjusting their lifestyle and maintains a lean physique, the long-term health impact can be relatively minor. This situation cannot be described as self-healing or cured, but the impact of the disease is indeed not significant. Although PCOS cannot currently be completely cured, timely diagnosis and treatment of symptoms, along with consistent long-term management, can still make pregnancy and childbirth possible.

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Written by Zhang Xiu Rong
Obstetrics and Gynecology
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How to lose weight with polycystic ovary syndrome?

The characteristics of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) include amenorrhea, obesity, infertility, acne, and hirsutism. Most patients with PCOS are overweight, and such individuals definitely need to have their blood drawn again at the hospital to check their blood sugar levels and insulin for abnormalities. If the blood sugar is also high and there is positive insulin resistance, medication must be used to adjust the blood sugar levels. With normal blood sugar, weight loss can also proceed. Moreover, obesity being a characteristic of the disease itself, it generally can be managed through eating less and exercising more. One should avoid eating large amounts of meat, foods high in fat and calories, and instead consume more vegetables and fruits, as well as beans and soy products, particularly black soybeans used to make soy milk. It is essential to perform one hour of aerobic exercise every night before sleep, and one should definitely avoid staying up late. With these endocrine adjustments, normal body weight can be restored.

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Written by He Bing
Obstetrics and Gynecology
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Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Pregnancy Rate

For women who plan to conceive, their biggest concern is whether polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) will affect their normal fertility. Normally, reproductive-aged women develop a group of 3-11 follicles each month, which after recruitment and selection, typically only one follicle fully matures and ovulates, while the other follicles degenerate after reaching a certain stage of development. However, in patients with PCOS, the ovaries contain many small and immature follicles, often more than 12. The amount of follicle-stimulating hormone secreted by the pituitary gland is not sufficient to support the development of even one follicle, leading to anovulation and infertility. For patients with PCOS who want to conceive, the greatest risk is infertility. Patients can control their weight and regulate their menstrual cycles by adjusting their lifestyle, or by using medication to induce ovulation. Generally, more than 95% of patients can successfully induce ovulation and achieve pregnancy through medication. However, the success rate of achieving pregnancy through induced ovulation after 6 attempts is only 75% to 80%. Even for those who ovulate naturally, the success rate of conception within a year is only 82%. Therefore, it is essential to be patient, as hurried efforts will not yield immediate results in treatment.