Women's Health -
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome -
Symptoms and detection of PCOS
Symptoms
- Infrequent menstrual periods, no menstrual periods, and/or irregular bleeding
- Infertility or inability to get pregnant because of not ovulating
- Increased growth of hair on the face, chest, stomach, back, thumbs, or toes
- Acne, oily skin, or dandruff
- Pelvic pain
- Weight gain or obesity, usually carrying extra weight around the waist
- Type 2 diabetes
- High cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- Male-pattern baldness or thinning hair
- Patches of thickened and dark brown or black skin on the neck, arms, breasts, or thighs
- Skin tags, or tiny excess flaps of skin in the armpits or neck area
- Sleep apnea (excessive snoring and breathing stops at times while asleep)
Testing and diagnosis
There is no single test to diagnose PCOS. Your doctor will take a medical history,
perform a physical exam—possibly including an ultrasound, check your hormone levels, and measure
glucose, or sugar levels, in the blood. If you are producing too many male hormones, the doctor
will make sure it’s from PCOS. At the physical exam the doctor will want to evaluate the areas of
increased hair growth, so try to allow the natural hair growth for a few days before the visit.
During a pelvic exam, the ovaries may be enlarged or swollen by the increased number of small
cysts. This can be seen more easily by vaginal ultrasound, or screening, to examine the ovaries for
cysts and the endometrium. The endometrium is the lining of the uterus. The uterine lining may
become thicker if there has not been a regular period.
