One of the difficulties of detecting polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is that most of its symptoms seem completely unrelated to each other. In fact, the physical symptoms are easily overlooked until a woman realizes that she has difficulties conceiving. Infertility is the most well-known sign, but the hormonal fluctuations behind PCOS also trigger skin problems, hair growth, and irregular periods. Educating yourself on these symptoms will give you a better understanding of the relationship between PCOS and infertility.

Irregular menstrual cycles

Some women develop PCOS as early as their teenage years when its presence appears in conjunction with irregular menstrual cycles, a symptom that affects 75% of PCOS sufferers. Irregular, infrequent, or absent periods are variations of this symptom, with most women experiencing heavy and painful menstruation when it finally arrives.

Menstrual cycles go out of whack because of the hormonal imbalance that causes PCOS. Before eggs become mature enough to be released, they grow inside little sacs or cysts. During every cycle, the ovaries start preparing 20 eggs a month for maturation. Eventually, one of these eggs will become the “dominant” egg, or the egg that will eventually be released from the ovary into the fallopian tube. However, women with PCOS do not have enough estrogen to make one egg dominant. As a result, no egg is released, and the 20 mature eggs remain as cysts. This causes the production of male hormones called androgens while lowering the amount of progesterone in the body. The end result of this hormonal imbalance often times includes the symptoms of anovulation (failure to ovulate), amenorrhea (failure to have a period), and irregular cycles.

Infertility

As a result of irregular menstrual cycles and ovulation problems, many women with PCOS suffer from infertility. It is not an absolute certainty, because some women with PCOS have no problems ovulating and conceiving. However, some women with PCOS experience irregular ovulation (making it difficult to time intercourse) while some women do not ovulate at all. Many times those who felt that their irregular menstrual cycles was due to stress will only discover that they have PCOS when they get evaluated for fertility problems.

Anomalous hair growth

It is very common for women with PCOS to have anomalous hair growth patterns or unexplained changes in hair growth. The high levels of androgens can cause hirsutism – excess hair growth on the arms, legs, back, face, or pubic region. Although not all women with PCOS experience hirsutism, 95% of women with these symptoms have PCOS.

The converse can also be true; women with PCOS may experience hair loss similar to male pattern baldness. The ovarian cysts cause an increase in the androgen dihydrotestosterone (DHT) from testosterone. DHT attaches itself to hair follicles, causing them to reach their “resting phase” sooner. With each growth cycle, the hair produced by the affected follicles becomes thinner until they finally stop growing.

Skin problems

Some unexplained skin conditions can be the result of PCOS. The most common problem is severe or persistent acne along the jaw line, back, or chest. This is caused by the hormone DHT’s over-stimulation of the oil glands, causing an increase in oil that clogs up pores and cause acne. Other skin problems include darkening of the skin and skin tags. Darkened skin around the neck, skin fold, underarms, or groin may be the effect of an insulin resistance – one of the known primary causes of PCOS. Skin tags, or thick lumps of skin, are usually found along the bra line, neck, or armpit area.

If you recognize these symptoms in yourself, see your doctor and find out if PCOS is affecting your fertility. Although there is no pill that can get rid of PCOS for good, there are many treatments that can reduce the severity of the symptoms and help you get pregnant.

Diana Farrell is the author of the trademarked Full Embrace series of books on overcoming infertility that have helped many couples get pregnant. For more about PCOS and infertility and natural ways to overcome it, please visit http://www.PregnancySuccessProgram.com.

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