1. Assess Your Weight
Determine whether your weight is a significant issue--more than just a few extra pounds to shed. Weight gain, obesity and difficulty losing weight may signal polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Roughly half of all women with PCOS are considered obese, meaning their weight is 20 percent above the normal range for their height. If you suspect that your weight is influenced by a PCOS-related hormone imbalance, see your doctor promptly. It's important to identify PCOS early to reduce symptoms and prevent complications like heart disease and diabetes.
2. Monitor Your Cycle and Fertility
Keep a journal to document the dates and length of your menstrual cycle. Menstrual irregularity is a common PCOS symptom. If you have your period infrequently--eight or nine times a year--this may indicate PCOS. Some women with PCOS do not menstruate at all and do not ovulate regularly. PCOS also may be associated with heavy periods.
Difficulty conceiving may indicate PCOS. If you have been trying to get pregnant without success for more than 6 months, tell your doctor. PCOS interrupts normal ovulation and is a leading cause of infertility among women.
3. Describe Your Hair Patterns
Do you have excess hair on your face, chest, belly and back? This may be caused by PCOS when your ovaries produce extra male hormones. The hair may be coarse, dark and thick. However, thinning scalp hair (male pattern baldness or alopecia) also is a PCOS symptom.
4. Evaluate Your Skin
If you're troubled with more than the occasional stress or period related breakouts, this symptom may be another sign of PCOS. Acne results when male and female hormones tip out of balance. More than the normal amount of androgens cause oil-producing glands to work overtime, which triggers acne.
5. Have a Thorough Workup
Tell your doctor if you believe your weight, excess hair, acne, irregular menstrual cycles or inability to get pregnant may be related to PCOS. Remember, you may not have all these PCOS symptoms. There is no single test to identify or rule out PCOS, but your doctor will order blood tests to measure your hormones. These tests will assess your level of testosterone and other male hormones and LH and FSH, two hormones that regulate ovulation. They will also assess progesterone, thyroid and prolactin levels. Prolactin is the hormone that stimulates breast milk production. Women with PCOS often have elevated levels of this hormone, which suppresses ovulation.
Your doctor also will measure your blood sugar and insulin. Women with PCOS are often insulin resistant, which can lead to the development of diabetes and heart problems. Your workup probably will include cholesterol, triglycerides and C-reactive protein tests. Your doctor also may order a pelvic ultrasound to look for multiple cysts on your ovaries. The ultrasound provides just one piece of the diagnostic picture, however, and will not conclusively identify PCOS. That's because some women with PCOS do not have cysts on their ovaries. The reverse is also true; you can have multiple cysts on your ovaries and not have PCOS.
