Fertility :: PCOS causes irregular periods, can lead to fertility problems

For many women, irregular or infrequent menstrual cycles may not sound like such a bad thing. But a condition that can cause irregular periods ? polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS ? can present women with numerous health concerns, ranging from excess hair growth to fertility issues to an increased risk of heart disease and diabetes.

PCOS affects about one in 10 women of reproductive age, making it one of the more common hormonal abnormalities women experience during their reproductive years. Women often notice that something is wrong when they have irregular bleeding ? either infrequent and very light or more frequent and heavy ? and often excess hair growth, says Dan Lebovic, M.D., M.A., assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Michigan Medical School.

?If women are having irregular cycles, they should have their physician examine them either at their annual exam or sooner,? says Lebovic, also the co-director of the U-M Health System Endometriosis Center. ?PCOS can lead to serious health conditions, and the sooner it is detected, the better the chances that the PCOS can be treated effectively.?

Polycystic ovaries occur when small cysts form on the inside of the ovary. This makes the ovary appear more plump than usual during surgeries or on imaging studies, Lebovic says, and creates multiple blebs (blisters) on top of the ovary in such a way that the ovary looks like an inverted golf ball.

Among women with PCOS, each cyst likely contains a small egg that cannot be released because the hormonal environment prevents that from happening. This leads to an endocrine, or hormonal, disorder in which the egg cannot be ovulated from the ovary, and therefore is kept inside each cyst.

This leads to irregular menstrual cycles, which can mean that a woman has a period fewer than 10 times a year, or even as little as just three or four times a year (without the use of birth control pills for the purpose of slowing or stopping the woman?s periods).

The accompanying problems for women can be limited and mild, or broad-ranging and severe, Lebovic says.


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