How can the doctor detect Pcos?

Question

can they find it in a paps smear,because my doctor never told me i had it and a month ago i had a cycolospy done because i had a abnormal paps smear, but the test came back negative wouldnt ahad came up in some test. and another thing how do you get it.

Answer 1

PCOS cannot be detected in a pap smear. PCOS doesn't affect the cervix, so a pap smear would not find it. Your abnormal pap smear is not related to PCOS.

PCOS is a syndrome, which means it is a set of different symptoms and you don't have to have all of them to have PCOS. Some of the most common symptoms include irregular periods, fertility problems, dark patches of skin, acne, thinning scalp hair, body hair growth, obesity, and skin tags. It is diagnosed based on symptoms and blood tests of your hormone levels. Your doctor may also order a glucose tolerance test or insulin test because in many women, PCOS is thought to be caused by insulin resistance (IR). IR is a condition in which the cells don't use insulin as quickly as they should, so the body releases more insulin because it "thinks" more is needed. Blood sugar levels are eventually brought to normal (unlike in diabetes, in which levels remain too high), but excessive insulin is left in the bloodstream. This excessive insulin is thought to cause the ovaries to produce too many male hormones, leading to PCOS. A glucose tolerance test or an insulin test will check for IR.

No one is really completely sure how you get PCOS. Research shows that in most women it is linked to these insulin problems. I have a very strong history of diabetes on both sides of my family and my gyno thinks that those genes manifested themselves in me as PCOS rather than diabetes. So in some people it's genetic. IR can cause you to be overweight, but being overweight can contribute to IR, so weight can make the problem worse as well as being a symptom of the problem. There are women with PCOS who aren't overweight or don't have IR, though, so the full explanation of what causes it isn't known yet.

You can have PCOS without having ovarian cysts. You can also have ovarian cysts without having PCOS. This is because PCOS is diagnosed based on your symptoms and blood work, not on the presence or absence of cysts. Although most women with PCOS have cysts, some don't. And most women who have cysts do not have PCOS--ovarian cysts are very common and most of them do not fit the "string of pearls" that describes polycystic ovaries. For most women, an ultrasound is unnecessary for diagnosis unless they are having problems like cyst pain or rupture. My gyno advised against one when I was diagnosed because it wasn't necessary to the diagnosis and would just be an extra expense. I didn't know for sure that I had cysts until one ruptured, but I had all the outward symptoms of PCOS and IR.

Answer 2

They do a detailed history and ask questions like: When did you have your first period? Are your periods irregular? If so, when did they become irregular? Are you TTC? If so, for how long? Have you been pregnant before? If so, how long did it take you to conceive? Are your periods painful? Do you have facial and/or body hair? Do you have a problem with acne? Etc.... If, based upon your answers, they find that there is enough evidence to suggest you might have PCOS they will schedule a trans-vaginal ultrasound and bloodwork to test your hormones. They also should check your fasting insulin levels and do a 2 hour glucose test to see how well your insulin works. All they need to make the diagnoses, though, is for you to have irregular periods and hyperandrogenism (an increase in male hormones) which present as 1 or a combination of the following: Acne, thinning hair, weight gain around the belly, and/or facial/body hair. But, the ultrasound and bloodwork will give you a complete picture of just how bad your PCOS is. If they determine that you have it, make sure the put you on metformin, working you up to at least 1500mg per day. Any less than that and it won't be effective. The side effects are awful for about the first 2 1/2 months, but it is imperative that you stick with it so you can prevent yourself from getting diabetes in the future and also reduce your risk of heart disease. Good luck:)

Answer 3

you wouldn't find polycystic ovary syndrome in a pap smear. based on your history a doctor might do an ultrasound. Hormone levels at different times of the month can also support the diagnosis. PCOS, is something you are born with, you don't "get it".

Answer 4

Get Ovarian Cyst Miracle!

Answer 5

You usually have several symptoms that present (i.e. irregular periods, terrible acne, excessive hair, diabetes, can't control weight, etc) that will make you tell your doctor. They will perform tests (blood) and check certain horomones and such.

Answer 6

they can tell by blood tests and ultrasounds

Answer 7

I had a unltrasound to check for it, but I didn't have it. Yay!

Answer 8

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_ovary_syndrome