what is pcos and the symptoms and how does it affect trying to concieve?

Question

i see alot of people talking about it but im com-letely lost on what it is

Answer 1

What is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)?
Polycystic (pah-lee-SIS-tik) ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a health problem that can affect a woman's menstrual cycle, ability to have children, hormones, heart, blood vessels, and appearance. With PCOS, women typically have:

high levels of androgens (AN-druh-junz). These are sometimes called male hormones, although females also make them.
missed or irregular periods
many small cysts (sists) in their ovaries. Cysts are fluid-filled sacs.
How many women have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)?
About one in ten women of childbearing age has PCOS. It can occur in girls as young as 11 years old. PCOS is the most common cause of female infertility (not being able to get pregnant).

What causes polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)?
The cause of PCOS is unknown. Most researchers think that more than one factor could play a role in developing PCOS. Genes are thought to be one factor. Women with PCOS tend to have a mother or sister with PCOS. Researchers also think insulin could be linked to PCOS. Insulin is a hormone that controls the change of sugar, starches, and other food into energy for the body to use or store. For many women with PCOS, their bodies have problems using insulin so that too much insulin is in the body. Excess insulin appears to increase production of androgen. This hormone is made in fat cells, the ovaries, and the adrenal gland. Levels of androgen that are higher than normal can lead to acne, excessive hair growth, weight gain, and problems with ovulation.

Does polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) run in families?
Most researchers think that PCOS runs in families. Women with PCOS tend to have a mother or sister with PCOS. Still, there is no proof that PCOS is inherited.

What are the symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)?
Not all women with PCOS share the same symptoms. These are some of the symptoms of PCOS:

infrequent menstrual periods, no menstrual periods, and/or irregular bleeding
infertility (not able to get pregnant) because of not ovulating
increased hair growth on the face, chest, stomach, back, thumbs, or toes—a condition called hirsutism (HER-suh-tiz-um)
ovarian cysts
acne, oily skin, or dandruff
weight gain or obesity, usually carrying extra weight around the waist
insulin resistance or 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
pelvic pain
anxiety or depression due to appearance and/or infertility
sleep apnea—excessive snoring and times when breathing stops while asleep

Answer 2

My 22 year old daughter has PCOS, which stands for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. At the time of her diagnosis, which was earlier this year, we had never heard of it either. Every woman who has PCOS has irregular or non-existent menstrual cycles. However, many women have this but don't have PCOS. Other symptoms include being over weight, difficulty losing weight, carrying excessive weight around the middle, unusual hair growth, male pattern balding, infertility, high blood pressure, high blood glucose levels, and acne. How my daughter's doctor explained part of it was that normally, when a woman's eggs begin to mature each month, one of them reaches maturity first and is released from an ovary. In a woman with PCOS, the hormones are not present to produce a mature egg so one does not leave the ovary and it develops into a cyst. Because a woman with PCOS may not ovulate there is no mature egg present for fertilization. There are many websites with lots of good information. Here is just one of them http://www.4woman.gov/faq/pcos.htm. Check it out for some helpful information.