Polycystic ovaries?

Question

I think I may have polycystiv ovarian syndrome. I've struggled for years with bad acne, irregular periods and now my hairs falling out and I'm gaining weight. I'm scared that if I just come out and say ' I think Iv got polycystic ovaries' to my doctor they might just dismiss me as a self diagnosing hypochondriac.

Answer 1

Only a magnetic resonance imaging, or a cat scan will tell you for sure.

Answer 2

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. 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. There is no single test to diagnose PCOS. Your doctor will take a medical history, perform a physical exam, and possibly take some tests to rule out other causes of your symptoms. During the physical exam the doctor will want to measure your blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), and waist size. He or she also will check out the areas of increased hair growth, so try to allow the natural hair growth for a few days before the visit. Your doctor might want to do a pelvic exam to see if your ovaries are enlarged or swollen by the increased number of small cysts. A vaginal ultrasound also might be used to examine the ovaries for cysts and check out the endometrium, the lining of the uterus. The uterine lining may become thicker if your periods are not regular. You also might have blood taken to check your hormone levels and to measure glucose (sugar) levels. Because there is no cure for PCOS, it needs to be managed to prevent problems. Treatment goals are based on your symptoms, whether or not you want to become pregnant, and lowering your chances of getting heart disease and diabetes. Many women will need a combination of treatments to meet these goals. Some treatments for PCOS include - Birth control pills. Diabetes medications. Fertility medications. Medicine for increased hair growth or extra male hormones. Surgery. Lifestyle modification.
I add a link with details of this subject

http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/
fact_sheets/html/PCOS.html

Hope this helps
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