What Is PCOS? The Effects of PCOS on Your Reproductive Health
PCOS, or polycystic ovarian syndrome, is a complex hormonal disorder caused by dysfunction in the endocrine system, leading to miscommunication between the pituitary gland and ovaries. This miscommunication results in imbalanced production of estrogen, progesterone, and androgens and can result in hormonal, metabolic, and reproductive issues. The development of PCOS is often influenced by genetics, insulin resistance, obesity, inflammation, or environmental factors.
A lot is still unknown and misunderstood about PCOS, as it is a complex disorder that affects patients in various and differing ways. Patients diagnosed with PCOS have at least two of the following symptoms:
- Multiple cysts on the ovaries
- Irregular periods
- High levels of androgens
What Causes PCOS?
As complicated as it is, PCOS is a dysfunction of the ovaries and the hormones they produce. However, the core issue is really a disruption in the endocrine system, or the system of glands and organs responsible for hormone production in the body.
PCOS and the Endocrine System
There are glands and organs in the body that must communicate with one another to trigger proper hormone production, from estrogen and progesterone to insulin, cortisol, adrenaline, thyroxine, and all others. These glands and organs are part of what’s called the endocrine system.
Research has shown that in people with PCOS, there is miscommunication in the endocrine system between the pituitary gland (a gland in the brain responsible for reproduction hormone production) and the ovaries. Interrupted communication between the pituitary gland and ovaries can cause irregular hormone production, especially the production of estrogen, progesterone, and androgens.
For some, it is a genetic issue inherited from parents or grandparents. Research has also found that it could stem from medical conditions like diabetes or insulin resistance, obesity, inflammation, or even environmental factors like poor air quality or exposure to harsh chemicals or pesticides.
Functional Ovaries
In a healthy patient, the pituitary gland tells the ovaries to produce and secrete estrogen and progesterone, two key hormones needed for regular and healthy reproductive development and menstrual cycles.
Estrogen
Estrogen production mainly occurs in the first half of the menstrual cycle, also known as the follicular phase or the ovulation phase. Estrogen is an essential hormone in this phase as it:
- Stops menstrual bleeding
- Tells the ovary to prepare and release an egg, triggering ovulation
- Triggers the thickening of the uterine lining
Progesterone
Progesterone production is more dominant in the second half of the menstrual cycle, also known as the luteal phase. Progesterone is an essential hormone in this phase as it:
- Increases the thickening of the uterine lining
- Aids with implantation of a fertilized embryo
- Drops in levels if there is no implantation, which triggers the lining to shed
PCOS-Related Ovarian Dysfunction
In PCOS, a patient’s ovaries are not producing estrogen or progesterone as they should and start producing high levels of androgens instead.
Androgens
Androgens are considered to be a type of male hormone, as men produce androgens at much higher levels than women do. While a bit of androgen production is needed to maintain reproductive health in women, excess amounts of androgens in the female body can lead to irregularities in the reproductive and menstrual cycle, as well as other symptoms like acne, unwanted facial hair growth, insulin resistance, and more.
Ovarian Cyst Growth
When the ovaries do not produce enough estrogen or progesterone, the patient suffers a hormonal imbalance that prevents the eggs within the ovary from being released properly. With nowhere to go, the egg can transform into either a follicular cyst or a corpus luteum cyst that will grow in the ovary.
The ovarian cysts that develop in PCOS are not harmful and typically fade away over a few weeks or a few months. However, new ones typically develop each menstrual cycle when the egg does not release from the ovary properly.
How Does PCOS Affect a Woman’s Reproductive Health?
PCOS can negatively impact a woman’s reproductive health in a number of ways, including:
Irregular Periods
Having irregular periods is typically an early warning sign of PCOS. It’s a result of the hormonal imbalances occurring in the ovaries and uterus.
Signs of an irregular period include:
- Periods that occur more frequently than every 28 days (every 21 days or less)
- Periods that occur less frequently than every 28 days (every 35 days or more)
- Periods that are inconsistent or seem to have no pattern (for example, one may start a month after your last period, but the next might not begin until three or four months later)
- Periods that last longer than seven days
- Periods that are heavier than they should be (examples of a heavy period include having to change your pad or tampon every hour, bleeding through your clothes, needing to use double protection, and/or passing large blood clots)
- Periods that are lighter than they should be (examples of a light period include those where you only spot for a few days or only bleed for a day or two)
Infertility Issues*
Because PCOS prevents the ovary from releasing eggs properly, the majority of women with PCOS suffer from infertility issues. In fact, a large number of PCOS patients aren’t aware of their condition until they seek fertility treatments or advice.
While some women are completely unable to release any eggs, other women may release abnormal eggs that cannot be fertilized. Others may release normal eggs but still have such sporadic and unpredictable menstrual cycles that it’s difficult to know when they are ovulating during each cycle.
Additionally, many with PCOS also suffer from insulin resistance, which can increase the risk of miscarrying should a patient with PCOS become pregnant.
*Please note that a PCOS diagnosis does NOT mean you cannot get pregnant. Pregnancy is still a possibility with PCOS. If you are diagnosed with PCOS but are not ready to be pregnant, please consider your birth control options.
What Are Some Signs and Symptoms of PCOS?
There are a few warning signs and symptoms that women can look out for if they think they have PCOS. While these signs are not indicators of PCOS on their own, experiencing multiple signs at once could point to the presence of this disorder.
Signs and symptoms include:
- Irregular or missed periods
- Weight gain, especially around the waist
- Severe acne
- Excessive hair growth on the face, especially the jawline, as well as the chest or back
- Thinning hair or male pattern hair loss
- Insulin resistance
- Fertility issues
If you’re dealing with PCOS or think you may be suffering from PCOS, talk to Women’s Clinic of Atlanta.
Our caring team understands how frustrating, painful, and emotionally challenging it can be to suffer from PCOS. We offer referrals to OBGYNs in the Atlanta area who can help you treat symptoms of PCOS and manage your condition.
If you are seeking birth control options, Women’s Clinic of Atlanta offers prescriptions for oral contraceptives and vaginal rings, plus depo injections and information on other types of birth control that may be a good option for you.
Schedule a sexual health screening or birth control consultation by texting “appointment” to 404-777-4771 today.
Women’s Clinic of Atlanta is HIPAA compliant and AAAHC accredited.
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