Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) affects 8 to 10% of women of reproductive age worldwide and is one of the leading causes of infertility. It helps to know early what your treatment options are so that prompt management can be done.
One of the first things you need to seriously do is to lose weight because this plays an important role in hormone regulation and control, which is the primary problem in PCOS. Who knows, just by doing this may help eliminate your PCOS.
Another treatment option is the use of the anti-diabetic drug Metformin. You may wonder why you need it if you do not have diabetes.
The answer again lies in hormone regulation, which is what Metformin does, it improves the body’s ability to absorb the hormone insulin.
For women who are seriously considering pregnancy immediately, fertility medications like Clomiphene Citrate (Clomid) are given to stimulate ovulation.
The use of Clomid however, entails close supervision from a health care provider as the long term use of this drug is associated with ovarian cancer.
Other fertility medications include Injectable hCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin) or hMG (Human Meopausal Gonadotrophin). Other fertility options may include In-vitro Maturation (IVM) to allow the egg cells to mature or In-vitro Fertilization (IVF) to help in fertilization of the Blastocyst prior to implantation into the woman’s uterus. These surgical methods have proven to be very helpful in women with PCOS.
There are also alternative management options for PCOS you may want to try, which includes: a combination of balanced healthy foods, regular exercise to control weight and antioxidant supplements like zinc and black currant; and herbs like False Unicorn and Blue Cohosh.
If all of the treatment options fail and the symptoms recur, an invasive surgical procedure may be necessary. A pelvic laparoscopy may be done to remove the section of the ovary with the presence of multiple cysts.
Treatment options should not be delayed to avoid serious complications of PCOS that include: risk of Breast and Endometrial Cancer, Infertility, Obesity, Hypertension, Heart Problems and Diabetes.
