There are many possible conditions that females can have that affect their fertility. One of the most common conditions linked to infertility is polycystic ovary syndrome, commonly known as PCOS.
While PCOS is linked to infertility, it doesn’t completely eliminate the possibility of conception. It’s important to learn about the syndrome and how it affects your ability to conceive in order to know the best ways to treat the symptoms and increase your fertility.
Read on to learn about the ins and out of PCOS, how it’s connected to infertility, and the best ways to treat it.
What is PCOS?
Polycystic ovary syndrome is a hormonal disorder that causes your ovaries to produce too many androgens, which are male hormones that females usually have a small amount of. The hormonal imbalance results in cysts filled with immature eggs that form on the ovaries, though not every female diagnosed with PCOS develops the cysts.
Most females with PCOS are also insulin resistant, meaning that their bodies can’t effectively use the insulin that it produces, preventing them from properly turning food into energy. This increases their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
It occurs in women of childbearing age, and most cases are diagnosed in their 20s or 30s, especially if they’re trying to conceive. PCOS affects 1 in 10 women, with approximately 5 million cases in the United States.
Symptoms of PCOS
There are a variety of symptoms associated with PCOS. Some of them affect a female’s physical appearance, while others are internal issues that can only be determined through an ultrasound or bloodwork.
For a PCOS diagnosis, you must have at least two of the three required symptoms:
- Missed, light or irregular periods.
- Enlarged ovaries with possible cysts.
- An excess of androgen.
The excess of androgen can cause physical symptoms including:
- Thinning hair or male-pattern baldness.
- Excess body hair.
- Oily or acne-ridden skin.
Other potential PCOS symptoms include:
- Weight gain.
- Skin tags on neck or armpit.
- Thick or dark patches on the back of neck, under the breasts or in the armpit.
How PCOS and infertility are connected
PCOS can make it hard for a female to conceive because the unbalanced hormones prevent the proper growth and release of eggs during ovulation needed for conception. This lack of ovulation is called anovulation, which often leads to infertility.
The disorder is the most common reason for anovulatory infertility. Up to 95% of women who have anovulation also have polycystic ovary syndrome.
The infertility prevalence rate for females with PCOS is 70% to 80%.
Infertility treatment with PCOS
While the rate of infertility may be high, it’s still highly possible for a female with PCOS to conceive with proper treatment.
One of the most common initial treatment options with PCOS is prescribed medicine that’s taken at the beginning of a menstruation period. The oral tablets are usually either clomiphene citrate or letrozole. Clomiphene helps stimulate ovulation while letrozole reduces the production of estrogen.
If the medications aren’t helping to induce ovulation, your fertility specialist may also prescribe metformin, which serves many functions. This medicine helps increase the body’s sensitivity to the other medications. Since it’s often prescribed to people with Type 2 diabetes, metformin can help with PCOS symptoms like high insulin and blood sugar levels. It can help with infertility by stimulating ovulation, helping regulate menstruation and decreasing the risk of miscarriage.
Another possible way to increase your body’s sensitivity to the drugs is through ovarian drilling. This is a surgery that decreases the amount of testosterone produced in the ovaries by breaking through the barrier.
If the medication isn’t increasing ovulation, your fertility specialist may recommend injections or in vitro fertilization. These can increase the chance of a multiple pregnancy.
How Fertility Cloud can help with PCOS and infertility
Infertility can be frustrating on its own, but it can be even more difficult when it’s coupled with PCOS symptoms. And while PCOS can make conception hard, it’s important to know about the treatment options that can help you and your partner.
The fertility specialists at Fertility Cloud can help you determine how to deal with the PCOS symptoms that may be causing your infertility. Through virtual consultations, discussing the best treatment options for your body, and medication sent right to your door, you can increase your chance of conceiving.
If you’re ready to treat infertility caused by PCOS, contact our team by phone today for more information or book an initial appointment online with a fertility specialist.