PCOS is diagnosed when two of the following symptoms are present:

• Menstrual disorders such as irregular or absent periods
• Acne or increased hair growth or scalp hair loss, or blood tests show increase in male hormones in some cases
• Polycystic ovaries seen on ultrasound scan.

One-third of women with PCOS are at risk of the Metabolic syndrome which includes central abdominal obesity, diabetes, hypertension and raised cholesterol.

It is important to rule out other causes of absent periods by doing hormonal tests.

The causes are unknown in some cases. This condition can run in families. A common cause is insulin resistance, which means your body’s insulin doesn’t work very well and more is produced. This causes the hormonal imbalance with increase in testosterone (male hormone) production from the ovary, irregular periods, weight gain, acne and hirsutism.

Treatments for PCOS is individualised according to your symptoms.

The mainstay of treatment is lifestyle changes such as exercise, healthy diet and achieving an optimum weight as this can restore release of egg and regular periods and improve long term health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.

If you are overweight, this condition will improve with losing weight. Healthy weight is a BMI of 19-25, please refer to https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/bmi-calculator/ for calculation of your BMI.

Healthy Mediterranean diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables, olive oil, oats, sweet potatoes, beans pulses, fish and avoiding saturated fats is recommended.

Long term health risks include uterine cancer, diabetes, heart disease, lipid abnormalities, hypertension, sub-fertility and depression.

There is no cure for PCOS, but treatment with hormones or other medications is individualised depending on presenting symptoms such as heavy periods, absent periods, hair growth, acne, weight issues or fertility problems.