Relating PCOS with Infertility
PCOS, otherwise known as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, has a great potential in causing infertility among women. In this particular case, women are producing extreme levels of male hormones or androgens which is caused by the enormous production of insulin in their bodies. Another problem caused by PCOS is being resistant to insulin which makes women more prone to diabetes.
In the regular menstrual cycle of a woman, ovaries develop several follicles. An egg is contained in each follicle. After some time, only a single follicle is spared to produce the egg needed for the ovulation. In the egg’s maturity, it is bursted out of the follicle through the surge of LH levels which signals the start of ovulation. Due to PCOS, women who have this kind of problem are incapable of producing sufficient amounts of female hormones that are necessary for the follicles to reach their maturity. In some cases undeveloped follicles potentially become into cysts. They are often seen as a string of pearls through the aid of an ultra sound technology. These so called string of pearls are follicles that were not able to reach their maturity. Commonly, ovaries are more likely to have several cysts on their outside layer. Furthermore, progesterone is not produced that causes the uterus lining to grow thicker.
Absence or irregular period is often referred as an early sign of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Worse cases of PCOS are often seen on older women. There are those that have irregular ovulation while there are some who do not ovulate at all. Statistically speaking, approximately 5 to 10 percent of women in their childbearing years are more likely to have PCOS. Oftentimes, women who have the PCOS are unaware of it. In actuality, only less than 25% of women with PCOS are believed to have been diagnosed with the disease. Being able to conceive the disease during an irregular ovulation cycle is fortunate enough for some women. There are some other symptoms of PCOS and they are thinning hair, two type diabetes, increased hair growth on face, chest, or back, and pelvic pain. Women may carry different symptoms. In some other cases, there are those who only have irregular period a s their sign for PCOS.
The direct effect of PCOS on women is the inability to have ovulation. However, this certain problem can be solved through various steps. There are some cases that PCOS is simply treated through weight loss. This is due to the fact that hormonal imbalances are sometime corrected by weight loss. Through the aid of metmorfin, a person’s body is able to welcome insulin in the system. It is proven to be totally safe to use on women as it does not directly lower the blood sugar level of the person. There are also some fertility drugs like clomid that can be used to counter PCOS infertility. Estrogen receptors located in the brain are blocked by clomid. Through this, the brain analyzes low estrogen levels in the system. With low estrogen levels, more FSH as well as LH are produced to encourage the body’s ovulation. However, only about thirty to forty percent of the women who use clomid for ovulation are able to become successfully pregnant. But then, there are also other options in treating PCOS and that is through In Vitro Maturation (IVM) or In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). In the process of In Vitro Maturation, eggs that were able to mature are harvested from a woman’s cycle. They are then aided in their maturity in the laboratory until they are ready for fertilization. In Vitro Fertilization on the other hand, harvests matured eggs. After successful fertilization they are then implanted back into the uterus of a woman. In IVF, various medications are used to significantly aid the eggs in their development. IVM on the other hand is more appropriate for those who are not able to respond on drug therapy.
