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Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
Diagnosis
There's no single test to specifically diagnose polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Your health care provider is likely to start with a discussion of your symptoms,
medications and any other medical conditions. Your provider also may ask about your
menstrual periods and any weight changes. A physical exam includes checking for
signs of excess hair growth, insulin resistance and acne.
Your health care provider might then recommend:
Pelvic exam. During a pelvic exam, your provider can check your reproductive organs
for masses, growths or other changes.
Blood tests. Blood tests can measure hormone levels. This testing can exclude
possible causes of menstrual problems or androgen excess that mimic PCOS. You might
have other blood testing, such as fasting cholesterol and triglyceride levels. A
glucose tolerance test can measure your body's response to sugar (glucose).
Ultrasound. An ultrasound can check the appearance of your ovaries and the
thickness of the lining of your uterus. A wandlike device (transducer) is placed in
your vagina. The transducer emits sound waves that are translated into images on a
computer screen.
If you have a diagnosis of PCOS, your provider might recommend more tests for
complications. These tests can include:
Regular checks of blood pressure, glucose tolerance, and cholesterol and

triglyceride levels
Screening for depression and anxiety
Screening for obstructive sleep apnea
Treatment
PCOS treatment focuses on managing the things that are concerning you. This could
include infertility, hirsutism, acne or obesity. Specific treatment might involve
lifestyle changes or medication.
Lifestyle changes
Your health care provider may recommend weight loss through a low-calorie diet
combined with moderate exercise activities. Even a modest reduction in your weight
— for example, losing 5% of your body weight — might improve your condition. Losing
weight may increase the effectiveness of medications your provider recommends for
PCOS, and it can help with infertility. Your health care provider and a registered
dietitian can work with you to determine the best weight-loss plan.
Medications
To regulate your periods, your health care provider might recommend:
Combination birth control pills. Pills that contain both estrogen and progestin
decrease androgen production and regulate estrogen. Regulating your hormones can
lower your risk of endometrial cancer and correct irregular bleeding, excess hair
growth and acne.
Progestin therapy. Taking progestin for 10 to 14 days every 1 to 2 months can
regulate your periods and protect against endometrial cancer. This progestin
therapy doesn't improve androgen levels and won't prevent pregnancy. The progestin-
only minipill or progestin-containing intrauterine device is a better choice if you
also wish to avoid pregnancy.
To help you ovulate so that you can become pregnant, your health care provider
might recommend:
Clomiphene. This oral anti-estrogen medication is taken during the first part of
your menstrual cycle.
Letrozole (Femara). This breast cancer treatment can work to stimulate the ovaries.
Metformin. This medicine for type 2 diabetes that you take by mouth improves
insulin resistance and lowers insulin levels. If you don't become pregnant using
clomiphene, your provider might recommend adding metformin to help you ovulate. If
you have prediabetes, metformin can slow the progression to type 2 diabetes and
help with weight loss.
Gonadotropins. These hormone medications are given by injection.
If needed, talk with your health care provider about procedures that may help you
become pregnant. For example, in vitro fertilization may be an option.
To reduce excessive hair growth or improve acne, your health care provider might
recommend:
Birth control pills. These pills decrease androgen production that can cause
excessive hair growth and acne.
Spironolactone (Aldactone). This medication blocks the effects of androgen on the
skin, including excessive hair growth and acne. Spironolactone can cause birth
defects, so effective birth control is needed while taking this medication. This
medication isn't recommended if you're pregnant or planning to become pregnant.
Eflornithine (Vaniqa). This cream can slow facial hair growth.
Hair removal. Electrolysis and laser hair removal are two options for removing
hair. Electrolysis uses a tiny needle inserted into each hair follicle. The needle
sends out a pulse of electric current. The current damages and then destroys the
follicle. Laser hair removal is a medical procedure that uses a concentrated beam
of light to remove unwanted hair. You might need multiple treatments of
electrolysis or laser hair removal. Shaving, plucking or using creams that dissolve
unwanted hair may be other options. But these are temporary, and hair may thicken
when it grows back.
Acne treatments. Medications, including pills and topical creams or gels, may help
improve acne. Talk to your health care provider about options.
Lifestyle and home remedies
To help ease the effects of PCOS, try to:
Stay at a healthy weight. Weight loss can lower insulin and androgen levels. It
also may restore ovulation. Ask your health care provider about a weight-control
program, if you need one. Meet with a registered dietitian for help in reaching
weight-loss goals.
Limit carbohydrates. High-carbohydrate diets might make insulin levels go higher.
Ask your provider if a low-carbohydrate diet could help if you have PCOS. Choose
complex carbohydrates, which raise your blood sugar levels more slowly. Complex
carbohydrates are found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and cooked dry beans
and peas.
Be active. Exercise helps lower blood sugar levels. If you have PCOS, increasing
your daily activity and getting regular exercise may treat or even prevent insulin
resistance. Being active may also help you keep your weight under control and avoid
developing diabetes.
Preparing for your appointment
For PCOS, you may see a specialist in female reproductive medicine (gynecologist),
a specialist in hormone disorders (endocrinologist) or an infertility specialist
(reproductive endocrinologist).
Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment.
What you can do
Before your appointment, make a list of:
Symptoms you've been having, and for how long

Information about your periods, including how often they occur, how long they last
and how heavy they are
All medications, vitamins, herbs and other supplements you take, including the
dosages
Key personal and medical information, including other health conditions, recent
life changes and stressors
Questions to ask your health care provider
Some basic questions to ask include:
What tests do you recommend?

How does PCOS affect my chance of getting pregnant?
Are there any medicines that might help improve my symptoms or chance of getting
pregnant?
What lifestyle changes can improve symptoms?
How will PCOS affect my health in the long term?
I have other medical conditions. How can I best manage them together?
Don't hesitate to ask other questions as they occur to you.
What to expect from your doctor
Your health care provider is likely to ask you a number of questions, including:
What are your symptoms? How often do they happen?

How bad are your symptoms?
When did each symptom begin?
When was your last period?
Have you gained weight since you first started having periods? How much weight did
you gain, and when did you gain it?
Does anything seem to improve your symptoms? Make them worse?
Are you trying to get pregnant, or do you wish to become pregnant?
Has any close blood relative, such as your mother or a sister, ever been diagnosed
with PCOS?
By Mayo Clinic Staff

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Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

There's no single test to specifically diagnose polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Your health care provider might then recommend:

Regular checks of blood pressure, glucose tolerance, and cholesterol and

To regulate your periods, your health care provider might recommend:

To help ease the effects of PCOS, try to:

Before your appointment, make a list of:

Symptoms you've been having, and for how long

What tests do you recommend?

What to expect from your doctor

What are your symptoms? How often do they happen?

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