Dr. Oz: What is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome?
Dr. Oz talked about a condition that’s often missed by doctors: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). Once you know you have it, there’s easy things you can do to find relief, however, which is good news.
Here’s the quiz to find out if you might have it:
- Are you overweight? 75 percent of people with PCOS have a body mass index of 26 or higher.
- Have you noticed hairs popping up where you don’t want them, especially on the face, chest, and stomach?
- Has your skin become oily or acne-prone?
- Have your periods become irregular or have you been missing periods?
- Is your hair thinning?
Dr. Oz talked about Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, what it is, what the symptoms are, and how to treat this serious and often undiagnosed condition. (kk / flickr)
Carol in the audience said yes to three of the questions. One of her good friends was diagnosed with PCOS, but when she went to her doctor, she was blown off. Dr. Oz said if you said yes to two or more of these questions, you should push your doctor for answers.
Dr. Oz: Diagnosing PCOS
Dr. Oz gave Carol some purple gloves and showed her what actual ovaries look like. Ovaries that are healthy are a little larger than a marble. But ovaries with PCOS form cysts and have trouble pushing the eggs out.
Dr. Oz talked to gynecologist Dr. Jessica Shepherd, who said PCOS is often confused with other conditions because the symptoms are so common in those other conditions.
Some key tests for PCOS include searching the blood for an increase in male hormones and if the periods are irregular. The last test is doing an ultrasound to search for are irregularities in the ovaries.
Dr. Oz: Treating PCOS
PCOS is very manageable and treatable. For women who are not trying to get pregnant, doctors decrease the male hormone in the blood through oral contraceptives. This also helps regulate the periods.
Many of the women who have PCOS are obese, so another key factor is having the patient lose 5 to 10 percent of the body weight to reduce symptoms.
It’s also important to avoid high-glycemic foods like high processed snacks, high processed carbs, white flour, white sugar, and high sugar fruits.
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