Can I Have PCOS Even After Getting Regular Periods? Doctor Lists Signs To Notice

Signs Of PCOS During Periods: Polycystic ovarian syndrome is a hormonal imbalance and the incidence is about 10 to 13 per cent, but in metropolitan cities, owing to a sedentary lifestyle, poor eating habits, a lack of exercise, and high-stress levels, the incidence is actually increasing. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, PCOS is a very common hormone problem for women of childbearing age. Women with PCOS may not ovulate, have high levels of androgens, and have many small cysts on the ovaries. PCOS can cause missed or irregular menstrual periods, excess hair growth, acne, infertility, and weight gain. Some women worry that they can have PCOS even after getting regular periods.

In a conversation with Jagran English, Dr Astha Dayal, Lead Consultant, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram explained if one can have PCOS even after getting regular menstrual cycles.

According to Dr Dayal, PCOS is diagnosed depending on a criteria called Rotterdam's criteria. This includes three points, one is the ultrasound diagnosis of polycystic ovaries, which has a specific criteria that there should be 12 follicles, the size of the ovary should be more than 10 cc and the appearance of the ovaries should be polycystic.

Besides that the clinical criteria are two, one is the period disturbance which means that flow should be less or cycles are irregular and delayed. The third criterion is the testosterone effects, which mean facial hair, acne, and hair loss from the scalp. So according to the criteria, if you have two out of these three conditions, then the diagnosis of PCOS can be confirmed.

Can I Have PCOS Even After Getting Regular Periods?

So, if a girl has regular cycles but her ultrasound is showing polycystic ovaries and along with that she has symptoms or she has blood tests confirming androgen excess then she can still be PCOS. So, if your ultrasound shows polycystic ovaries, we call it polycystic ovarian morphology or PCOM. Now besides that, you also have features of high androgen levels which means that if we do your blood tests, your free testosterone or total testosterone levels are high or if you have high DHEA levels or high Androstenedione levels, then we can say that you have PCOS.

Signs Of PCOS To Notice:

In terms of symptoms, if you have hair growth in a male pattern distribution on your body, which means hair on the face, the beard area, the chest, the belly button, the upper back, and the inner thighs, then this could be hirsutism but this needs to be graded by a score called Ferriman-Gallwey score and if it is significant enough then we call it hirsutism.

So what symptoms can a girl look out for even if she has regular cycles? If there is excessive hair on the body, if there's acne, especially on the jawline, if there is hair loss from the scalp, if the hair growth on the body is in a male pattern, then these could raise suspicion for PCOS.

Besides that, if there is excessive weight gain, difficulty in weight loss or difficulty in getting pregnant, then you should also check for PCOD. Also, if you have regular cycles but the flow in the cycle has been reducing over time or it has always been less, then also you should think about PCOS.

(Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis or treatment.)