In Australia, PCOS diagnosis involves meeting at least two of three criteria: irregular periods/no periods, signs of excess male hormones (like acne, hair growth) or high blood levels, and polycystic ovaries seen on ultrasound (many follicles). Doctors use medical history, physical exams (checking weight/BMI), blood tests (hormones, sugar, cholesterol), and ultrasounds, while ruling out other conditions like thyroid issues.
To diagnose PCOS, an endocrinologist, a doctor who specializes in hormonal disorders, conducts a physical exam. He or she checks you for increased body and facial hair, thinning scalp hair, acne, and other symptoms of increased androgen levels.
Your GP will ask about your symptoms to help rule out other possible causes, and check your blood pressure. They'll also arrange for you to have a number of hormone tests to find out whether the excess hormone production is caused by PCOS or another hormone-related condition.
Transvaginal ultrasound
Inflammatory PCOS
This type triggers a chronic inflammatory response in your body, which can wreak havoc in multiple ways, from fatigue to headaches. Elevated oxidative stress markers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), are common indicators of inflammatory PCOS. You may be more prone to unexplained rashes or migraines.
Vitamin D appears to improve reproductive and metabolic impairment in PCOS through its impact on insulin resistance.
irregular periods or no periods at all. difficulty getting pregnant (because of irregular ovulation or no ovulation) excessive hair growth (hirsutism) – usually on the face, chest, back or buttocks. weight gain.
Typically, healthcare providers diagnose PCOS if you have at least two of the three symptoms:
What are possible complications of PCOS? Women with PCOS are more likely to develop certain serious health problems. These include type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, problems with the heart and blood vessels, and uterine cancer. Women with PCOS often have problems with their ability to get pregnant (fertility).
PCOS is diagnosed by the presence of two of the following three characteristics: hyperandrogenemia and/or hyperandrogenism, oligo-/amenorrhea, and polycystic ovarian morphology.
An OBGYN can assess underlying causes such as insulin resistance, sleep apnea, or thyroid dysfunction, and suggest lifestyle changes or treatments to improve energy levels. Irregular Periods: One of the hallmark symptoms of PCOS is irregular or absent menstrual cycles.
If you're struggling with PCOS symptoms, or know about someone who is, they don't have to face them alone. Our Period Plan offers fast access to women's health experts to support conditions like PCOS.
The Biggest Symptom: Irregular Menstrual Cycles. Irregular menstrual cycles are frequently cited as the most significant and telling symptom of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). This symptom is not only common but also a pivotal factor in the diagnosis of the condition.
One reason diagnosing PCOS can be challenging is that it is often linked with obesity, but it's unclear if PCOS contributes to obesity or if obesity causes PCOS-like symptoms, says Lubna Pal, MBBS (a medical degree awarded outside the U.S.), MS, a Yale Medicine reproductive endocrinologist, infertility specialist, and ...
The first signs of PCOS often appear around puberty and include irregular or missed periods, excessive hair growth (hirsutism) on the face/body, severe acne, and hair thinning on the scalp, all caused by hormonal imbalances (high androgens/insulin). Other early indicators can be weight gain, skin changes like dark patches (acanthosis nigricans), skin tags, and difficulty getting pregnant later on.
Treatment for PCOS can involve several health professionals such as a GP, endocrinologist, dietitian , psychologist and exercise physiologist. Diet and lifestyle modification is at core of management. A healthy lifestyle includes eating a balanced diet, staying within a healthy weight and being as active as possible.
For many women, PCOS doesn't feel the same every day. Not every woman with PCOS experiences “flare-ups” in the same way, but many describe them as times when symptoms become more noticeable or harder to manage, like breakouts, heavier hair shedding, mood swings or a particularly irregular cycle.
The exact reason why these hormonal changes occur is not known. It's been suggested that the problem may start in the ovary itself, in other glands that produce these hormones, or in the part of the brain that controls their production. The changes may also be caused by the resistance to insulin.
The syndrome is usually detected in women between ages 20 and 30, but the earliest signs can be evident in younger girls including those who have not yet started menstruation.
Ovarian cysts: Many people with PCOS also have ovarian cysts, which are fluid-filled sacs in or on the ovary. Though many cysts are small and harmless, they can grow in size and cause issues like bloating, swelling and pain in the pelvis and lower abdomen.
Consider the following in the differential diagnosis of PCOS:
If polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is suspected:
Measure total testosterone — this is normal to moderately elevated in women with PCOS. Measure sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) — this is normal to low in women with PCOS and provides a surrogate measurement of the degree of hyperinsulinaemia.
JC: Your symptoms can be vague or mimic symptoms of other conditions, so PCOS can go undiagnosed for a while. There's no single test for it, but a physical exam, ultrasound, and blood tests can help diagnose PCOS.
Factors that might play a role include:
Exhaustion That Doesn't Go Away
Many people with PCOS describe a constant fatigue that does not improve with rest. Even after a full night of sleep, energy levels remain low and concentration can feel difficult.