September may be PCOS Awareness Month, but the team at our Dallas fertility center focuses on raising awareness every day. This often-frustrating syndrome affects women of reproductive age and it comes with a challenging set of symptoms that may include infertility, weight gain and unwanted hair growth. However, getting the right diagnosis and an individualized treatment plan can make it easier to live with PCOS.
Raising PCOS awareness throughout the year
Every day, the team at our Dallas fertility center helps women who are struggling with PCOS. In fact, one of our fertility doctors understands the disorder firsthand. Dara Havemann MD was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome when she and her husband faced fertility struggles. After undergoing IVF, Dr. Havemann and her husband were able to welcome three children, including a set of twins, into their family.
Part of PCOS awareness is understanding the three main symptoms of the disorder.
- Irregular or absent menstrual periods are common in women with PCOS because they don’t ovulate regularly. This can result in infertility, but treatments like fertility medications, intrauterine insemination (IUI) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) can help women conceive and bring home a healthy baby.
- Elevated levels of hormones can cause a number of symptoms, including infertility, weight gain, acne, unwanted hair growth and hair thinning.
- Ovarian cysts occur in some women, which can cause pain and infertility.
Women with PCOS also have an increased risk of developing diabetes, metabolic syndrome, obesity and depression.
Hope after a diagnosis of PCOS
Although the symptoms of PCOS can be challenging, our Dallas fertility center team wants patients to understand that a PCOS diagnosis isn’t the end of the road. It’s actually the beginning.
After getting a diagnosis, you can receive the treatments you need to overcome your symptoms. Whether you want to conceive, or you simply want to overcome symptoms like weight gain and acne, our fertility doctors can help develop an individualized treatment plan to meet your unique needs and goals.
Contact us to schedule a consultation at our Dallas fertility center. Your diagnosis doesn’t define you. Learn how you can have power over PCOS.