Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common hormonal conditions affecting women today, yet it often remains confusing and overwhelming. Many women first notice symptoms like irregular periods, weight gain, acne, or excess facial hair and immediately worry something is “wrong” with their body.
The truth is—PCOS is manageable. With the right guidance and lifestyle changes, most women lead completely healthy, normal lives.
This Q & A session aims to simplify PCOS in a way that’s easy to understand, helping you recognise symptoms early and take charge of your health confidently. So let’s begin—
PCOS is a hormonal imbalance that affects ovulation (egg release), which can lead to irregular periods and other symptoms. Your ovaries also start making more “male hormones” (androgens) than usual, which leads to symptoms like increased hair growth and acne.
Both terms are often used interchangeably, but there is a slight difference:
PCOS affects the whole body, while PCOD is usually limited to the ovaries. Management, however, is very similar.
There isn’t one single cause. It usually happens due to:
Not every woman has all symptoms—PCOS looks different for everyone.
No. While PCOS is commonly seen in overweight and obese patients, many women with PCOS are normal-weight or even lean. Weight can worsen symptoms, but it is not the cause.
Lean women can have irregular periods, acne, excess hair, or insulin resistance too.
No. Many women misunderstand this part. The tiny “cysts” seen on ultrasound are actually immature follicles and are different from harmful ovarian cysts.
Doctors usually check:
A combination of these helps confirm PCOS.
Sometimes, yes — but many women with PCOS conceive naturally or with simple treatment. The main issue is irregular ovulation, and once that is corrected, fertility usually improves.
There is no permanent cure yet, but it is very manageable. With lifestyle changes and treatment, your cycles become regular, skin/hair symptoms improve, and fertility concerns reduce.
Treatment depends on your goals:
If you want to regulate periods:
If you are trying to conceive:
If you have skin/hair issues:
Yes — many women improve significantly with lifestyle steps alone, such as:
However, medication may be needed for irregular periods, fertility treatment, or severe skin/hair symptoms. Your gynaecologist will guide you.
Even losing 5–7% of body weight can improve periods and ovulation.
Yes, absolutely. Most women with PCOS have healthy pregnancies. You may need:
PCOS is a long-term condition, but symptoms can be controlled extremely well with the right habits.
If left unmanaged, PCOS can increase your risk of:
Periods stop after menopause. Hormone levels settle, so symptoms like acne or irregular periods improve, but metabolic issues (like insulin resistance or weight gain) may continue.
There is a slightly higher risk of endometrial cancer if PCOS is untreated (because the uterine lining keeps building up). There is no strong evidence linking PCOS to breast or ovarian cancer.
📍 Source: Dr. Shweta Mehta – DNB, Obstetrics & Gynaecology | United Multispeciality Hospital, Kandivali West, Mumbai.