Medical reports are intimidating. Not only do they contain hard-to-understand medical terminology, they include percentages, degree of damage, and so many more pointers that are very hard to decipher.
Say you went to see a gynecologist due to severe and chronic symptoms. They asked you to undergo an abdominal ultrasound to look at your reproductive organs and their functions. While undergoing the test is easy and fairly straightforward, the reports can be confusing.
This article will discuss everything related to understanding “Bilateral Polycystic Ovaries,” what the PCOD scanning images mean in the ultrasound report and why you should get it done.
Also Read: PCOS is the Prime Cause of Infertility in Women in India, New Study Says
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In this Article
What Does Bilateral Polycystic Ovaries Mean?
Bilateral Polycystic Ovaries are nothing but a type of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) that affects both ovaries. This means that both of your ovaries have multiple bubble-like cyst formations on their surface. An affected patient can have over 12 cysts in individual ovaries.
On medical imaging, like an abdominal ultrasound, the number of cysts determines the severity of the condition. PCOS develops due to the accumulation of small, immature ovarian follicles that aren’t matured and released.
Due to the abnormal hormonal levels in the body, the eggs inside the follicles fail to mature. This leads to their adherence and accumulation inside the ovaries. The degree of accumulation decreases with age. However, you must get an early diagnosis to relieve the symptoms and get the hormonal balance in the body back on track.
When Should You See a Doctor? Symptoms to Look out for
You won’t normally wake up one day and decide to get an abdominal ultrasound for PCOS done for the sake of it. Being mindful of the symptoms is vital. Not every symptom you witness or experience will lead be a sign of PCOS. However, it is still important that you see a doctor as soon as possible to ensure no further deterioration of whatever is contributing to the symptoms.
Generally, your gynecologist will prescribe an abdominal ultrasound if you are experiencing the following symptoms:
Irregular periods or menstrual cycle
It is a sign of concern if you are consistently struggling with prolonged, infrequent, or absent periods every month. Typically, if you have less than nine periods in a year that last more than 35 days in a year, it is a common sign of PCOS. After getting a complete rundown of what your menstrual cycle looks like, the gynecologist will advise getting an ultrasound done to confirm their suspicions.
Excess levels of androgens
If your androgen levels are high in the bloodwork, the doctor will immediately suggest an ultrasound for a follow-up. This will determine what is causing the high androgen levels and look for the patient’s prevalence of bilateral polycystic ovaries.
Lack of ovarian functions
Since the underdeveloped follicles accumulate in the ovaries, it will eventually disrupt and alter ovarian functions. The primary sign of anovulation leads to different ovulation disorders and eventually to infertility.
Exterior symptoms
Besides the physiological symptoms, a few visible symptoms on the body direct towards PCOS. One of the most common is hirsutism, or excessive facial hair growth in women. Hormonal imbalance from PCOS can also lead to acne and other skin-related disorders.
So, if you are experiencing any issues correlating to your menstrual cycles each month, consult a doctor immediately. Getting the right diagnosis at the right time is key to a quicker recovery from the symptoms.
Treatments for Bilateral Polycystic Ovaries
Once you are diagnosed with bilateral polycystic ovaries, the plan of action is further divided into two ways: lifestyle changes and treating the symptoms.
Lifestyle changes
PCOS is a condition that gets worse with a lagging and sedentary lifestyle. If you are overweight or obese and aren’t doing anything to address those concerns, it will eventually lead to the further deterioration of the condition. Some of the ideal lifestyle changes for bilateral polycystic ovaries treatment include:
- Losing weight
- Eating a healthy and balanced diet
- Exercising or being active regularly
- Avoid junk food and carbonated drinks
- Switch to healthier beverages
- Cut down refined grains and foods from the diet
Treating the symptoms
To date, there are no conclusive treatments for PCOS. This means that the doctors can treat the symptoms and manage them but not eradicate or treat the disease itself. Besides the lifestyle changes, the doctor can suggest medications like birth control pills, progestin therapy, metformin, etc.
All the prescribed medications target a specific symptom. Some help with ovulation, some help eradicate the consequence of higher androgen levels in the body.
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Conclusion
The question of the hour is, “Is Bilateral Polycystic Ovaries dangerous?” Ideally, it is a subjective situation. For the most part, the condition is pretty harmless if the correct treatment is administered. However, we understand that seeing and deciphering the same from the abdominal ultrasound reports can be daunting. We hope this article gives you an insight into bilateral polycystic ovaries, what they mean and how you can tackle the condition with correct measures.
