16 December 2011

Women of Western Sydney find help for PCOS

IVF Australia logo

Written by

IVF Australia

IVFAustralia will commence a PCOS clinic at its Western Sydney Clinic in Mons Road, Westmead starting this month.

For the first time in Western Sydney, a consulting clinic will be held from December for women who suffer from Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), a condition that can impact on a woman’s weight, appearance, general health and fertility and is thought to affect 10% of women during their reproductive years.
 
The PCOS clinic will run at IVFAustralia’s clinic in Mons Road at Westmead.
 
“PCOS is a condition that can have a number of symptoms, including multiple small cysts on one or both ovaries, acne, excessive hair growth, irregular periods and obesity.  It’s impact differs throughout a woman’s life, but many with the condition have no symptoms and only realise they have PCOS when they have trouble conceiving,” explains Dr Robert Lahoud from the Clinic.
 
“In their teens or 20s, women may only seek treatment for specific troubling symptoms of the condition, such as excessive facial hair or acne.  They may not realise there is an underlying cause for these symptoms which can affect their fertility and general health into the future.
 
“Women with PCOS may experience irregular periods, or even no periods at all, with subfertility.  Also, there is some evidence that women with PCOS are at increased risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes and cardiovascular disease.”
 
For women with PCOS wanting to conceive there are a number of treatments and steps they can take to increase their chances of conceiving naturally.
 
“Weight loss can be difficult for women with PCOS as they can be resistant to the effects of insulin, which regulates sugar metabolism in the body. However, it is an important step to take, as losing weight can balance hormones and restore regular periods. In fact, losing just 5% of their BMI can significantly increase the chances of falling pregnant.”
 
The Western Sydney PCOS clinic will see women of all ages and work out personalised treatment plans based on individual symptoms and needs.
 
“Any woman who believes she may have PCOS should consult with their GP and if necessary, ask for a referral to the PCOS clinic at Westmead,’ Dr Lahoud advises.

MEDIA: For Further information please call Nicole Phillips - 0408 280 499

Share this