![\"\"](\"https:\/\/satellite.mmu.ac.uk\/northernquota-old\/sites\/default\/files\/img_7788.jpg\" "\\"Megan")
As well as lower abdominal pain and abnormal periods Megan also suffers other symptoms including thinning hair, weight increase and darker hair growth. <\/p>\n
\u201cI sometimes get a swollen abdomen, and discomfort after intercourse which feels like a sharp stabbing pain which lasts for up to an hour afterwards,\u201d she recounts. Megan was finally diagnosed in November last year following an ultrasound investigating constant lower bowel pain. <\/p>\n
\u201cI felt almost relieved, I had finally found out what was causing my issues, but I also feel slightly disappointed because it took years to diagnose and it was mentioned by doctors when I was 15. Following the diagnosis, the doctors were lovely and they\u2019ve given me a list of what they\u2019re going to do to monitor the condition and how they will make it easier for me,\u201d explained Megan. <\/p>\n
Natasha Wragg, nurse at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust says: \u201cKnowing and understanding your body and how to manage your symptoms whilst leading a productive and healthy lifestyle is essential. PCOS carries lots of emotional turmoil and psychological impacts which should be discussed openly in order to properly come to terms with diagnosis and symptoms. What clinicians may term as minor symptoms, such as weight gain, can have a profound effect on identity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Polycystic ovary sufferer Linda Richardson, 35, who is also from North Yorkshire was diagnosed with the condition when she was 17. Nearly 20 years later she is still learning to manage the endless number of symptoms including excess hair growth, dark tones to the skin and painful cysts. <\/p>\n
\u201cI get bad pains in my stomach every day and I have had cysts burst and the pain is like nothing I\u2019ve ever felt before. I\u2019m always moody and I often get anxious and depressed but my husband, Rob, is used to me being like this so he helps me through,\u201d she said, \u201cThey tried putting me on metformin to help but it made me feel worse.\u201d <\/p>\n PCOS is a hormone condition which affects how a women\u2019s ovaries work. To be diagnosed you have to have signs of two of the following symptoms: irregular periods, excess androgen and polycystic ovaries. You may also suffer from numerous other symptoms including difficulty getting pregnant, weight gain, hair loss and severe acne. <\/p>\n Linda explains: \u201cI used to miss periods for months and then I bled heavily for a year so I had to have a mirena coil fitted for five years which I recently had removed which was very painful as it had embedded itself.\u201d <\/p>\n The mirena coil is a small T-shaped device which fits into the uterus and releases a hormone called progesterone. It can be used to treat a number of issues as well as for contraception, including abnormal bleeding, reducing pain, and managing symptoms of gynaecological conditions. <\/p>\n \u201cI was 18 when I found out I couldn\u2019t get pregnant after lots of tests and scans,\u201d Linda added.<\/p>\n Managing PCOS is important because it puts women at a higher risk for other conditions including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and heart disease. Lucy says: \u201cThe management is critical as it can provide pathways to enhancing health. It has a number of symptoms and women will be affected by these differently. If the condition is managed, women can be more empowered and feel more in control of their body. PCOS won\u2019t control a woman\u2019s life unless they let it.<\/p>\n \u201cThere needs to be more awareness of the condition, if there was then people may be inclined to discuss PCOS without stigma.”<\/p>\n Although there is currently no cure for PCOS it can be managed with a variety of options including medication, surgery and a weight loss. It is not always easy to diagnose because there are several symptoms which overlap with other hormonal disorders just like in Megan\u2019s case. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve had this for so many years,\u201d she says, \u201cbut it has only just been discovered because unfortunately my symptoms are similar to other illnesses such as IBS, but it\u2019s definitely important to raise awareness as many people get misdiagnosed which causes endless frustration and untreated symptoms.\u201d <\/p>\n Natasha explains: \u201cPCOS if undiagnosed can lead to serious complications in terms of preservation of viable ovarian tissue. Small indicators such as irregular or heavy and painful periods are often not discussed or tackled due to social stigmas. Raising awareness and encouraging healthy open discussion about what PCOS is and how it can manifest is opening the door on an issue, we as a society, should have addressed decades ago.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cI\u2019ve been to the hospital five times over the past two years with immense abdominal pain that spreads to my lower back and has made…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1216,"featured_media":3438,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4973,1],"tags":[39,3099,3100,2298],"class_list":["post-3439","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","category-uncategorised","tag-nhs","tag-pcos","tag-polycystic-ovary-syndrome","tag-womens-health"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/satellite.mmu.ac.uk\/northernquota-old\/sites\/default\/files\/img_8260.jpg\" "\\"Linda")