PCOS is likely to be a hereditary condition passed down from your mother or even your father (symptoms in men can include premature balding or excess hair). It certainly occurs more frequently in certain families and to differing degrees, although the exact mode of inheritance isn’t clearly understood.

Despite the fact that ‘you can’t avoid your genes’ a lot of the problems associated with PCOS can be mitigated by some simple lifestyle modifications and some gentle help from the medical profession!

The main symptoms and signs of polycystic ovaries (PCOS) are as follows and I have included examples of how they may be helped;

Excess weight
Simple weight reduction programmes, healthy eating, regular exercise all help. Specific dietary measures have not really shown any benefit. Metformin has been shown to be helpful, particularly in patients with Type II diabetes but is not licensed for weight loss alone. Orlistat (xenical) is still prescription-only in the UK and works by impairing fat absorption in the gut
Irregular periods
Use of contraceptive pills can regularise menstrual cycles. Weight reduction also helps. The pill also increases sex hormone binding globulin levels which ‘soaks up’ dihydrotestosterone and can help with the hirsutism seen in PCOS
Anovulation or oligoovulation
Weight reduction can have a dramatic effect on restoring normal ovulation. Both metformin and clomiphene (clomid) have also been shown to stimulate ovulation and in meta-analyses are probably equally effective, although metformin can take longer to be effective. In those women resistant to clomid alone, adding metformin confers benefit
Acne
Simple face washing advice, cleansing soaps, use of topical creams, including antibiotic creams and adapalene (vitamin A) and long term oral antibiotics have all been shown to be helpful. Spironolactone has been shown to be helpful in some patients for its anti-androgenic activity. Co-cyprindiol (or dianette) also has anti-androgenic activity.
Hirsutism (particularly facial)
Vaniqa cream (eflornithine) can be very useful as a topical treatment and spironolactone and the contraceptive pill have been useful in some patients. Otherwise, depilatories and electrolysis can help although the latter may be expensive