How To Check Your Menstrual Health For Early Signs Of PCOS

Your period health is probably one of the most powerful indicators of your hormonal health. Changes in your menstrual cycle can be helpful in detecting and revealing underlying hormonal imbalances that may deserve medical attention. One such condition is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, a common condition that is often left misunderstood by many as it continues to affect millions of women globally.

Experts have suggested that your period can help in identifying any warning signs of PCOS. Here is how to check your menstrual health:

If your periods are often late or sometimes don’t show up at all, it may be a sign of hormonal imbalance. Skipping cycles or having fewer than 8 periods a year is one of the biggest signs of PCOS.

Many women often brush this off by saying ‘that’s just how my period is.’ But if you are someone who bleeds excessively every month (needing sanitary product change every hour, or large blood clots) your hormones might not be in sync. In PCOS, prolonged cycles can lead to a thickened uterine lining, which usually sheds all at once and this leads to prolonged, heavy bleeding.

Cramping is a common one during periods, but if the pain is intense and unbearable or is combined with irregular cycles and mood swings, this could be a sign of cyst formation in the ovaries.

Unusual spotting between the cycles, especially when it is unpredictable or frequent, can be an indicator of hormonal fluctuations or irregular endometrial shedding.

If you are not on your period and are still experiencing acne along the jawline, or excess body/ facial hair, or even scalp thinning, this may be a result of high androgen levels which is also a sign of PCOS.