The signs and symptoms of PCOS begin soon after the woman starts having her period. These vary from person to person, both in type and severity.
For a woman to be diagnosed with PCOS, her doctor has to find at least two of the following: menstrual abnormality (the most common characteristic), excess androgen (male hormone that can result in excessive facial and body hair, adult acne or male-pattern baldness), or polycystic ovaries (which can be detected via ultrasound).
Dr. Leonor Manio-Leonardo, MD, FPOGS, Active Consultant from the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of the Asian Hospital and Medical Center, clarifies menstrual abnormality to mean either amenorrhea (absence of menstrual period) or oligomenorrhea (light or infrequent periods). She also lists infertility as a common sign.
