PMS Guide |

A woman who has hair on her chin and around her nipples, and pubic hairs that grow, in a triangular fashion, upward toward her navel, could be suffering from Stein-Leventhal syndrome. This condition was pinpointed by two Chicago-based physicians who diagnosed women who have excessive hair growth, irregular periods, and enlarged, or polycystic ovaries as sufferers of the disease.

Polycystic ovaries, or polycystic ovarian disease, is usually a hereditary condition that often can be part of the Stein-Leventhal syndrome. The ovaries become slightly enlarged and their surfaces develop hard shells. During a normal ovulation, an egg bursts from an ovary and enters a Fallopian tube. When a woman has polycystic ovarian disease, the hard outer shell surrounding her ovary imprisons the egg and a normal ovulation cannot occur. The egg can’t get out, it becomes a fluid-filled sac, a cyst inside the ovary. As more and more eggs are locked within the ovaries, more and more cysts develop and the overies become larger and larger. It is often difficult for a woman with plycystic ovarian disease to become pregnant, because she has an irregular ovulation pattern. About 10 to 15 percent of all women have polycystic ovarian disease. They live with irregular periods and they have exceptionally high amounts of estrogen produced by their larger ovaries.

Every woman produces estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and if her ovaries enlarge, they will generate more of each hormone. Sometimes when hormonal imbalance is off, there is a high amount of male hormones, testosterone , secreted. The increased male hormone can cause the extra hairlines, which signals Stein-Leventhal syndrome. A woman with this syndrome will also have irregular bleeding, and she might be overweight due to her increased hormonal production.

The hormonal imbalance of Stein-Leventhal syndrome may also bring on symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. A woman with Stein-Leventhal syndrome already has a high estrogen level and a greater tendency toward breast cancer, but added weight resulting from the syndrome further increases the estrogen level in her body. Thus a woman with Stein-Leventhal syndrome has a hormonal imbalance accompanied by high salt content, fluid retention, and a greater tendency toward premenstrual syndrome.

If you have Stein-Leventhal syndrome, be alert to symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. Should you feel yourself suffering from PMS, try to understand the syndrome’s symptoms and make an effort to combat them with a natural approach. First attempt to keep your weight down by eating low-calorie foods and exercising, because an optimum body weight helps to counter a hormonal imbalance. If you treat yourself to a healthy diet, vitamins, and exercise but your symptoms continue to be debilitating and persistent, then you might consult a doctor you trust to find out if he thinks you need hormonal therapy.