Lea Michele shares polycystic ovary syndrome diagnosis

Sept. 10 (UPI) -- Lea Michele is going public about her polycystic ovary syndrome diagnosis.

The 33-year-old actress said in an interview with Health that she was diagnosed with the condition, known as PCOS, ahead of her 30th birthday.

PCOS is a hormonal disorder that causes enlarged ovaries and small cysts, according to the Mayo Clinic. Symptoms can include irregular periods, weight gain and excess androgen, which can cause severe acne.

Michele said she had signs of PCOS prior to her diagnosis. She used medication and birth control to manage her "terrible skin" growing up, but experienced bad skin and weight gain after detoxing her body of all medications in her late 20s.

"All people wanted to do was give me more medication. I don't shun people for needing or wanting to take medication, but for me, I knew something wasn't right. I just felt medication wasn't going to be the final cure," the star said.

"I went to a great doctor, and the minute she looked at me, she was like, 'Oh, you have PCOS,'" she recalled. "It explained everything."

Michele said she manages her PCOS with diet versus medication.

"But I am very fortunate," she said. "There are way more extreme versions of PCOS that women have a lot of difficulty with -- mine is not as intense. Which is why I haven't really talked about it, because there are women who have it so much more intense."

Michele is committed to wellness and said she is at "the healthiest place" in her entire life. The Wrap reported in May that Michele will host her own health and wellness show, Well, Well, Well with Lea Michele, on the Ellen DeGeneres Network.

Michele is best known for playing Rachel Berry on the Fox series Glee. She has since starred on the Fox series Scream Queens and the ABC sitcom The Mayor.