Polycystic ovarian syndrome is a hormone imbalance disorder that affects 7-10% of women of childbearing age and is the most common cause of infertility. There is no cure for the disorder and western medicine has developed a care model that manages symptoms but does not prevent or reverse the disorder. Women may go many years without a diagnosis, and if they choose not to have children they may not be diagnosed until much later in life as a part of a secondary health crisis.
What is PCOS?
Both men and women need testosterone in a healthy hormonal balance. In this condition the ovaries produce a higher level of androgenic hormones, primarily the testosterone that should normally be present in much lower levels in women than in men.
Genetics do come in to play
There is a genetic component to this syndrome: PCOS may also run in families. It's common for sisters or a mother and daughter to have PCOS.
Symptoms
The hormonal changes observed in PCOS lead to are several symptoms that can affect various body systems.
Missed periods, irregular periods, or very light periods.
Ovaries that are large or have many cysts.
Excess body hair, including the chest, stomach, and back (hirsutism).
Weight gain, especially around the belly (abdomen)
Acne or oily skin.
Male-pattern baldness or thinning hair.
Infertility
Small pieces of excess skin on the neck or armpits (skin tags)
Dark or thick skin patches on the back of the neck, in the armpits, and under the breasts.
The diagnosis of PCOS is quite complex.
You require to meet 2 of the 3 criteria to be diagnosed with PCOS.
Irregular periods or no periods
High levels of testosterone shown by
Blood test AND/OR
Symptoms of excess body or facial hair, acne, hair loss from the scalp (that follows male pattern hair loss)
Ovaries with multiple follicles visible on ultrasound (only if you have had periods for 8 years or more). (Despite the name polycystic ovary syndrome, they are follicles, not cysts. Furthermore, not every PCOS patient will have these follicles)
The Four Triggers of PCOS
This very complex disorder has Four very distinct triggers or causes. Understanding your specific cause can make a difference in the path forward to creating your personalized approach to reversing your symptoms.
Because 80% of PCOS is caused by diet and lifestyle it is important to identify your specific trigger.
Insulin-resistant PCOS. This is one of the most common types of PCOS and occurs because of high insulin levels in the body. There is a complex of elements that need to be influenced to reverse this primary cause. Diet, nutrition, and exercise are the best approaches to reversing insulin resistance.
Inflammatory PCOS. This is an immune disorder and may need some testing to determine the triggers of the immune disorder, but again diet and lifestyle can be the best influence to managing and reversing this syndrome.
Post-pill PCOS this can often be the result of other medical issues that are underlying, and this is a case of “the straw that breaks the camel’s back”.
Adrenal PCOS is intimately intertwined with the insulin resistance health issue. But as a trigger it needs its own recognition. A health crisis, a life event causing extreme stress, or simply a lifetime of chronic stress with poor eating habits and lifestyle choices will lead to PCOs.
Okay, I have been diagnosed or have all the symptoms,
now what?
There are medications that help moderate symptoms and can help with infertility, stay the course if your symptoms are under control. Reversing those symptoms will take a little work and time but absolutely doable. Finding out where your health is and what the triggers are is the first place to start. If you have been diagnosed with insulin resistance, understanding when and how you arrived at this point will reveal the path forward to reversing this health issue. Once you have a clear picture of you and your health, we can begin the journey to designing an optimal diet, nutrition, and exercise plan that best suits your needs and lifestyle.
