When you Google women’s health, the most common topics that surface generally address breast cancer, menopause, or pregnancy. If you do a little further digging, you will find PCOS, or polycystic ovarian syndrome, listed as one of the causes of infertility in women who are trying to conceive. What’s troubling about the information is that it generally isn’t spoken about until an adult woman is trying to conceive and cannot, though PCOS can be present as early as 11. PCOS has far more symptoms than just infertility and is a causing factor of a slew of health problems through most of female adolescence into adulthood. The statistics currently state that 1 of about every 15 women still in their child bearing years have this syndrome, though PCOS is not limited by any age group. Why, then, is it not more of a topic of concern for women’s health education?
It seems that the studies on PCOS are not as abundant as other health topics pertaining to women. Most public information definitely has an over simplified view on the delicate balance of both the endocrine and hormonal systems that PCOS effects. Though the cause of PCOS is generally thought as unknown, it may be linked to an over abundance of hormone disrupters in our external environment, insulin resistance exacerbated by poor diet choices, and genetics. Simplified, PCOS is a result of a woman’s ovaries creating higher levels of androgens than normal, creating a hormonal imbalance. Because androgen levels are too high, they suppress the production of adequate amounts of progesterone needed for the female reproductive cycle. Ovulation stops and menstruation becomes highly irregular. Because there isn’t enough progesterone to pass a matured egg to the fallopian tube, the follicle the egg would have matured in fills with water. If progesterone levels aren’t high enough, several other hormonal functions are thrown off balance as well.
Though irregular periods and halted ovulation are common symptoms of PCOS, they do not have to be present to be diagnosed with the syndrome. Several other symptoms can be present, absent, and even undetected. Surprisingly, a woman doesn’t have to have cystic ovaries to be diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome either. Other symptoms associated with PCOS included increased body hair, thinning head hair, acne, oily skin, dandruff, weight gain, skin tags, pelvic pain, anxiety, depression, and sleep apnea.
Just as it is strange that one does not have to have cysts present to be diagnosed with PCOS, so too is it strange that PCOS is considered incurable though all symptoms may be eradicated by lifestyle changes. One could conclude that the presence of PCOS is indeed caused by the individual’s lifestyle. Eliminating processed foods and putting strict limitations on certain carbohydrate and all sugar consumption, including fructose, would be an important step towards reversing the symptoms of PCOS and stabilizing blood sugar levels for a healthy insulin response. Keeping your environment free of hormone disruptors like fluoride, mercury, BPAs, and pesticides would aide in eradicating negative symptoms as well. Participating in physical exercise, even activities such as walking, yoga, or pilates, would also help in hormonal balance. Supplementation of the amino acids arginine and n-acetyl-cysteine may also be beneficial. Also, D3, inositol, and chromium may help with PCOS as well.
http://women.webmd.com/tc/polycystic-ovary-syndrome-pcos-topic-overview
http://www.pcosupport.org/what-is-pcos.php
