PCOS awareness month: signs and symptoms, causes and treatment
If you suffer from PCOS, you are not alone - It is known that 1 in 10 women suffer with PCOS but there are probably more undiagnosed. I listen to my clients’ struggles, from the diagnosis that can be long and difficult, to the symptoms that seem to be never ending and affecting their day-to-day life. Then I see the frustration with conventional medicine when the only solution given is to take the contraceptive pill and come back when they’re trying to conceive. Do you have a similar story?
PCOS is a complex condition - It is an endocrine disorder that affects the whole system. Women with PCOS have too much androgen and also suffer from irregular menstrual cycles and/or polycystic ovaries. This leads to many difficult symptoms to deal with such as acne, hirsutism (too much hair), thinning hair, infertility, miscarriage, weight gain, sleep disorders, gastrointestinal disorders such as IBS and much more. The list is long and although there are some common symptoms, every woman is affected differently.
Some women with PCOS do not struggle with weight gain and have a normal BMI - this is what we call lean PCOS. Although it is one of the leading causes of female infertility, some women won’t have any problem conceiving. These were just a couple of examples to remind you that we are all different despite sharing the same endocrine disorder.
This is why Nutritional Therapy with a personalised approach can be so helpful. It is a complex condition and whatever symptom you have, it is important to understand why you have PCOS.
So what are some of the causes of PCOS?
Genetics
Insulin resistance (up to 80% of cases)
Inflammatory foods
Stressful lifestyle
Environmental toxins
What are the treatments?
There are different types of PCOS (insulin resistance, inflammatory, adrenal and post pill) and it is always good to know which type you have to manage it better.
Reducing endocrine disruptors, supporting your thyroid function, optimising your gut health, taking supplements to help you fill nutrient gaps and potential deficiencies, increasing anti-inflammatory foods and improving your circadian rhythm are all ways to improve your PCOS symptoms. The contraceptive pill will NOT treat your PCOS.
Want to embark on my 3 month program to cover all of the above and manage your PCOS for life? Get in touch here for an initial chat