In one of my classes this week, we’ve been talking about how nutrition plays a role in the steps leading up to pregnancy. I know I have a few moms out there reading my posts, and I also know I have a few younger readers who might not be considering pregnancy yet, but someday might.
Today, I want to talk about an interesting syndrome that affects 1 in 10 women between the ages of 15 and 44: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Since this can be a really scary syndrome that isn’t talked about a lot, I thought I’d share some basic knowledge about it and leave some further resources in case anyone out there needed it.
What is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome?
This photo from https://www.endocrineweb.com/ Shows the differences between a healthy uterus and a PCOS uterus
PCOS is a common health problem caused by an imbalance in reproductive hormones. This imbalance causes the ovaries to create eggs that may not develop as they should or may not be released. PCOS is marked by higher levels the hormones, androgens, insulin, and progesterone. With PCOS, the body does not respond to insulin the way it normally should which results in high blood glucose levels and the stimulation of insulin and androgen production.
The onset of PCOS can start shortly after puberty or later in the teenage years. There are even cases of PCOS not being recognized until early adulthood.
What are the symptoms of PCOS?
People with PCOS most often have irregular or missed periods. Some may not experience periods at all. Because of this, patients with PCOS do not ovulate. They also experience excess hair on the face, chin, or other parts of the body. Other symptoms include weight gain or difficulty losing weight, fatigue, acne, skin darkening and skin tags, mood changes, headaches, and sleep problems.
One of the results of PCOS is infertility. Although not every woman with PCOS is infertile, many women who are infertile are because of PCOS.
PCOS can lead to other health problems
Women with PCOS often are also diagnosed with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, and depression. Most commonly, these women are diagnosed with diabetes due to insulin resistance.
How is PCOS diagnosed?
Official diagnosis by a medical professional is the only way to know if you have PCOS. The doctors can perform several tests including a pelvic exam, sonogram, and blood tests to help rule out other possible causes for symptoms, such as endometriosis or thyroid disease. Once other syndromes are ruled out, the doctor will assess your symptoms to decide if you likely have PCOS.
How is PCOS treated?
The best treatment for PCOS is to regulate weight, as many women with PCOS are often overweight, and to exercise regularly. It’s recommended for women to decrease body weight by 10% and to exercise daily to decrease intra-abdominal fat that stores around the intestines and other organs. The recommended diet is concentrated in lean protein, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, fiber, nonfat dairy, vitamin D, and low glycemic carbs (if you’re not sure about low glycemic carbs, don’t worry that blog is coming your way very soon.)
Besides diet and exercise, the best way to treat PCOS is to treat the symptoms, which can be slightly frustrating while learning to live with the condition but does give hope that balance can be found. Hormonal birth control to help regulate the menstrual cycle and regulate hormones is the first line of action for treating PCOS symptoms. Birth control can help to improve skin and decrease extra hair growth as well. Anti-androgen medicines can also help to regulate hormones in the body. Metformin, a popular drug for the treatment of diabetes, is often prescribed to women with PCOS to make the body more sensitive to insulin and can lower blood glucose levels. Clomid is an oral medication to help induce ovulation in women.
There are other more extreme options for treatment such as ovarian drilling surgery; however, I am not going to go into detail about those options here. Those are topics that should be left to the health care professionals.
There are some natural treatment options out there as well. If you remember a while back I posted about Apple Cider Vinegar and how it helps to regulate menstrual cycles. In that blog, I discussed how research shows that ACV has actually been shown to restart ovulation and regulate blood glucose in patients with PCOS.
Can Women with PCOS still get pregnant and have normal pregnancies?
The short answer is yes, but it is complicated. The body needs to be fully ready before conceiving a baby and that includes being at a healthy weight, have healthy blood sugar levels, and having the right vitamin and mineral composition within the body. That means that the process of getting the body ready for pregnancy may be more complicated in women who have PCOS. These women should be working closely with their doctors and nutritionists to prepare for pregnancy long before pregnancy takes place.
PCOS does increase the chances for complications such as miscarriage, gestational diabetes (babies with diabetes), and preeclampsia (high blood pressure during pregnancy) and these are things that should be highly considered before pregnancy.
Once a woman with PCOS becomes pregnant it is important that she also works closely with her doctor to make sure she regulates her blood glucose and maintains healthy insulin levels throughout the entire pregnancy.
PCOS is a complicated syndrome with a lot that goes into it. This is just a brief overview, but I will link below some more sources you can check out and learn more from. If you or someone you know has PCOS, this isn’t meant to scare you or worry you about it. This syndrome is able to be handled, it just needs to be taken seriously. Working closely with a doctor and a nutritionist can help women lead their best possible lives and live comfortably and normally.
Do you know anyone with PCOS? Has this information helped you in any way? Let me know in the comments below.
Until next time,
Kat
Sources and further reading:
Office on Women’s Health: https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/polycystic-ovary-syndrome
PCOS Awareness Association: https://www.pcosaa.org/
Until I came across another interesting drink at my local supermarket. It was an apple cider drink, but it was only around $3 a bottle and was made with distilled water and apple cider vinegar. And it came in different flavors like cinnamon, honey, and acacia. Now this I was willing to try.
There’s still not a ton of knowledge and research out there on the subject, but there are a ton of testimonials that suggest adding apple cider vinegar to you menstruation care can in fact decrease cramps and cramp intensity. So what’s going on here?
Apple cider vinegar is highly renowned with people looking for holistic remedies for different ailments. Apple cider vinegar contains proteins, antioxidants, and acetic acid all which work to help reduce harmful bacteria, reduce inflammation, regulate blood glucose levels (as seen above), and reduce bad cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Kat Classics 