One of the most UNDER diagnosed conditions in women -
PCOS
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a set of multiple symptoms that combine together in a woman, culminating in a disorder that affects women of reproductive age. PCOS is a complex condition that affects each woman differently, making it important to understand its causes, symptoms, and potential treatment options. Ultimately it leads to an imbalance of hormones in the body, leading to various symptoms.
Primarily the symptoms come from an imbalance with too much of the androgen hormones, which are typically associated with males. It can also include too much estrogen, often called estrogen dominance, which includes to little progesterone. These symptoms can be short term, but the longer that a woman lives with PCOS the greater the potential for short and long-term health complications.
If left uncontrolled, PCOS can eventually progress, and allow your body to progress, to other complications, the primary one called Metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome, like other syndromes, is a combination of health concerns that come together under one name. These concerns includes high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol levels. The syndrome increases a person's risk for cardiovascular problems (heart attack, blood vessel problems, clots, stroke, etc).
PCOS increases a person's risk for diabetes and all the problems that go with that! It increases a person's risk for inflammation and inflammation wreaks havoc everywhere in the body-including the brain. This increases your risk of anxiety, depression, even Alzheimers or Dementia.
Aside from a large waist circumference, most of the disorders associated with metabolic syndrome have no symptoms, so they go unnoticed for long periods of time, while damage is being done. Unfortunately, untreated, long-term PCOS also increases a woman's risk of certain types of cancer.
PCOS is a medical diagnosis based on ruling it in, or out. Other medical diagnosis should be ruled out by a qualified medical professional. Unfortunately, PCOS is primarily diagnosed based on symptoms and many medical professional do not know all of the symptoms.
They also may not know that you don't have to have ALL of the symptoms to receive a diagnosis. While lab testing can confirm PCOS, sometimes women will have 'normal' or only 'borderline' abnormal levels on testing. To make it even more complicated some providers use different ranges of "normal". So, you can get a positive or negative diagnosis depending on who is doing your testing, the lab they used, the provider experience level, and so on.
Many providers don't actually understand the underlying causes of PCOS (and how to treat it without just covering up symptoms).
Does any of this sound familiar?
Your doctor gave you birth control pills to regulate your erratic cycle, but it only helped for a short time
You’re tired all of the time and/or have acne like a high-schooler
You’ve gotten used to plucking those dark chin hairs
You just can’t seem to loose the stubborn weight around your waist
Your period is so inconsistent, you don’t even know when to expect it
You’ve struggled to get pregnant
You may may have had some relief but your symptoms returned again and you feel deflated…
It’s not your fault…I know you’ve tried.
Symptoms -
To make things even more difficult there are different phenotypes (expressions) of PCOS. This means PCOS is expressed in different women, in different ways. With these differences each woman can have their own set of symptoms and dysfunction within each individual woman.
The symptoms of PCOS can vary greatly from woman to woman, but the most common symptoms can include:
Irregular or absent periods
Hirsutism - Excessive hair growth or hair growth where it shouldn't be for a female (face, chest, abdomen, etc).
Acne
Weight gain or inability to lose weight
Infertility or at least difficulty in conceiving
Mood swings, depression, and anxiety
Sleep disturbances.
It often becomes a vicious cycle. As the condition gets worse, symptoms increase, women feel worse and round and round it goes.
You're not broken!
You are not doomed! You are not trapped in a body that is out to get you. In fact, your body is very smart and has actually been trying to SERVE you during this process. It has been fighting to do what it thought was best. It has actually been fighting for you.
Unfortunately, it may have gotten signals crossed and messages jumbled. Our food, our environment, our lives, our sleep, and so much more are all messages that our bodies hear and respond to. Sometimes the chaos outside, creates chaos within. We can calm that down together. We can help restore, rebalance, and restart the inner knowledge that your body has and help straighten out some of the messages.
In the PCOS Manual you can better understand exactly what PCOS is, the underlying causes, and how you can help your body function optimally. This teaches you how to reset your body and teach it how to work with you; without covering up symptoms.
By using the nutrition your body needs, supported by well-researched herbs and supplements, along with appropriate lifestyle changes you can be feeling like a whole new "you". You can heal!
