Some of the more commonly known symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) include:
- Irregular periods or no periods
- Excess hair growth on the face, stomach and back
- Loss or thinning of hair on the scalp
- Acne and pimples
- Difficulty falling pregnant naturally
- Easy to gain weight or trouble releasing the weight
- and being a light sleeper or inability to get a good night’s sleep
But did you know that having PCOS also means you are also at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes? I’ll explain a little further why.
So firstly, what is PCOS?
There is a misconception that women with PCOS means they have lots of cysts on their ovaries but that is not necessarily the case.
Often women with PCOS have underdeveloped eggs within their ovaries, so when they ovulate, the egg they release might not be mature and result in irregular cycles making it challenging for women to fall pregnant.
PCOS is a hormonal condition that is caused by a higher production of insulin and androgens (a male type hormone) in the body that impacts the way the ovaries function.
Is there a cure for PCOS?
From what we understand about PCOS, the short answer is no.
But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t women who are thriving with PCOS and who have gotten pregnant naturally.
Here is one of my clients, Liza sharing her experience with overcoming PCOS and adulthood acne:
Merly changed my life. How? Well, let’s go back to 2012. Life wasn’t exactly as I imagined my life would be. At 31 I was newly married with multiple health issues including adult acne, polycystic ovaries, stress and dare I say extremely unhappy. You see my husband and I had been struggling for a year to get pregnant without success. Another pregnancy test with only one line… Then there was Merly. (more…)
Liza, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
So what’s with these hormones?
Earlier I shared how women with PCOS tend to have higher levels of insulin and androgens in their bodies. The androgens are responsible for things such as the acne and excess hair.
Many women with PCOS, about 75-95% are insulin resistant which means the cells won’t let the insulin to do its job, so you end up with too much insulin and glucose in the bloodstream.
Insulin’s job is to to help the cells use glucose as an energy source.
The problem with this, is higher levels of insulin in the body results in an increase of male type hormones being produced and it becomes a bit of vicious cycle with the immature eggs within the ovaries.
Not only does that impact fertility but it also becomes a contributing factor for women with PCOS to be a higher risk of developing pre-diabetics and type 2 diabetes.
Tell me some good news Merly!
It’s not all doom and gloom. The wonderful thing is PCOS symptoms can be managed through diet and lifestyle such as:
- Exercising to feel good but also to help balance hormones by reducing the levels of insulin in the body and managing weight
- Eating a balanced and nutritious foods aswell as developing a positive relationship to food
- Maintaining a healthy weight range, simply by reducing your weight by 5-10% can help with regulating your cycle and increasing your chances of falling pregnant
To support you on your journey to balance your hormones naturally, you can download my free 7 day hormone cleanse click here.
