Top 5 Signs that you have PCOS

Peculiar Signs of PCOS Not to Miss

Do you experience irregular periods often? Are you obese or flabby? You may have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). HealthDiva share the PCOS signs not to miss. But before discussing those, let’s see what exactly PCOS is? Polycystic ovary syndrome is an exceptionally common hormone disorder that affects females. This condition is often described as a number of immature follicles on the ovary that ends up with ovaries resembling a bunch of grapes. It is a disorder of the endocrine system – the glandular factory of your body responsible for the production of hormones used to control metabolic processes, mood, sexual function, sleep, and of course, reproduction. If you’re feeling like a hormonal teenager with acne breakouts and mood swings; even worse, if you’re facing a difficulty in getting pregnant or experiencing abnormal menstrual period;  or noticing a 5 o’clock shadow; your hair getting thin from your scalp. When any of these indications seem to pile up and you find yourself unable to figure out what’s going on, you might be a victim of “PCOS, or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome”.

Top 5 signs that you have PCOS:

• You’re obese and diets don’t work for you.

At some point in their life, a majority of females have to handle weight issues. But for females with PCOS, losing weight can be a mounting fight. The major reason behind obesity in females with PCOS is their higher insulin resistance level meaning their bodies find difficulty in processing glucose synthesized from carbohydrates. In other words, they put on weight easily and fight back to get it off. You might be thinking, what is this “Insulin Resistance”. It is a condition when body cells fail to respond properly to the hormone insulin. It is the driving factor that results in type 2 diabetes, prediabetes as well as gestational diabetes. It’s strongly related to obesity; though, it is likely to be insulin resistant without being flabby or overweight. In turn, this condition makes the ovaries create more testosterone, which thereby deteriorates the effects of PCOS (elevated levels of testosterone is linked to other signs like hair growth in unnecessary places and increased acne).

What to do: Losing weight when you have PCOS can be difficult, but it is a must. Excess weight makes the condition go worse and a ‘low GI, low carb diet’ is generally recommended to individuals with Type 2 diabetes.

• You have irregular periods or no periods at all.

Many aspects can bring about a missed period ranging from stress to a modification in schedule; on the other hand there is a variation between one missed period and having your period intermittently or with intervals longer than 35 days. It is found in many research studies that 90% of females with no periods and those who aren’t pregnant or after the menopause experience this issue of polycystic ovaries.

What to do: It’s very essential to remember that the signs of PCOS must be treated in total and not alone or one by one. As mentioned above, losing weight facilitates a reduction in high insulin levels that usually crops up in PCOS. This exerts a knock-on effect of lessening the levels of testosterone, which in turn improves the possibilities of ovulation, and any period related issues, fertility, and may help to decrease the incidence of acne and hair growth as well.

Another way out can be an oral contraceptive pill, which helps in lowering the hormone levels in females with PCOS and normalizes their menstrual periods. Moreover, vaginal hormone rings as well as hormone patches can help in minimizing the hormone levels in females with PCOS.

For those who prefer natural remedies or prefer health supplements, HealthDiva recommends well-researched and very effective supplements namely, Black Cohosh and Milk thistle; to regulate the normal menstrual cycle.

HealthDiva’s Black Cohosh Root 30 Capsules:

Easy to Swallow Capsules for Females – with mild estrogen-like activity – Helpful during menstruation and menopause – Important for PCOS as it helps to lower the hormone LH which gets elevated more often – Also, beneficial for reducing tension and anxiety.

HealthDiva’s Milk thistle 30 capsules:

One of the key herbs for the liver, which acts as your waste disposal unit and is thus important in the treatment of PCOS! It helps to look after your liver cells against damage and to support the healing of damaged cells, thereby improving the general working of the liver with all its detoxifying properties.

• You have acne and greasy skin.

Acne is a most common problem in teens as puberty inflicts chaos on hormones which often manifests in blotchy or acne choked skin. If you discover that your skin isn’t improving, you might have PCOS. The elevated levels of androgens (male hormones like testosterone) that females with PCOS have can result in acne breakout. Such hormones augment the production of oil in the skin which may give rise to clogged pores and often skin inflammation as well.

What to do: Clearing acne can be very difficult, but if you follow a good PCOS-friendly diet, you may notice an improvement. Still, if there is no or little improvement, your doctor may prescribe you certain antibiotics or stronger retinoid medicines, that may be taken by mouth or applied topically (or both together).

• You have too much growth of hair on your body but thinning hair on your scalp.

As the ovaries produce a large amounts of androgens, these encourage hair growth. Not only talking about the hairs on your head however, you may get hair growth in funny places including areas around the nipples, on your belly, the inside of your thighs, and your chest as well i.e. areas where females don’t usually have – or want – a lot of hair growth.

What to do: To reverse up the excess hair growth and thinning hair issues can be tough, as females with PCOS lose weight, hormone levels begin to return back to normal. The levels of testosterone hormone fall, also a drop in the serum insulin levels is noticed, and the signs of PCOS reduce, with noteworthy improvements in the growth of too much hair as females lose weight.

• You’ve had trouble getting pregnant or struggle to carry to term.

PCOS is one of the most universal reasons for the occurrence of infertility. The hormonal imbalance results in a difficulty for a majority of females with PCOS, as their ability to ovulate in a normal manner gets frequently influenced. Ovulation is vital for pregnancy.

What to do: If after losing weight, you are still struggling to get pregnant, it is recommended to visit your doctor and get a timely medical assistance.

So, in nutshell, living with PCOS has been a taboo; a lot of females are scared to talk about it. But I think it is must for women to just open up about it. If they open up, there is a solution to every problem, so that they can get diagnosed earlier, as there are many who are living with the symptoms and not aware of at all. You don’t have to feel humiliated! 

HealthDiva is there for you and your Happy Living!!