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PCOS Articles
Around six percent of women in the United States are affected by PCOS, also known as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Women with PCOS experience a variety of symptoms, including irregular menstruation, facial and body hair, hair loss, weight gain in the upper body, acne, and cysts on the ovaries.
There is an intricate relationship between insulin and PCOS. Women who have PCOS often become insulin resistant. Some studies even suggest that insulin resistance is a cause, rather than a result, of PCOS. Around a third of women who have PCOS will also have insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is a condition in which the body does not correctly process insulin. As a result, levels of sugar increase in the blood. This can lead to diabetes and a variety of other problems. This increased amount of insulin is thought to lead to an increased production of androgens, or male hormones. These hormones are often responsible for many of the symptoms of PCOS, including facial and body hair, hair loss, and weight gain.
There are a variety of factors that can make you more prone to insulin resistance. These include:
- Age. If you are over 40, you are at higher risk.
- Family history. This includes a history of Type II diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease.
- Weight. Being overweight puts you at increased risk.
If you have PCOS, you should talk with your health care provider about insulin resistance. Insulin resistance can be diagnosed with a simple test that will check your body’s tolerance for glucose. If your insulin resistance is not treated, it can create a variety of problems, including diabetes, kidney damage, vision loss, nerve damage, and heart problems.
Problems with insulin can often be treated with medications, such as Metformin, that control glucose production in the body, and thereby reduces your body’s needs for insulin. Also known as Glucophage, this medication impacts the way that insulin regulates glucose, and it also helps to cause a decrease in the production of testosterone. This can help ovulation to return, and can also help to slow down the irregular hair growth. Weight reduction may also help with your insulin resistance, as will other medications, known as insulin-sensitizing agents. Treating insulin problems may be, in many cases, the best way to treat PCOS.
Posted in PCOS |
One of the most common and most pronounced symptoms of PCOS can be weight gain, particularly upper body weight gain. Many times, women who have PCOS become insulin resistant. Insulin resistance tends to develop slowly and over time, and greatly affects a woman’s metabolism. This insulin resistance makes it much easier for a woman to gain weight, and also makes taking weight off more difficult. In addition, the production of androgens, or male hormones, is a common side effect of PCOS. The production of androgens not only produces symptoms such as abnormal hair growth or hair loss, it can also be responsible for weight gain.
There is no known cure for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). However, there are certain treatments that are often used to address the symptoms of PCOS, such as weight gain. Some health care providers will recommend diabetic medications, such as Metformin, to help the patient with PCOS. Also known as Glucophage, this medication impacts the way that insulin regulates glucose, and it also helps to cause a decrease in the production of testosterone. By working both on insulin resistance as well as the production of androgens, Metformin can assist a woman with getting a handle on her weight gain.
Your health care provider may be able to help you develop a diet that will help you lose weight if you have PCOS. One of the most important dietary techniques that you can use to lose weight when you have PCOS is to directly address the impact of insulin resistance. To do this, you must keep your blood sugar levels in a stable and relatively constant range. This will help you to feel more full and to feel full longer. One way to keep blood sugar levels constant is to replace sugar-type carbohydrates with whole-grain carbohydrates or other complex carbohydrates. Other studies suggest that eating foods that are rich in protein, such as lean meats and fish, can help to regulate insulin.
In addition to diet, exercise is always an effective tool for losing weight. Exercise helps to stimulate your metabolism, and also helps to burn off calories, which in turn keeps your weight under control. For a woman with PCOS, a combination of medication, diet, and exercise are typically the most effective ways to combat weight gain and to lose weight.
Posted in PCOS |
Many women who have PCOS have had limited success with the traditional medical treatments available. Sometimes, traditional medicines and treatments are not enough. In some cases, such treatments are too invasive, or the medications are too difficult on a womans system, that she hopes to be able to treat her condition through other means, such as homeopathy.
Homeopathic treatment is based on some foundational principles. One of the core ideas is that a substance that produces a symptom when given in large doses will help to remove those symptoms if it is given in small or micro-doses. Homeopathy assumes a holistic approach, in which all of the symptoms are considered. Advocates of homeopathy suggest that the treatments are effective, safe, natural, not addictive, and have no side effects.
There are not any specific homeopathic remedies that are designed for the treatment of PCOS. However, there are homeopathic treatments that may help a woman with PCOS. The most common form of homeopathic treatments for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome include homeopathic treatments that address the general well-being of the person.
One of the homeopathic treatments for PCOS is Nat. Mur. Nat. Mur is proscribed for a variety of symptoms, such as eczema, vertigo, oral thrush, and premenstrual tension. Another treatment is Lycopodium. Lycopodium is used for vomiting, indigestion, bloating, constipation, anxiety, and insomnia. Sepia is also sometimes used. Sepia is generally used for a variety of female difficulties that center around the uterus, vagina, or ovaries. One of the more versatile homeopathic treatments, Lachesis, is also used for PCOS. Lachesis is used for blood poisoning, circulation, difficulties with menstruation, menopause, tonsillitis, and uterine problems.
An expert homeopath may be able to help you determine additional treatments for PCOS. As always, homeopathic remedies should be used under the care of a health care provider, and may be most effective when combined with traditional medical approaches, as well as specific lifestyle and behavioral remedies, such as diet and exercise.
Posted in PCOS |
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, also known as PCOS, can be an extremely frustrating condition. The symptoms of PCOS tend to develop gradually over time, and can include things like infertility, weight gain in the upper body, vaginal bleeding, and irregular menstruation. One of the most frustrating parts of PCOS can be the skin conditions that it causes.
There is an important link between PCOS and a variety of hormonal changes. These can include:
- Androgens. Androgens are hormones that can cause a variety of problems, such as hair appearing in odd places and acne, and it can also interfere with the process of ovulation.
- Ovarian hormones. The hormones that trigger ovulation are an important part of a woman’s cycle. If these hormones are not at the correct levels, the ovaries will not relapse an egg each month and ovulation will not occur.
- Insulin and blood sugar. Roughly 50% of the women who suffer from PCOS will have difficulty with the way that there body uses insulin. This is known as insulin resistance. Insulin resistance causes their blood sugar levels to grow to dangerous levels. IN some instances, this can even lead to diabetes.
The imbalance of hormones caused by PCOS can affect a woman’s skin in a variety of ways. Many women with PCOS will develop acne. A woman may have oily skin. Pimples may appear around and on the face, particularly along the line of the jaw, as well as on the back and the chest. PCOS can also cause a woman to have skin tags. Skin tags are thick lumps of skin that are often found on the neck, bra area, or on the armpits. Skin tags must be removed by a dermatologist. Some women with PCOS experience a thickening and/or a darkening of the skin around the groin, neck, underarms, or skin folds. This condition, known as acanthosis nigricans, in particular reflects an abnormality in insulin levels.
Some women, when treated for PCOS with metformin (glucophage), will find that balancing out the levels of insulin in the body will address many of the skin conditions associated with polycystic ovarian syndrome. In addition, for the woman with PCOS who experiences acne, there are some steps that she can take to reduce the severity of acne outbreaks. In addition, for the woman with PCOS who experiences acne, there are some steps that she can take to reduce the severity of acne outbreaks. These can include:
- avoid using medications that cause acne
- avoid being exposed to grease and oil
- use hypoallergenic cosmetics
- clean the skin frequently to keep off excess oils
- wash clothes, sheets, and pillowcases in fragrance- and color-free detergent
- Get enough exposure to the sun
- Eat a diet that is balanced, avoiding foods that contain fatty acids.
Posted in PCOS |
Primary Amenorrhea refers to a condition in which a woman has does not begin to have menstrual periods by the age of 16. A variety of things can cause primary amenorrhea, including poor development of the uterus or ovaries, chromosomal abnormalities, problems with the hypothalamus, or pituitary disease. Primary Amenorrhea can also be, and often is, caused by Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, or PCOS for short. Primary amenorrhea is not a disease in and of itself, but is rather a symptom of another problem.
PCOS is one of the leading causes of primary amenorrhea. It is also a common cause of secondary amenorrhea, which refers to the absense of a period for an extended period of several months. In a woman with PCOS, amenorrhea is caused by the high levels of hormones, such as estrogen and androgens or male hormones. These high and sustained levels of hormones cause there to be a lessening of the hormones produced by the pituitary gland that cause ovulation and menstruation.
In addition to causing problems with ovulation and menstruation, PCOS can cause a variety of other symtoms. Some of the symptoms of PCOS can include irregular periods, vaginal bleeding, hair loss, irregular hair growth, acne, insulin resistance, weight gain in the upper body, sleep apnea, chronic pelvic pain, high blood pressure, and infertility. For women who are trying to get pregnant, this can be very disheartening; even if they do manage to conceive, women with PCOS are at an increased risk for miscarriages.
Some health care providers will recommend diabetic medications, such as Metformin, to help the patient with PCOS. Also known as Glucophage, this medication impacts the way that insulin regulates glucose, and it also helps to cause a decrease in the production of testosterone. This can help ovulation to return, and can also help to slow down the irregular hair growth.
Another possible treatment for PCOS is birth control pills. The pill can help keep the menstrual cycle regular, and it can also reduce the levels of male hormones. Birth control pills may also help to clear acne. There are medications available that will also help with the extra male hormones present in the woman’s systems. Spironolactone is a medication that is typically used for blood pressure, but is also known to help reduce hair growth. Some research suggests that Propecia, a medication used by men to combat hair loss, can also help with unwanted hair.
There are surgical options for the woman with PCOS as well. A process known as “ovarian drilling” is sometimes used to help start ovulation. This laparoscopic procedure is fairly non-invasive, but does carry certain risks and is not a permanent solution.
Posted in PCOS |
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