Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Tuesday, March 16th, 2010

In honor of Women’s Health Month, I felt it important to discuss a syndrome that, like women, is elusive, complex, and foolish to ignore. The syndrome is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

PCOS appears in between 4 and 12% of women seen in American clinics (1. 2) and in 20% of obese women (3). These numbers may be inaccurate, though, because of the variety and inconsistency of criteria for diagnosis in the past, and the myriad of subtle symptoms that go unreported or overlooked. Symptoms such as acne, mild facial hair or nipple hair, irregular periods, heavy periods, difficulty conceiving, or intermittent pelvic pain may seem unremarkable or easily treatable by themselves, but collectively, they point to a very important diagnosis.

This is disturbing because not only are we at risk for missing the mark on its prevalence, but we may also be missing the diagnosis of PCOS all together.

The possibility of misdiagnosing or ignoring PCOS has significant implications.  There is increased risk for Type 2 diabetes, increased thickening of the endometrial lining and hyper-estrogen related cancers, and cardiovascular disease. Treatments typically include pharmaceutical hormone regulators such as oral contraceptives and metformin, as well as a recommendation for weight loss in the overweight or obese PCOS patient. While medications have been beneficial for some, many women are opposed to the use of prescription medications unless absolutely necessary.  And women often do not like the side effects associated with these treatments.

More and more, women are asking the question, “Are there any alternative therapies?” The good news is that for many women the answer is yes. (more…)

Tags: alternative PCOS treatment, Diet, Exercise, Infertility, irregular periods, natural PCOS treatment, naturopathic PCOS treatment, Nutrition, Obesity, PCOS, polycystic ovarian syndrome, polycystic ovary syndrome, Type 2 diabetes, Weight loss
Posted in Articles by our Doctors, Dr. Rose Paisley | Comments Off