Fertility and PCOS Awareness Month

September is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome awareness month. PCOS is a condition that affects women and it is a serious metabolic, hormonal, genetic and reproductive disorder.

As the leading cause of female infertility as well as a potential pre-indication of type II diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and endometrial cancer, we spend September recognizing those that struggle with this condition as well as raise awareness for the condition.

What is PCOS?

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome affects up to 10 percent of women. What is PCOS? Is a group of symptoms that are related to anovulation and high levels of androgens or male hormones. Main symptoms of PCOS are: Irregular Periods, Long Menstrual Cycles over 40 days, Too many days of bleeding, Excessive Facial and body Hair, Hair loss, Acne, Weight gain, Infertility. PCOS patients have risk of Diabetes and Heart Disease

Some of the most common signs and symptoms of the condition include severe acne, irregular periods, prolonged bleeding, not ovulating, cysts in the ovaries, infertility, anxiety and depression, weight gain, pattern hair loss, a resistance to insulin and more.

This federally designated event of awareness will improve educational programs about PCOS as well as regularly advertise a series of improvement programs in research. Preventing and reducing the risks of this condition as well as some of the other related diseases like cardiovascular disease, fatty liver disease, cancer and diabetes can be crucial over the course of this month and the entire year.

The National Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Association is going to be sponsoring an awareness month offering a series of resources, events and information. Following some of these updates and staying close to the news regarding the latest changes to PCOS can help us to all work together to manage the future of this condition.

There are few different types of PCOS

• Inulin-resistant PCOS
• Post-Pill PCOS
• Inflammatory PCOS
• Adrenal PCOS

When you have insulin resistant PCOS you will have normal blood sugar but too much Insulin, which will influence weight gain, heart disease, osteoporosis and may potentially influence diabetes in the future. If you have too much insulin that will cause issues with ovulation and your ovaries will make testosterone instead of oestrogen. If women has too much insulin that will also influence pituitary to make more Luteinizing hormone and that will stimulate even more androgens.

Post-Pill PCOS affect women after taking the pill for 2 reasons, pill will make insulin resistance even worse, pill will obviously stop you from ovulating for some everything will go back to normal after stopping the pill but for others, ovulation and regular periods may take month even years hence PCOS diagnosis.

You will qualify for Inflammatory PCOS diagnosis if you suffer from irregular periods, elevated androgens, you do not have insulin resistance but you have inflammation symptoms like: IBS, Headaches, Joint Pain, Unexplained fatigue, Skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis .

When you have Adrenal PCOS: You do not have insulin resistance and you were not affected by coming off the pill. You will meet all the criteria for PCOS, you will not have any sings or symptoms of Inflammation also you have elevated adrenal androgens DHEAS not not testosterone nor androstenedione.

Acupuncture and PCOS

A promising treatment for PCOS and infertility has recently come from the world of acupuncture. Many couples that are having difficulty with the process of conception or individuals that suffer from conditions like PCOS can benefit from regular acupuncture to regulate periods, to help with hormones and to support fertility.

Regular acupuncture treatment is showing promising results for people that suffer from PCOS and for treating their condition so that it does not worsen or lead to a series of ongoing symptoms such as a prediabetic state, the ongoing permission of cysts and more.

If you would like to learn more about fertility and PCOS as well as the treatment options that are available to you, check into all the latest literature as it is released throughout the month of September on my social media – https://www.instagram.com/karolina_garlicka_acupuncture.