Do You Know The Signs, Symptoms and Solutions For Women With Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome?

Yes, women with PCOS show a trend toward excess stress hormones which may in turn negatively impact health. Excess stress hormones can exacerbate insulin resistance, cause abdominal weight gain and make it difficult to lose weight. Research also suggests women with PCOS may have higher rates of depression and anxiety. Stress reduction training and treatment has the potential to therapeutic for PCOS.

PCOS is an inflammatory condition, which means that women with PCOS should eat an anti-inflammatory diet including lean protein, whole grains,healthy fats and ample vegetables and fruit. In addition, supplementing with omega-3 fatty acids can support the body's anti-inflammatory and hormonal processes. Myo-inositol, part of the B Vitamin family, has been shown to improve insulin resistance and restore ovulation in women with PCOS. Vitamin D is often low in women with PCOS. Vitamin D is a precursor to many hormones and low levels of D are associated with infertility and early miscarriage.

While conventional exercise is important for women with PCOS, adding hatha yoga has the unique benefit of working on the central nervous system to reduce stress hormones and promote relaxation. Adding yoga to any PCOS-fitness program is a smart choice.

Working with acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine can be an effective tool for managing the symptoms of PCOS and may help improve a PCOS patient's chances of conception.

Women with PCOS are not all the same! That's what makes this condition difficult to diagnose and why women with PCOS thrive when they are treated as individuals with specific treatment plans and even diet and exercise programs tailored to their unique situation.

While some women may require medical assistance for conception, lifestyle strategies including nutritional changes, physical exercise, stress reduction and certain nutritional supplements can restore ovulation for many women with PCOS. Physicians agree that lifestyle changes should be the FIRST treatment strategy.

While sassy PCOS might be more fun, TCM classifies PCOS into four different patterns, each with a different treatment strategy. These patterns are Classic, Damp, Overheated and Stuck. The pattern is determined by a TCM practitioner using a series of questions, pulse and tongue assessment and health history. Once determined, acupuncture points, herbal therapy and diet/exercise recommendations are type-specific.

How and where a woman gains weight may be a signal that she has PCOS. The excess "male" hormones associated with PCOS can cause weight gain in the waist/belly area in the characteristic "apple" shape. Weight gain in the "apple" pattern is associated with cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance and infertility. Yoga has been shown to specifically promote abdominal weight loss and for this reason is recommended for women with PCOS.

As little as a 5-10% weight loss can make a drastic difference in women with PCOS. Often a small weight loss is enough to jump start ovulation and menstruation.

Harvard researchers looked at the dietary patterns associated with infertility due to ovulation disorders and found that diets rich in complex carbohydrates from vegetables, whole grains and fruit had the lowest rates of infertility. Their research also found that women who ate full-fat dairy had lower rates of infertility. Researchers hypothesize that there may be health benefits associated with the fat in dairy, and that full fat products may have lower levels of hormone-disrupting substances than skim and low fat diary.