Beating PCOS: the start of my journey

Eight years ago I found out that I have PCOS.  I had thought that it might be something that I had as I did have a number of the symptoms and I finally found a doctor who was happy to send me to get tested (the other doctors just thought that it was unnecessary until I wanted to get pregnant).  Unfortunately that doctor has now left my surgery, which I'm upset about as she was a great doctor to have, but I am grateful that she thought it was something worth looking at.  I thought I would write a little series on PCOS, what it's like having it, and what I've done to help alleviate the symptoms naturally at home.

So, what is PCOS?  PCOS stands for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and polycystic ovaries contain a number of follicles which are under-developed sacs in which eggs usually develop.  In those with PCOS these sacs are unable to release an egg preventing ovulation from happening.  The actual cause of PCOS is unknown but it is connected to abnormal hormone levels in the body.  One of these is insulin, a hormone which controls the sugar levels in the body, with many women with PCOS being resistant to the action of insulin in their body causing it to produce higher levels to overcome this.  High levels of insulin can cause the ovaries to produce higher levels of testosterone, which interferes with the development of the follicles and normal ovulation.

Other hormones have are effected by this syndrome are a rise in luteinising hormone which usually stimulates ovulation but can have an abnormal effect if levels are too high, the lowering of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) which binds to testosterone in the blood reducing it's effects, and a rise in prolactin (in some women) which stimulates the breast glands to produce milk.  Why these hormones change is not known and there have been many suggestions as to what the causes are.  These include starting in the ovaries themselves, in the glands that produce the hormones themselves,in  the part of the brain that controls the production of the hormones or by the insulin resistance itself.

The reason I wanted to get tested is that I displayed a number of the symptoms, which for me were irregular periods, excessive hair growth (most obviously on my face), and a rapid  weight gain all starting when I reached puberty (my teenage years were so much fun).  The tests my doctor sent me for were a blood test and a pelvic ultrasound.  The results of these combined with my other symptoms showed that I did have PCOS.  I wasn't overly impressed with the doctor that gave me the results (not my actual doctor) as he didn't give me any advice about the syndrome or information on where I could receive help, but instead just told me to come back when I wanted to get pregnant.  Obviously getting pregnant is the only important thing to a woman?!

The most common symptoms for those suffering from PCOS are:

• Irregular periods, with most women missing periods or having fewer periods and some women having no periods at all.
•  Excessive hair (otherwise known as hirsutism), usually on the face, chest, back and other areas where men usually have hair.
• Acne on the face, chest and back .
• Hair thinning or hair loss similar to male balding.
• Weight gain and / or difficulty losing weight.
• Darkening of the skin, particularly along the neck, under the breasts and in the groin.
• And finally skin tags in the neck and armpit area.

Unfortunately, despite what the doctor who informed me of my results seemed to think, infertility isn't the only problem which comes with PCOS.  There are a number of other health issues which are associated with this syndrome and is a problem that is more that just whether or not you'll be able to get pregnant.  These are:

• Higher levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and lower levels of HDL (good) cholesterol, raising the risk of hear disease and stroke.
• Higher blood pressure, a leading cause of heart disease and stroke.
• Diabetes, with more than half the women with PCOS will get diabetes or glucose intolerance before they are 40.
• Sleep apnea, caused by the fact that many of the women with PCOS are overweight or obese.  Sleep apnea also raises the risk of getting heart disease and diabetes.
• Endometrial cancer (cancer of the lining of the uterus) which increased by problems with ovulation, obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes - all of which are common in PCOS.
• Lastly, depression and anxiety.  It is not known if these are caused by the hormal imbalances produced by PCOS or by the results of PCOS such as being overweight and hairy.

 So that is PCOS in general and how I found out I had it. Over the next few months I will be adding blogs about what it's been like having it and what treatments I've decided to have to help with some of the effects.