“Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is now the most common hormone disorder among women, affecting between one in five to ten of us, with more than 50% of cases remaining undiagnosed.”
When I was diagnosed with PCOS, like many of us, I didn’t know a lot about the condition. I’d heard about it, seen it mentioned in the media, and knew it affected many women. But the extent to which it exists today blew me away.
PCOS is the most common hormone disorder in women, affecting between one in five to ten of us, with more than 50% of cases remaining undiagnosed. Yet up until this point, I had never been educated about it, explained, or even made aware of what it really was. Growing up with pain or discomfort concerning hormones and cycles is most often assumed to be a natural part of the process – it is simply what our bodies go through. In reality, the extent to which hormonal issues are prevalent among women is evidence of how often something really is amiss in our health. Unfortunately, more often than not, this goes unnoticed or undiagnosed. So we go on with our lives, living with varying degrees of pain, discomfort, and impacted quality of life, only hoping it
gets easier. All the while continuing in difficulty when something could be done to make it easier. And the answer is simple – education, awareness, and advocacy. Because when we know what’s really going on, we can learn how to cope with it.
“The answer is simple – education, awareness, and advocacy. Because when we know what’s really going on, we can learn how to cope with it.”
For me, learning about my health is the most important type of medicine. It puts the control, in your hands and allows you to make decisions that are right for you. Because of this, I spent a long time learning about PCOS and the impact it has on our bodies and health. I am not a doctor, but I am an advocate for my own health. And I hope that my knowledge and personal experience may help someone going through a similar journey to seek control of their own health. I was made to believe there weren’t many options to treat PCOS – in fact, I was told there was only one. And this single option wasn’t working for me. Luckily, I soon learnt about the depth of information that goes far beyond the scope of what the public health system tells us.
There is hope, more than we are ever led to believe. And it starts with self-advocacy, with self-education, and with self-determination. And I hope this can help to lead you on that path.
What is PCOS?
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a condition that affects up to 18% of women, making it one of the most common hormone disorders among women. When I was diagnosed a few years ago, I had never been told about PCOS, what it was or what it meant – now, only a few years later it is one of the leading causes of infertility around the world. If you speak to a handful of women, you’re highly likely to hear that a few of them have been diagnosed too. This raises the question – what is PCOS and why has it become such an alarmingly prevalent trend among women today?
PCOS is an endocrine disorder that is characterised by an overlap of varied symptoms:
- Elevated androgen levels
- Ovarian cysts
- Irregular or absent periods
- Acne
- Hair loss
- Infertility
- Weight gain
- Mood instability
- Pain
For many women, the experience of seemingly unrelated and inconsistent symptoms is often completely different from others with the same diagnosis. This is why it’s not uncommon for the condition to go undiagnosed. Some women experience a high number of symptoms, while others may have a presence of ovarian
“Some women experience a high number of symptoms, while others may have a presence of ovarian cysts but experience relatively little symptoms as a result.“
ovarian cysts but experience relatively little symptoms as a result. I personally fit somewhere in the middle. While I am lucky to be relatively symptom-free at this point in my life, I haven’t always been this way. And I have had to make lifestyle changes and sacrifices to make sure I am as healthy as I can be to continue managing my symptoms in this way.
What causes PCOS?
Despite its prevalence, the cause for PCOS is still relatively unknown. According to research, the issue lies in an array of independent disorders characterised by an overlapping set of symptoms. What this means is that the variability of PCOS among women makes it hard to pinpoint exactly what the root issue is, and rather suggests that there is an interaction of different factors that contribute to individual cases of PCOS. However, evidence has shown that hormone balance, insulin, body fat, and metabolism play a huge role in the underlying cause.
Due to the variability, there are four diagnostic types of PCOS, characterised by their own underlying pattern of issues:
- Type 1: Insulin Resistant PCOS – high levels of insulin drive up androgen levels, low progesterone, polycystic ovary, delayed ovulation, most pronounced menstrual irregularity
- Type 2: Adrenal PCOS – elevated adrenal androgens, normal testosterone and androstenedione, no insulin resistance or inflammation
- Type 3: Inflammatory PCOS – chronic inflammation causes excess testosterone, increased androgen, increased thyroid levels, irregular ovulation,
- Type 4: Post-Pill PCOS – a surge in androgens after coming off the pill, no insulin resistance, irregular ovulation but no polycystic ovary
Recent research has found a strong link between excess testosterone production and subsequent excess estrogen production as a result of lifestyle and genetic factors in the prevalence of the symptomatic pattern of PCOS issues. Often present in the cause of PCOS is a mixture of chronic stress that increases testosterone level
“Often present in the cause of PCOS is a mixture of chronic stress that increases testosterone levels, and diets high in refined carbs, sugar, processed foods, and alcohol.”
levels, and diets high in refined carbs, sugar, processed foods and alcohol (which increases insulin and therefore testosterone). Weight gain can also play a role – increasing insulin resistance, inflammation and estrogen production. This increase in estrogen suppresses hormones from the brain – interfering with the body’s ability for regular ovulation.
Is conventional medicine failing the prevalence of PCOS?
There is a lot of controversy surrounding the current medical approach to treating and managing PCOS. While many say there is no official ‘cure’, other medical professionals argue that PCOS is in fact reversible. Many women have balanced out their hormone levels, eliminated their symptoms, and regained their menstrual cycles through a combination of diet, supplements, and lifestyle changes – including levels of stress and quality of sleep. Additionally, many women who have suffered from infertility as a result of their PCOS have managed to succeed in fertility after treating the underlying causes of their diagnosis.
There’s no denying that huge strides are being made in the management and treatment of PCOS. But there’s also no denying that there are still a lot of misconceptions and misdiagnoses surrounding women with PCOS. Because of this, conventional medicine often doesn’t approach PCOS with the intention of curing it, instead – focusing on the treatment of symptoms as they arise. Awareness of the day-to-day lifestyle choices that can help to treat PCOS on a big scale needs to be brought more into focus. In many cases, natural approaches to hormone balancing, proper stress reduction, improved diet and better sleep patterns (sleep plays a huge role in
our hormones), can be significantly positive in reducing and even reversing PCOS symptoms. Another helpful addition: supplements. Supplements to lower testosterone and balance insulin, lower inflammation, balance blood sugar, and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids to lower the production of inflammatory messengers, can all play an important role in helping to manage PCOS. and
“In many cases, natural hormone balancing, proper stress reduction, improved diet and better sleep patterns can be significantly positive in reducing and even reversing PCOS symptoms in women.“
The biggest challenge in managing PCOS is the lack of knowledge given and understanding of the interactions at play that contribute to the condition. We are given a lack of options when many doctors prescribe the pill as the only treatment that works – and this simply isn’t true. While in many cases the pill may be beneficial in reducing symptoms, it certainly isn’t the only option and should never be isolated as a single approach.
In reality, there is a lot we can do to help our bodies manage hormonal imbalances that we aren’t made aware of or led to understand. We may or may not not be able to cure or reverse our diagnosis, but there are certainly a lot of options for choices we can make to give ourselves the best hope. You can listen to your body, do your research, and make the choices that feel right for you.
If you are struggling with PCOS, below are a few resources that can help you on your journey. Remember that you are your biggest advocate, fight for your health and fight for answers. There is hope and you are never alone.
PCOS Sisterhood
https://www.instagram.com/pcos_sisterhood/?hl=en
AskPCOS App
https://www.monash.edu/medicine/sphpm/mchri/pcos/resources/askpcos-app
PCOS Awareness Association
https://www.pcosaa.org/
Conquer PCOS
https://conquerpcos.org/
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