Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common hormonal disorders among women of childbearing age — but unfortunately for the millions of women with PCOS, it’s also one of the most overlooked and misdiagnosed.

Are you experiencing symptoms like irregular periods, acne, thinning hair and weight gain around your middle? When women come to me for help and describe these kinds of issues, I always make sure we take time to explore whether PCOS could be the underlying hormonal imbalance driving their symptoms.

So how about we do the same for you and take that time right now? Here are 5 signs to look for that can indicate PCOS.

5 signs you may have PCOS

Women with PCOS produce excess amounts of androgen hormones, such as testosterone. Higher androgen levels can throw levels of other hormones off balance — especially estrogen.

As a result, many of the first signs that you have PCOS can be related to this particular hormonal imbalance. These include:

1. Excess body hair: Noticeable hair growth on the chin, upper lip, and along the cheek and jawline, or excess hair growth in other places like the chest and back are a prime sign of PCOS. Approximately 70% of women with PCOS have some form of excess body and facial hair — a condition called “hirsutism.”
2. Acne: Breakouts on the face, but also on the chest or upper back, may be triggered by excess testosterone.
3. Thinning hair: When hair loss along the scalp is related to PCOS, it tends to resemble male-pattern baldness.
4. Weight gain: As many as 70% of women with PCOS are also insulin resistant, meaning their bodies need to produce greater than normal amounts of insulin for cells to convert sugars into energy. That extra insulin triggers the production of even more testosterone, which can cause you to store more fat, especially belly fat. This weight-insulin-PCOS connection also creates a vicious feedback loop: when you start gaining weight, it further increases your insulin resistance, which spikes insulin production, which promotes the production of even more testosterone, which contributes to weight gain — and the cycle repeats. To make it worse, cells in belly fat can produce estrogen, which amplifies the stubborn weight gain.
5. Irregular periods: Women with PCOS frequently experience irregular cycles (with or without ovulation) or may temporarily stop menstruating due to hormonal imbalance. Other menstrual clues of PCOS include: cycles lasting longer than five weeks; heavy, prolonged periods; and going more than two months without menstruating (not caused by pregnancy).

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Is PCOS causing your infertility?

While the first signs of PCOS can be difficult to endure, the worst consequence of PCOS for many sufferers is infertility.

Somewhere between 4% and 18% of women of childbearing age are unable to get pregnant because of PCOS. Menstrual cycles may be unpredictable or without ovulation (anovulatory or non-ovulating).

But there’s also good news for women with PCOS who want to get pregnant: when you rebalance your hormones, you can improve your fertility enough to get pregnant.

For example, if you’re overweight, losing even a small amount of total body weight (5% to 10%) is often enough to help bring hormone levels back into balance, alleviate symptoms and restart normal ovulation. In one study of PCOS and infertility, 70% of participants who lost 5% of their body weight became pregnant without any further medical intervention!

What you can do to restore hormonal balance

You can learn more about natural solutions for PCOS along with how to make changes to your diet to start finding relief from your symptoms. Spoiler alert: there’s a lot you can do on your own — naturally and without drugs — to help with PCOS!

The post 5 signs you may have PCOS appeared first on Women's Health Network.

Authored by Dr. Sharon Stills, NMD

PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) is a common hormonal disorder that affects women of reproductive age. It is characterized by a combination of symptoms related to hormonal imbalance and disrupted ovulation. Women with PCOS may experience irregular menstrual periods, excess androgen levels leading to hirsutism (excessive hair growth) and acne, and enlarged ovaries with multiple small cysts.

To resolve and treat PCOS naturally, you’ll have the best success with a combination approach that helps restore hormonal balance naturally. This path to wellness includes enriched nutrition, regular exercise, targeted nutritional supplements, effective hormonal support and attention to emotional health.

Women who use this method can often normalize insulin levels, regain their periods and get back to their lives.

Dietary changes: the foundational factor for healing PCOS

A low glycemic-load diet is the most useful tool when you are using food to restore healthy hormonal balance. This old standard is still the best way to be able to rank foods and compose meals and snacks according to their potential to increase your blood sugar and insulin levels.

These are the most important principles to consider when creating a diet to relieve PCOS symptoms:

• Reduce your intake of simple carbohydrates and refined sugars. This is absolutely crucial because these foods quickly exacerbate any preexisting metabolic and hormonal imbalances associated with PCOS. By limiting or eliminating simple carbohydrates (white breads, pasta, potatoes, high-fructose corn syrup, sugar and white flour) you can normalize the amount of sugar in your bloodstream. For many women with PCOS, this single measure can restore regular menstrual cycles.

• Eat lower carbohydrate meals balanced with fiber and healthy fats. The ideal amount of carbs depends on your body type and activity level. Choose complex carbohydrates like root vegetables, legumes, fruits and whole grains. Healthy fat choices include olive oil, nuts and avocado.

You’ll also need to keep eating lean proteins like beans, hummus, eggs, fish, chicken and vegetarian meat substitutes. Other key diet changes that support hormonal balance include adding in leafy greens, vegetables like peppers and spinach, flax seeds, a quality multivitamin-mineral supplement, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Healthy weight loss

Weight loss can be beneficial for individuals with PCOS in several ways. First, it improves insulin sensitivity, reducing insulin resistance commonly associated with PCOS. This helps regulate blood sugar levels and hormonal balance. Second, weight loss can lower androgen levels, addressing symptoms like excessive hair growth and acne. Shedding extra weight can also enhance fertility by restoring regular ovulation and increasing the chances of successful conception. Lastly, weight loss reduces chronic low-grade inflammation associated with excess weight, alleviating inflammation-related symptoms.

Losing as little as 5% to 10% of body weight has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity, hormonal balance and fertility outcomes in women with PCOS. Don’t crash diet to reach this goal, because this approach rarely works, and just creates more weight issues. Instead, aim for weight loss that is healthy in a sustainable manner (aka slow and steady), using the diet changes above to steer the way.

Get more exercise

Exercise provides several benefits for women with PCOS.

• Exercise increases insulin sensitivity and helps with weight loss.
• About 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week helps to regulate hormone levels, reducing androgen levels and, as a result, diminishing symptoms such as hirsutism, acne and male-pattern hair loss.
• Exercise is a potent tool for reducing chronic low-grade inflammation associated with PCOS, improving overall health.
• Physical activity supports mental well-being by reducing stress, anxiety and depression, which are common among individuals with PCOS.

Engaging in a combination of cardiovascular exercises (such as brisk walking, cycling or swimming) and strength training exercises can provide comprehensive benefits. Yoga and other low impact exercise still offer benefits. Whatever it is, just get moving! The best exercise to start taming your PCOS symptoms can be as simple as a 20-minute brisk walk, ideally taken after a meal to help with blood glucose metabolism.

Natural supplements

Natural supplements can provide therapeutic support for PCOS symptom relief. Supplements often used in the holistic treatment of PCOS include:

Inositol.

This naturally occurring compound is highly beneficial for supporting insulin sensitivity and healthy blood sugar levels. For therapeutic effectiveness, look for supplements that contain inositol in the forms Myo-inositol and D-chiro inositol. By addressing insulin resistance, inositol can help regulate hormone imbalances, reduce elevated testosterone levels and promote regular ovulation, improving fertility. Additionally, inositol helps to relieve common PCOS symptoms such as acne, unwanted hair growth, and irregular periods. Inositol as Myo-inositol and D-chiro inositol is a foundational formula in our PCOS Support Combo.

Herbal support for blood sugar balance.

Medicinal herbs including banaba, gymnema and bitter melon work together to enhance insulin sensitivity and balance blood sugar levels, helping to alleviate PCOS symptoms and improve overall metabolic health.

Banaba: This traditional medicinal plant from Southeast Asia contains corosolic acid, a key active compound shown to help lower blood sugar and improve insulin sensitivity.

Gymnema: Reduces sugar cravings and supports healthy blood glucose levels by improving insulin function.

Bitter Melon: Contains several bioactive compounds (charantin, polypeptide-p, and vicine) that have insulin-like effects, improving glucose uptake and insulin sensitivity.

Chromium.

Chromium is a mineral that plays a role in insulin function. Supplementing with chromium may help improve insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism in individuals with PCOS. Our Blood Sugar Balance supplement is formulated with both herbal and chromium support.

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Alpha-lipoic acid.

ALA is a natural compound with antioxidant properties that has shown potential benefits in managing PCOS, including improving insulin sensitivity and reducing oxidative stress and inflammation. ALA may also aid in weight management, improve lipid profiles and potentially improve fertility.

Omega-3 fatty acids.

Omega-3 fatty acids, typically found in fish oil supplements, have anti-inflammatory properties and may help reduce inflammation associated with PCOS. They may also support hormone balance and improve lipid profiles.

Bioidentical progesterone.

Another natural hormonal option is bioidentical natural progesterone. This can help offset a progesterone deficit and counter the effects of estrogen and androgens to relieve many PCOS symptoms and promote more predictable periods.

Probiotics.

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that can help support gut health and reduce inflammation. They may have positive effects on insulin resistance and hormone balance in women with PCOS.

Vitamin D.

Many individuals with PCOS also have lower levels of Vitamin D or an outright Vitamin D deficiency. Supplementing with Vitamin D may help improve insulin sensitivity and support overall health.

Lifestyle changes make a difference for women with PCOS

With PCOS, little daily habits can add up to big changes. Here are a few small shifts in lifestyle and diet that can help you achieve healthy hormonal balance, and put your PCOS in the past.

Concentrate your efforts on these goals:

Clear detoxification pathways.

For optimal, and natural, hormone production, metabolism, balancing and recycling, avoid as many common endocrine-disrupting chemicals as possible. The best foods for detox are those rich in phytonutrients like beans, broccoli, cabbage, collards and kale. Consider trying a good multivitamin-mineral complex to support the hormonal transformation pathways in the liver. Find an exercise that makes you sweat — one that you can commit to doing regularly. Sweating is an essential part of your natural detox processes.

Create a personalized low-glycemic load diet.

Spend some time tailoring the traditional low-glycemic diet to fit your tastes. In terms of numbers, aim to limit your carbohydrate intake to about 16 grams per meal, and 7 grams each for two snacks a day. Again, you may need to adjust a bit here and there depending on your body type. Just know that the more closely you stick to low-glycemic foods, the better for improving your hormonal balance.

Tend to your emotions.

Emotional turmoil is one of the less familiar symptoms of PCOS, and it’s often missed by practitioners. Let’s face it — being told you have PCOS is stressful! But at the same time, stress reduction is an important component when you need to reduce any form of insulin resistance. Be proactive and seek out emotional support as you work to restore hormonal balance and relieve insulin resistance. One of our favorite PCOS support sites is PCOS Diva because it focuses on healthy foods and offers tips for good self care.

Remember, since your own PCOS picture may not look like anyone else’s, it’s good to make a plan to see a healthcare professional to discuss your concerns. Make sure you ask about all the effective, natural treatments available so you can find the right combination of steps for your individual situation.

You can take action to heal PCOS — and the sooner you get started, the sooner you will see a difference!

The post How do you naturally treat PCOS symptoms? appeared first on Women's Health Network.

Is it possible to improve your fertility with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome)? For many women, the fear of not being able to get pregnant is the first thing that comes to mind when they discover they are suffering from PCOS.

Here’s the good news. While it’s true that PCOS is one of the major causes of infertility in women, there are many ways to increase the chance of getting pregnant. Some women may need to work with their doctors for treatment, but many others find that they are able to naturally balance their hormones and increase their chances for getting pregnant.

Why does PCOS affect your fertility?

PCOS is a form of hormonal imbalance that can make fertility and conception more complicated by altering the hormonal mechanisms in your body that produce eggs and also prepare the uterus for pregnancy. Many women who suffer from PCOS are also typically dealing with insulin resistance, also known as impaired sugar tolerance.

Becoming pregnant or staying pregnant may be more challenging for women with PCOS due to the following unpredictable effects it has on your body:

• Women with PCOS may not ovulate regularly or at all. This can occur even if you are experiencing regular periods.
• Women with PCOS suffer from irregular periods rather than the “textbook” regular monthly cycles which would provide them with more predictable windows of fertility.
• Women with PCOS may suffer from difficult periods, bleeding heavily for days or weeks, if the uterine lining has gotten too thick and then the body must shed it.
• When and if an egg is released, the endometrium (lining of the uterus) may not be able to support implantation and sustain pregnancy.

We are learning about more and more treatment options — including both conventional and natural measures — that can tip the hormonal scales back toward normal and increase the potential for pregnancy. For many women with PCOS, diet and lifestyle changes are a very helpful way to support regular menstrual cycles and so increase the chances of getting pregnant naturally.

5 steps to improve your fertility with PCOS

1. Start a low-glycemic load diet.

The most important step to balance sex hormones and increase fertility is to follow a low-glycemic load diet. Your goal is to limit out-of-control increases in your blood sugar and insulin levels by reducing your overall carbohydrate intake to 16 grams of carbs per meal and 7 grams per snack. If you’re more active, then you may need a slightly higher carb intake. Here are some of the most effective ways to reduce your glycemic load:

• Cut out refined carbohydrates. These include foods such as high-fructose syrups, sugar, white flour, white rice, white potatoes and other highly processed, refined sugars and starches. Reducing the amount of refined carbohydrates in your diet is critical to improving your fertility because it reduces your insulin resistance, decreases androgens, and results in more regular ovulation and menstrual cycles.

• Focus on complex carbohydrates, such as those found in vegetables, fruit, legumes, nuts and whole grains. Complex carbohydrates take longer for your body to digest, so they help maintain healthier insulin and blood sugar levels.

• When you eat carbohydrates, combine them with fiber, protein and/or healthy fats. Pairing carbohydrates with these foods will help slow down digestion and so lower the insulin spike. Having whole wheat toast? Then top it off with some avocado for your healthy fat and an egg for protein!

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2. Maintain a healthy weight and stay physically active.

Obesity is a significant issue for 35–60% of women with PCOS. What’s more, a high waist-to-hip ratio is linked with high insulin, androgen and estrogen levels that can affect fertility. Simply losing just 5% of your weight can lead to more regular menstrual cycles and ovulation. In addition to reducing your intake of carbohydrates, regular exercise also helps you stay at a healthy weight and reduce insulin resistance. Any type of exercise that you enjoy enough to do on a regular basis will help.

3. Try nutrients and herbs for hormonal support.

Vitamins, minerals and herbs provide the daily nutritional support that can help restore hormonal imbalance and also help relieve your symptoms. In addition to helping to improve fertility, nutrients and herbs can help reduce other troubling symptoms that you may be experiencing with PCOS.

One of the most effective supplements for improving insulin sensitivity is inositol, because it is a form of sugar naturally found in the body and assists with healthy cellular development and function. Inositol, especially in the forms myo-inositol and d-chiro inositol, helps to improve insulin function, bring regularity back to menstrual cycles and improve fertility outcomes for women with PCOS. As an added benefit, research has shown that myo-inositol can help reduce elevated testosterone levels as well as promote regular ovulation.

Along with inositol, several herbs and the mineral chromium are also known to support healthy blood sugar levels and improve insulin resistance:

• Berberine: A potent compound that can help improve insulin sensitivity as well as reduce glucose levels.
• Bitter melon: Often used in traditional medicine, bitter melon may help manage blood sugar by mimicking insulin action.
• Gymnema sylvestre: Known to help reduce sugar cravings and also support healthy blood sugar levels.
• Chromium: Supplementing with the mineral chromium may help improve insulin sensitivity as well as glucose metabolism in individuals with PCOS.

You can take all the guesswork out of using natural support for your PCOS symptoms with our PCOS Support Combo, because it provides you with the correct dose and ratio of inositol, herbs and other key nutrients for PCOS symptom relief.

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4. Support your emotional health.

It isn’t always easy, but it’s important to take whatever steps you can to reduce stress and create a balanced life. Because women with PCOS may be more anxious. And it makes a lot of sense that women who experience difficulty conceiving also report higher rates of depression. So we strongly encourage you to make it a priority to find the support you need! You may find support through friends or family, but another option may be taking a look at websites such as PCOS Diva, PCOS Challenge and InCyst on the Best!, which offer information, support, suggestions and tips for women with PCOS, whether you’re trying to conceive or not.

5. Detoxify.

You may not realize how many toxins you use in the typical day. So first eliminate endocrine disruptors that have been shown to disrupt hormonal balance! For example, the ovaries are highly sensitive to bisphenol A (BPA), a widespread industrial chemical found in plastic food containers. A simple step to detoxify is to use ceramic, glass or stainless steel containers instead.

Other endocrine-disrupting chemicals are found in things such as cosmetics, cleaning products, pesticides and hair care products. You can learn more about some of the most common endocrine disruptors – as well as simple ways to avoid them – in our article Endocrine disruptors — the hormonal effects of everyday toxins.

Putting it all together

If you’ve found out you have PCOS and naturally want to improve your fertility, we suggest you try the dietary and lifestyle recommendations above for at least four to six months to see if your menstrual cycles become more regular. To help make all of the changes easier to incorporate into your life, we have put many of the steps together in our PCOS Support Combo.

You may also want to talk with your healthcare practitioner about possible treatments. Remember, each of us is unique when it comes to our hormones – and so are the solutions for hormonal imbalance. The most important thing to realize is that you may have more options than you may realize when it comes to improving your fertility with PCOS and feeling better.

The post How to improve fertility when you have PCOS appeared first on Women's Health Network.