Let’s answer some of the more common questions about PCOS.

Answers to common questions about PCOS

1. What causes PCOS?

The root cause of PCOS is not known. But research suggests that high levels of androgen [testosterone] and high levels of insulin are the two major causes of PCOS. These changes could be due to poor lifestyle, family history, stress, obesity or some other unknown causes.

PCOS affects fertility, appearance and has long term health effects if untreated.

2. Why does PCOS cause infrequent or absent periods?

PCOS occurs due to imbalance in reproductive hormones i.e higher levels of androgens [testosterone] and Luteinizing hormone [LH]. In a healthy female, the ovaries make and release eggs or ova on the 14th day of a regular 28 day cycle. If you have PCOS, the ovaries may not develop or release eggs and hence menstruation does not occur. These unreleased eggs are what show as ‘cysts’ in an ultrasound of a woman having PCOS. This leads to missed or irregular periods.

3. What are the main symptoms of PCOS?

Common symptoms of PCOS are:

• Irregular periods
• Rapid weight gain, inability to loose weight, obesity
• Pimples [acne]
• Hair loss and baldness on the head
• Excessive hair growth on the body and face
• Depression and mood swings
• Low self-esteem and body image insecurities
• Difficulty conceiving

4. What are the long term effects of PCOS?

The more common long term effects of PCOS are:

• Diabetes
• High BP
• Endometrial cancer in people who have less than 4 periods in a year
• Snoring, daytime drowsiness
• Obesity, which can lead to knee pain, backache and other health issues.

5. What are poly cysts in my ovaries?

Every menstruating woman has cysts [follicles] in her ovaries. The only difference is that in healthy women, the size of these cysts is small [less than 8mm in diameter]. The cysts seen in PCOS are actually ‘follicles’ that have not released any eggs.

6. How is PCOS diagnosed?

If any two of the following criteria are satisfied, the patient is said to have PCOS:

• Irregular periods
• Excessive hair growth on face and body
• A pelvic ultrasound, where the ovaries show a polycystic appearance
• Increased androgen hormone levels, which are confirmed with blood tests.

7. Can PCOS be cured?

There is no known cure for PCOS. However the symptoms can be managed by lifestyle modification, maintaining an optimal weight, screening for long-term side effects and taking medication if needed. Note that many women tend to experience symptoms on and off.

8. If I have PCOS, does it mean I don’t need a contraceptive?

If you are sexually active and want to avoid pregnancy, you should use a contraceptive even if you have PCOS. PCOS doesn’t mean you cannot get pregnant. Ovulation may still happen and since your periods are irregular, you may not find out soon enough that you are pregnant. Also, contrary to popular misconception, contraceptive pills do not cause PCOS.

9. Can I get pregnant if I have PCOS?

As mentioned above, although PCOS cannot be cured, the symptoms of PCOS and its effects on your health can be managed. With the correct diet, appropriate weight, exercise, and hormonal medicine (if required), your chances of getting pregnant increase. Assisted reproductive measures such as ovulation induction, intrauterine insemination (IUI) and IVF can also help with conception. But these are medical interventions and may involve high level of expenses.

10. Can PCOS affect my health if I do get pregnant?

It is possible that some women with PCOS may develop gestational diabetes, higher chances of miscarriage, pre-eclampsia [high BP complicating mother’s health and baby’s health] and preterm birth.

11. How can I improve my pregnancy outcomes?

Take folic acid [dose adjusted for weight] and keep your blood sugar levels under control. You can lower the risk by reaching a healthy weight before getting pregnant.

12. What can I do to make my pregnancy term safe and healthy?

Avoid excessive weight gain, protein supplements and high sugar foods. Exercise regularly. With modern technology the complications associated with PCOS can now be predicted in the third month itself and can be effectively prevented/controlled. A C-section is not offered/required for PCOS.

13. What can I do to improve PCOS symptoms?

• Balance your intake of carbs and protein. Have a low-carb, high-protein diet
• Increase your iron intake
• Reduce your coffee intake. Caffeine affects estrogen levels and hormonal behaviour
• A balanced low carb, protein rich diet with adequate micronutrients such as iron, chromium and magnesium helps in weight control and reversal of PCOS symptoms. 5 portions of fruits and vegetables help in meeting the requirements of micronutrients. Foods like bananas, spinach, cashews; grapes, apples, onions and tomatoes especially help meet the micronutrients requirements
• Exercise regularly. At least 150 minutes a week with two sessions of muscle strengthening
• Avoid sugar-rich foods
• Work on managing your stress and get enough sleep.

14. How do I know if PCOS is getting better?

The following will indicate that your condition is improving:

• Your period cycle will become regular
• You will start losing weight; even five kilos of weight loss starts showing benefits
• Unwanted hair growth on the face reduces and acne improves
• You will sleep better and feel less stressed.

15. How can we the control long term effects?

Screening should be done regularly [usually annually] for sugars, blood pressure, depression, snoring and endometrial cancer. Long term effects can significantly improve with weight optimisation.

16. Is PCOS a life-threatening condition?

Certainly not, although it significantly affects quality of life if uncontrolled. Symptoms of PCOS can be significantly improved with lifestyle and medication. Consult your local expert for a personalised diagnosis and treatment plan.

The post Answers to common questions about PCOS appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

She visited her family doctor who suggested some tests and thereafter nonchalantly announced the diagnosis: polycystic ovarian disease or PCOD.

Like Priya, PCOD creates havoc for one in every five women and this statistic has been rising at a frightening pace since the past two decades.

Conventionally, PCOD is treated symptomatically, which means every symptom is treated separately. There are different medicines, each given for the acne, irregular periods, weight loss, insulin resistance, hair fall and so on. While these treatments do help to control the symptoms, they don’t treat the underlying cause. For that, you need to approach this condition holistically.

Here are a few things you can do that will not only address the symptoms but even help in reversing PCOD altogether.

Manage insulin resistance

A woman with PCOD is surprised when she discovers that her doctor has prescribed to her medicine that is generally given to diabetics even though her sugar levels are normal. This is because PCOD and insulin resistance go hand in hand. Lack of exercise and unhealthy food habits makes your body resistant to using the available insulin. To compensate, your cells start producing more insulin. It is insulin resistance that makes it difficult for women with PCOD to lose weight. This extra insulin may also cause your ovaries to produce more male hormones such as testosterone, which explains facial hair in some. To make your body sensitive to insulin requires some big changes in your diet and lifestyle, as advised in the next point.

Say no to processed foods

As much as possible, eat foods that are in, or close to, their original form. Avoid processed foods. E.g., have fruits instead of drinking packaged juices or eating jams. Eat vegetables as a salad, soup or sabji; avoid ready-to-cook packet or soup packet. Avoid ketchups, sauces, bakery items, biscuits, refined flour, cakes, pastries, vanaspati and sugar. You can eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, dates and raisins. Desserts can be home-made, prepared with organic jaggery or dates.

Move more

If you want to bid farewell to PCOD forever, you have to fall in love with moving more. That could be walking, running, swimming, cycling, yoga, weight training, zumba, dancing, climbing stairs, doing more house chores or anything that requires your body to move. If you have a sitting job, get up and walk around after every 60 – 90 minutes. Most importantly, always include some form of strength training in your workout regime. If you can spare only 20 – 30 minutes a day to exercise, spend that time doing some form of resistance training rather than walking/running.

Get enough sleep

Regular sleep is important to maintain hormone health. Aim for at least eight hours of sleep daily and keep a regular sleep schedule. Ideally, go to bed by 10pm and avoid seeing any screens at least an hour before bedtime. Sleeping and waking up at a regular time helps to regulate your body clock, which in turn harmonises your hormones. If you can, also take a 30 minute power nap at mid-day. Sleep will also speed up your weight loss efforts.

Keep away from hormone disruptors

Certain foods, such as dairy, can disturb the hormone balance in your body and hence, should be completely avoided. The milk available these days is produced using a lot of hormones and chemicals that are entering our body through the milk. Avoid using plastic containers for storing or heating food and water. Plastic contains certain chemicals that are released in the food and water when it is heated. Instead, use glass or steel containers and bottles. Avoid using the microwave for cooking or reheating food.

The post Want freedom from PCOD? Make these five changes appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

Ashana had recently been diagnosed with a cyst on her left ovary. Her physicians told her that it could degenerate into PCOD (Polycystic Ovarian Disease) if she didn’t manage her overstressed lifestyle. This was a clear wake-up call. She could no longer live a roller-coaster existence, erupting violently when things got rough and popping pills to push her body to perform. It was time to take responsibility for how she was living. If she didn’t, she would inevitably become a prisoner of medication.

But there was another way.

The morning after her pain receded

When she called me the next morning, she sounded much better. I explained to her that since her body had created this condition, it knew how to remedy it too. “Doctors may not be able to reverse it, though they can control the damage you have already caused yourself. Healers cannot make the disease vanish; they can only hold the sacred space in which you choose to heal. But the greatest power to heal your body lies with you. Taking responsibility for your own healing and being motivated enough to mend what isn’t working in your life is the first step towards a medication-free life,” I explained. For the first time since I had known her, I felt she was really listening.

Many startling revelations underlying her condition surfaced during her remote therapy. There were many trapped emotions that she had obstinately denied and brushed under the carpet. These included feelings of abandonment, body shaming, worthlessness, rejection and being unloved. Whenever fear based emotions were suppressed, they invariably made themselves known through pain, afflicting parts of the body that gave insightful clues about the deeper issues involved.

The greatest power to heal your body lies with you

The emotions that caused her PCOD

Ashana had often felt like she was the odd one out in her family. She was clingy and possessive in her intimate relationships and didn’t have enduring friendships. Her negative self-talk was extremely harsh towards herself, and blaming and antagonistic towards others. She viewed the world as a ruthless place where people didn’t blink before hurting you. Hers was a fiercely competitive and unkind world, but she didn’t know that her own mind had created this worldview. Beneath her aggressive and angry exterior lay a vulnerable child who was terrified of being hurt, miserable about not having a close friend to share her intimate feelings with, and unsure if she was good enough to be noticed and loved.

If you examine the anatomy of a cyst, it involves the formation of a closed sac like structure with a distinct membrane that separates it from the nearby tissues. Ashana had unconsciously separated herself from others by believing she was a social misfit and the outsider in her family. Her ovarian cyst was simply reflecting this, urging her to address the issues around body shaming, loneliness and abandonment. In order to do this, she needed to become familiar with her emotional landscape, recognising and acknowledging her emotions when they surfaced, and releasing them whenever they were triggered. This would clear her trapped emotions, preventing them from becoming sticky. Processing her emotions was the second step in healing her body. She would have to choose conscious self-care over consuming chemicals to alter her biochemistry.

Interestingly, several associated limiting beliefs also emerged during her therapy. These included; I mark my own territory [self created rigid boundaries], I will not share what’s mine with others [non-collaborative attitude], I hate my body and how I look [self loathing], no one will ever love me [self judgement]. These beliefs manifested an unhappy life experiences and reinforced her beliefs about ‘a terrible world’. The human mind is primarily an energy programme created and encrypted by our own thoughts, beliefs, emotions and attitudes, which is why we must be ever mindful about what we are creating.

Ashana had unconsciously separated herself from others by believing she was a social misfit and the outsider in her family

This then is the third key to unlocking the body’s natural ability to heal. By bringing to light and examining our unconscious personal, familial, cultural and gender specific beliefs, we can overwrite them, choosing wholesome, collaborative and healthy mental programmes instead. Ashana carried two specific anti-feminine beliefs that were directly connected to the type of disease she was creating. The first was a deep gender denial, wishing she had been born a boy instead. The second was the fear of giving birth to children and hence not wanting them. It wasn’t surprising that her symbolic feminine menstrual flow had started to recede and the doctor’s prognosis pointed to PCOD, which interferes with conception. Her body was simply fulfilling her unconscious wish.

As humans we are all brought up with the belief that we must avoid pain. This is what causes us to deny, avoid and eventually suppress our painful feelings. In situations where we can’t avoid them, we choose instead to soothe them with addictive behaviours and substances. We smoke, drink, shop compulsively and bury our loneliness in technology, hoping to escape our suffering. But these addictions are merely signs that we are running away from our fearful, uncomfortable feelings. Popping pills temporarily blunts the edge of our pain, but it doesn’t cure us. The fourth step in cultivating a medication free life is to build a responsible relationship with pain. Simply feel it, learn from it, pray to dissolve it, and release it.

How to make sure the positive changes last

But none of the above four steps are possible unless you are willing to follow the fifth most important step, which is to live in awareness. Healing your body is primarily about how you respond to life. This involves being mindful of the three key relationships; with yourself, with others and with the world at large. If you can be more loving in your thoughts, feelings and reactions while engaging with these three, choosing to be compassionate and feeling empathic and motivated to help yourself and others, you will, in time, alter your biochemistry, rewire your brain and eventually heal your body.

The post 5 steps to a medication-free life appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.