Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

What is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome?

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal disorder common among women of reproductive age. A syndrome is known as a collection of symptoms.

It is known as PCOS due to the presence of cysts that can be seen on an ultrasound of the ovaries. Cysts are tiny fluid-filled sacs that contain ovarian eggs.

These cysts can prevent ovulation from occurring and this is one of the underlying mechanisms to why women with PCOS can have menstrual irregularities.

Generally, women with PCOS ovaries tend to have greater than 12 or more follicles in their ovaries. PCOS is an inflammatory and systemic disorder that can cause infertility, insulin resistance, obesity, acne, and can lead to cardiovascular problems.

What causes PCOS?

• Causes of PCOS include:
  • Genetic risk factors
    • Variation in genes such as MTHFR and Insulin genes
  • Poor lifestyle choices
  • Hormonal imbalances such as Thyroid disease and high prolactin levels
  • Tumors 
  • Adrenal conditions such as Cushings 
  • Chemical exposures - these are important as they affect endocrine function
  • Environmental factors such as personal care products that contain chemicals such as:
    • Dyes
    • Phthalates
    • Parabens
    • Heavy metals
    • BPA 
    • Colors and preservatives

Do you have these symptoms?

Symptoms of PCOS

• Females with this condition often report symptoms such as:
  • changes in body composition
  • irregular or heavy menstruation
  • Pain
  • Thinning hair
  • Facial and body hair
  • Acne
  • Abdominal fat
  • Oily hair and skin
  • Sugar cravings
  • Frequent urination

Diagnosis

• For PCOS diagnosis, 2 out of 3 Rotterdam criteria need to be met:
  • The presence of a polycystic ovaries on ultrasound
  • Excess androgens which can cause acne and excessive hair growth
  • Irregular periods

Traditional treatment of PCOS involves treatment using medications such as birth control, metformin, and spironolactone. These can sometimes help control symptoms but at NES, we care about treating the root cause. We heavily focus on lifestyle factors as underlying causes of PCOS.

How we can help you with your PCOS

At NES we aim to target these issues and can help you understand the problem at hand versus only treating your symptoms.

We believe this is a more sustainable way of treating this condition and we empower you to learn more about the condition and take a multifactorial approach.

Our Process

We teach you about hormones and how they affect your health. We use comprehensive lab testing for hormones to help you identify areas of excess and deficiency and how you can get your hormones dialed in and in functional and optimal ranges.