What is PCOS?
You’ve probably heard the word PCOS getting thrown around these days but what is it and what does it mean?
PCOS stands for polycystic ovarian syndrome. The main symptom of this syndrome is not ovulating regularly, which usually shows up as skipped periods or having an irregular cycle.
Along with having irregular periods you must also have signs of what it called androgen excess.This can show up in the form of cystic acne, male pattern hair growth like dark facial hair or thinning of your hairline. This androgen excess can also show on blood tests if your testosterone is too high.
So with the name you’d probably think that a cyst on your ovary would automatically mean you have this, when it actually doesn’t.
You don’t need to have cysts on your ovaries to have PCOS.
And the opposite is true, having a cyst doesn’t equal PCOS.
If you’re doctor told you have a cyst on your ovary(ies) but you’re getting a period every month and don’t have any of the above symptoms of high androgens, then you probably don’t have PCOS.
Geeze that can be confusing right?
Here’s a check-list to refer to:
Are my cycles irregular?
Did my blood work for testosterone come back high?
Do I have cystic acne/acne around my chin, my chest or back?
Do I have unwanted dark hair growth on my chin, chest, nipples, abdomen or inner thighs?
If you answered yes to 3 or 4 of the questions above, you likely have PCOS.
Why does PCOS happen?
2 of the most common reasons I’ve seen women in my practice have PCOS are:
Insulin resistance- this can translate into strong sugar cravings, the inability to lose weight, major energy crashes, feeling irritable when not eating and high insulin when we run blood work.
Post-pill - if your periods were regular before you went on the pill and then when you came off it, you didn’t a period for months and are showing signs of high testosterone (read above of what that can look like), then it’s most likely from the pill. If your periods weren’t regular before the pill and aren’t after as well, then PCOS was probably brewing before you went on your birth control.
What should you do if you have PCOS?
My number one recommendation is to quit sugar. It sounds simple but in reality it can be challenging and for some, the idea sounds impossible or really scary. Here’s the thing, having too much sugar in your day-to-day diet plays a large role into what’s driving your PCOS. Start small by eliminating the obvious sweets like chocolate, candy, desserts, juice or soft drinks. From there you can move into things called refined carbs, which can include things like bread, bagels, white rice and pasta.
Depending on your doctor or what you’ve read on the internet, knowing if you have PCOS or not can be confusing. I created a lab guide everyone should use if they suspect they have PCOS.
