PCOS & Our Bodies

September is PCOS Awareness Month, so this time of year is perfect to bring awareness to PCOS and show support as well. You can bring awareness in many ways; social networking, your local community, PCOS Awareness runs, even PCOS awareness items! (Check out Zazzle’s PCOS Awareness item boutique). Spread this message and bring awareness even if you do not have PCOS, because there may just be someone in your life that does, someone who may not even know they have it! 

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common female endocrine disorders that is affecting women in numbers as high as one out of ten, although many cases remain undiagnosed because symptoms differ from one woman to another. While one woman may experience a range of symptoms, another may have little to none. PCOS is a condition in which the sex hormones in a female’s body are imbalanced, which can cause cysts on the ovaries, weight gain, changes in menstrual cycle, trouble getting pregnant, and other problems. If left untreated, it can lead to heart disease and endometrial cancer. At this time PCOS is not curable but with medication, exercise, and healthy eating, the symptoms can be treated.
 

PCOS Facts

• Not all women who have PCOS are insulin-resistant or diabetic.
• PCOS is a leading cause in infertility and menstrual irregularity.
• Five to seven million of the female population have PCOS.
• Less than twenty-five percent of women with PCOS have been diagnosed.
• Between thirty to forty percent of women may experience insulin resistance.

PCOS Health Risks

• Infertility
• Endometrial cancer
• Diabetes
• Lipid abnormalities
• Obesity
• Heart disease (4 to 7 times higher)
• Sleep apnea
• May develop anxiety and/or depression

Symptoms

• Weight gain
• Dandruff
• Oily skin
• Cysts on ovaries
• High cholesterol levels
• Skin discolorations
• Elevated blood pressure
• Insulin resistance
• Repeated miscarriages
• Thinning hair
• Infertility
• Male-type hair growth
• Irregular menstrual cycles

Treatment Options

• Healthy eating
• Weight control/Weight loss
• Medication (Metformin, Spironolactone, Clomid (infertility), & birth control are a few that are commonly prescribed)
• Regular exercise
• Ovarian wedge resection
• Laparoscopic ovarian drilling

Associated Names 

• Polycystic ovaries
• Polycystic ovary disease
• Stein-Leventhal syndrome
• Polyfollicular ovarian disease
   

I have PCOS and by pulling all this information together through research, it gives the option to spread this to family and friends, along with anyone else who comes across it, informing everyone on a female endocrine disease that isn’t well known yet should be.

Whether you are a male, or female without PCOS, spread awareness because someone in your life may in fact have PCOS yet isn’t aware. If you think about it, 5 to 7 million of the female population (1 in 10) have PCOS, and a large majority are not even aware they have it! Although there is not a cure known, it can still be manageable with the proper lifestyle change, but first one must be diagnosed.

If you know someone who has any symptoms listed above, please do not hesitate to speak to them about PCOS because it’s important they get the treatment that is needed to manage PCOS and keep it from getting severe.

For those with low-income/no insurance, check out HRSA or NeedyMeds to find free/low-cost/sliding-scale clinics around your area.

Bring awareness to one of the most common female endocrine disorders.

Be aware of your body and PCOS.

A very dear friend of mine designed the images in this post, so a very big thank you to K.