1 in 10 Women!!!
There’s a syndrome most women don’t know about yet the new estimate is that 1 in 10 women of childbearing age are living with it. It’s a syndrome that often manifests itself in different ways depending on the individual. The symptoms are varied and many doctors are ill informed resulting in misdiagnosis.
This syndrome is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), the most common hormone imbalance in women of childbearing age. PCOS has a long list of characteristics that not every person living with it will have, hence the term syndrome not disease. Three women suffering with PCOS might not share all the same symptoms yet they all have it. Here are some indications you may have it:
- Diabetes (you or your family history)
- Insulin Resistance
- High Blood Pressure
- Acne
- Alopecia (thinning hair)
- Abnormal hair growth
- Weight Gain
- Pelvic Pain
- Infertility
- Abnormal Menstruation
- Skin Abscesses
- Ovarian Cysts
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Skin tags (Dark skin patches on neck, underarms & thighs typically)
- Sleep Apnea
- Sugar Cravings
If you checked off a few of the items listed above you may have it and should talk to your, general physician, OB/GYN, or an endocrinologist. Remember not everyone will have the same symptoms, and the symptoms can relate to something else. Rarely do you find someone like myself that can check off 15 out of 17 on the list.
Treatment
Don’t worry there is hope. Surprisingly the best way to address it is simply through a diet low in carbohydrates with a low glycemic impact approach, combined with exercise. Also, medication is prescribed in some cases when needed.
Suggested Resources
A Patient’s Guide to PCOS by Walter Futterweit, M.D. (used for this post)
Soulcysters a site for women with PCOS http://www.soulcysters.com/ & http://www.soulcysters.net/
