What you need to know about PCOS
20 June 2022
By Physician Na Yi Ting
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, also known as PCOS is one of the most common gynaecological problem faced by women, and one of the common causes of subfertility.
PCOS women normally face gynaecological problems, and it is through seeking treatment form western doctor that they found out they have PCOS.
What are the symptoms that PCOS women face?
4 common symptoms faced by PCOS women:
Irregular menses
Hirsutism: having excessive hair growth
Weight gain
Having oily skin or acne breakout
Irregular menses
Hirsutism
Weight gain
Having oily skin or acne breakout
Many will ask: do I have PCOS if I have the above symptoms? The answer is no.
You will have to fulfill these diagnosis criteria (2 out of 3) before you can be diagnosed as PCOS:
Irregular menses
Ultrasound scan which shows polycystic features in the ovaries (having many and small follicles in the ovaries)
Hormonal blood test which shows elevated testosterone level
Interesting facts about PCOS that you may not know of:
PCOS is associated with low grade, chronic inflammation:
With constant inflammation and oxidative stress in the body, it causes damages to the cells in your body, including the eggs in the ovaries, reducing the egg quality
A high level of testosterone can inhibit ovulation, thus causing irregular periods and affect fertility.
Women has low level of testosterone which is important to maintain healthy bones, promote cognitive health and maintains sex drive. However, in PCOS women, high level of testosterone induces hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal suppression which then inhibit ovulation.
Many, if not all women with PCOS exhibit insulin resistance or insulin insensitivity.
Insulin insensitivity causes the body to secrete more insulin, and the high level of insulin in the blood which can inhibit ovulation and increase secretion of testosterone.
Females born from PCOS women has an increased risk of getting PCOS.
PCOS may sound taunting but it is not untreatable. Many women can still conceive and get regular menstruation through western and TCM intervention.
Check out these articles to know how TCM view and treat PCOS and what are the dietary and lifestyles changes recommended by Physician Na for PCOS patients.
What are the dietary and lifestyles modifications recommended if I have PCOS?
Interesting facts about PCOS that you may not know of:
PCOS is associated with low grade, chronic inflammation
With constant inflammation and oxidative stress in the body, it causes damages to the cells in your body, including the eggs in the ovaries, reducing the egg quality
A high level of testosterone can inhibit ovulation, thus causing irregular periods and affect fertility
Women has low level of testosterone which is important to maintain healthy bones, promote cognitive health and maintains sex drive. However, in PCOS women, high level of testosterone induces hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal suppression which then inhibit ovulation.
Many, if not all women with PCOS exhibit insulin resistance or insulin insensitivity
Insulin insensitivity causes the body to secrete more insulin, and the high level of insulin in the blood which can inhibit ovulation and increase secretion of testosterone.
Females born from PCOS women has an increased risk of getting PCOS
What does your Basal Body Temperature (BBT) tell you about your fertility? Read this article to find out more!
Ever wondered how acupuncture can improve fertility? Read this article to find out more!