Heather Rose - How to Beat PCOS Naturally & Regain a Healthy & Fertile Life Now: A Simple Guide on PCOS Diet & Exercises to Conquer PCOS Permanently Today

I want to thank you and congratulate you for downloading the book, How to Beat PCOS naturally & Regain a Healthy & Fertile Life Now.

This book will open your eyes to the horrors brought by PCOS as well as educate you on how to empower yourself and tackle this pesky problem head-on to get rid of it from your body with finality. This book contains everything you need to know about this endocrinal disorder which has been plaguing more than 6 million American women today. It will lead you to the path of regaining your healthy and fertile life the natural way as well as teach you how you can stay PCOS-free for the rest of your reproductive life.

Thanks again for downloading this book. I hope you enjoy it!

PCOS or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a health problem that affects 1 out of 15 women of child bearing age. It is a hormonal disorder where women of reproductive age produce a surplus of androgens (male hormones) and very little of estrogen (female hormones) and progesterone.

Normally, females produce limited quantities of the male hormones (androgens) which are later converted into estrogens or the female hormones. Estrogens are vital to the development of the sexual and reproductive organs of women. If the female body produces androgens in excess (as in the case of women with PCOS) it triggers a series of hormonal changes which ultimately hamper or hinder ovulation as explained later in this chapter. (PCOS is the number one cause of infertility among women.)

Apart from the difficulty with getting pregnant, other symptoms of PCOS which the affected women may experience include:

Irregular or absence of menstrual periods

Obesity or weight gain

Acne, dandruff, and oily skin

Flaps of skin in the neck and armpit areas

Pelvic pain

Thinning hair

Anxiety/Depression

Sleep apnea

Thickening and/or darkening of patches of skin on the arms, neck, thighs, or breasts.

Cysts developing on the ovaries

Causes of PCOS

Experts are not really clear about what the exact causes of PCOS are. They are however quite convinced that genetics may have a hand on it. Common observation shows that if you have a mother or a sister afflicted with the syndrome, there is at least 50% possibility that you will be afflicted too. Studies have shown proof that it runs in the bloodline. Apparently PCOS has encoded itself into the DNA of some people.

However, although experts are still befuddled as to the exact cause or causes of PCOS, they are definite about one thing it is an endocrinal disorder that results in a hormonal imbalance where one hormonal change triggers a chain reaction of other hormonal changes inside the female body.

Based on extensive studies, some medical researchers have narrowed down their investigation to the uneven ratio between the Follicle Stimulating Hormones (FSH) and the Luteinizing Hormones (LH). Most women with PCOS have a ratio of 1:3 FSH to LH.

The Follicle stimulating hormones are responsible for the growth and maturity of the follicles from which comes the egg through the process called ovulation. FSH is secreted by the anterior pituitary gland but in case of women with PCOS there is little FSH that is produced. And, because there is a lack of FSH, their follicles fail to mature preventing them from producing eggs. Instead, the follicles half develop into tiny resting follicles or cysts in the ovary.

On the other hand, the high levels of the Luteinizing Hormones trigger the production of more androgens particularly testosterone which in turn results in the thickening of the endometrial tissues of the uterus the reason for heavy or intermittent menstruation among women with PCOS. The presence of androgens in excess also results in abnormal hair growth and unsightly acne.

One other significant change which results from hormonal imbalance among women with PCOS is insulin resistance or the inability to use which results in the buildup of blood sugar levels. If left without treatment, it may lead to a more severe condition diabetes.

How Doctors diagnose PCOS

Women with PCOS may exhibit various signs and symptoms of the disorder. It varies by type and severity from one woman to the other. For an initial diagnosis, the doctor will determine if any two of the following symptoms are present before proceeding with more tests to confirm the initial findings:

Abnormality in the menstrual cycle such as longer menstrual intervals lasting 35 days or more; having less than 8 menstrual cycles within the year; or having no menstruation for 4 months or longer.

Physical signs of elevated androgen such as severe acne, Hirsutism or may too much facial and body hair, and male pattern baldness (alopecia).

Enlarged ovaries. The ovaries of women with PCOS contain numerous small cysts. After physically examining you and the doctor suspects your ovary is enlarged he may ask you to undergo ultrasound to confirm his suspicion. Talk with your doctor if you have menstrual irregularities such as infrequent periods, prolonged periods or no menstrual periods especially if you have excess hair on your face and body or acne.

There is a need to diagnose and treat polycystic ovary syndrome early in order to avoid long-term complications which may include the risk of having:

Type 2 diabetes Half of the women with PCOS risk having Diabetes or at least an impaired glucose tolerance by the time they reach the age of 40;

Greater risk of having high blood pressure;

Elevated levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL bad cholesterol) and low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL- good cholesterol)

High C-reactive protein levels indicating a cardiovascular disease;

Fatty liver leading to a severe liver inflammation caused by accumulation of fat in the liver;

Abnormal uterine bleeding

Endometrial cancer caused by exposure of the uterus lining to high levels of estrogen;

How is PCOS treated?

The bad news is there is no known cure for PCOS. The fact that medical researchers do not fully understand why hormonal imbalance occurs among women of reproductive age afflicted by this disorder makes it harder for them to determine its cause much less find a cure for it. At best, the only thing they do is provide relief for the many symptoms associated with the disorder.

For example, to address the unexplained weight gain and spikes in blood sugar levels, doctors normally recommend certain lifestyle changes that incorporate regular exercise and a healthy diet their your day to day activities. To get rid of the more unpleasant symptoms, doctors may prescribe medication specific to alleviating specific symptoms. For those who wish to get pregnant a hormone treatment may be given. Each of these symptomatic approaches is meant not only to ease the condition of the patient so they can live a normal, fertile life but also to prevent the condition from progressing into more serious health complications in the future.

As mentioned earlier, there is no known cure for PCOS. Treatment is at best symptomatic and depends on the type and severity of the signs and symptoms manifested by the patient, as well as on her immediate goals. Essentially, the various treatment options are focused on merely counteracting the various symptoms resulting from the hormonal imbalance that comes with PCOS and not in correcting the hormonal imbalance itself.