Delayed periods? You might be suffering from PCOS

Have you heard about ‘period tracking apps’? These apps are used to track your period cycles. No wonder, they are gaining popularity among young urban women as almost 50% of women in India have irregular menstrual cycles.

It has become a major cause of concern for women. Many girls don’t even speak up fearing of being judged by their family, or worse, of being thought to be pregnant. This leaves many unanswered questions in mind and often drives young, worried women to wrong sources for information. However, the fact is that a missed period doesn’t always mean you’re pregnant. You may be missing on your periods because of stress, low body weight, obesity, birth control pills, or a hormonal issue called PCOS.

Irregular periods and PCOS

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a disorder in which a woman’s hormones are out of balance. This condition builds up a number of cysts in the ovaries along with high testosterone (male hormone) levels, lack of healthy egg production and other physical disturbances.

Women with ovary cyst (PCOS) tend to have irregular periods and sometimes periods may stop, they could face difficulty in conceiving, find it very difficult to reduce weight, have acne and excessive hair growth on face, and may suffer from depression and mood swings.

It can happen to any woman within her reproductive years. Of late, this condition has become very common among young girls who have just attained puberty. Stress and lifestyle changes are one of the major causes of PCOS in females.

How is PCOS treated?

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) can negatively affect a woman’s physical appearance, moods, and self-esteem. Therefore, it should be taken seriously and treated at the earliest.

The PCOS diagnosis is confirmed by doing a pelvic Ultrasonography, blood tests for oestrogen levels, testosterone levels, follicular stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone levels.

Once you’re diagnosed with ovary cyst, please take treatment for the condition. The sooner you take the treatment, lesser are the complications. Untreated PCOS may lead to type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol, sleep apnea, infertility, and endometrial cancer.

You can take polycystic ovarian syndrome treatment in homeopathy. Homeopathy has proven efficacy in the treatment of PCOS. Homeopathic medicines work at the root level, which ensures that the root cause of PCOS is treated and not just the symptoms. Therefore, while it provides relief from the symptoms of PCOS, homeopathy also works on correcting the hormonal imbalance, regularising ovulation as well as restoring menstrual normalcy.

Moreover, homeopathy offers every patient a customized treatment. Every woman with PCOS is given a different homeopathic medicine, which is specific to her, ensuring it effectively addresses the root cause of her hormonal disturbance without any side-effects.

While the hormonal imbalances can be kept in check, homeopathy can also help to treat infertility in women who are planning for pregnancy.

Lifestyle tips to help you manage and alleviate symptoms of PCOS

• Be active. Exercise regularly. Exercise ‘ups’ your metabolism and helps you manage your ovary cyst symptoms better. This is because individuals having PCOS tend to have slowed, or sluggish, metabolism
• Avoid processed foods, because they contain chemicals, additives, and artificial colourings may worsen your PCOS symptoms
• Avoid sugar, fruit-soda juice and refined carbohydrates; they affect insulin resistance
• Avoid alcohol and smoking. They affect hormonal balance and fertility - a consequence of PCOS
• Add flaxseeds and soya to your diet.