Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, better known as PCOS or PCOD is rapidly becoming one of the primary cause of irregular menstruation among women.
WHAT IS PCOS or PCOD?
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or PCOD is an endocrinal hormonal disorder in women. It is often characterized by an increased level of male hormones known as androgen & a delay or irregular menstrual cycle.
There will be high levels of luteinizing hormone otherwise known as LH & extremely low level of follicle stimulating hormone or FSH. In PCOS, your follicles will develop eggs but will regularly fail to release the eggs causing anovulatory periods & delayed/irregular menstruation.
The onset of PCOS is not sudden, it starts slowly and gradually the symptoms begin to get more evident. PCOS usually begins at an young age but is not visible until more evident symptoms begins to manifest, one of them being weight gain apart from irregular periods.
PCOS affects one in five women leading to life long complications
SYMPTOMS of PCOS
Irregular Periods: Menstruation cycle will be haywire. There will be delayed menstruation cycle anywhere from 2 months to 6 months & sometimes even a year.
Excessive Bleeding: When menstruation starts, it usually will be too heavy & painful for many. This happens due to think lining of the uterus leading to longer intervals of bleeding.
Conversely, there may be scanty bleeding or prolonged spotting.
Weight Gain : Women with PCOS will gain weight which they will find very difficult to lose.
Hirsutism : Around 70% of women will find excessive hair growth on their face, back, stomach and even on their breasts.
Eyebrows can get visibly thicker. There will be facial fur sometimes even a moustache line.
Hair Loss : While the women with PCOS gain excessive hair on their body, they tend to loose hair on their scalp leading to hair thinning or sometimes they even develop bald patches akin to men.
Acne : PCOS may cause sudden breakouts or spurt of acne outbreaks on their faces &/or backs.
Pigmentation of the skin : Ladies with PCOS can develop mild to excessive darkening of skin which is quite noticeable on their faces, neck, groin & below their breasts.
Headaches : The fluctuation in hormones can sometimes cause headaches in women.
Mood Swings : Pretty often there will be mood swings that may seem irrational to others but is mainly due to hormonal imbalance .
Read: PCOS Diet: Healthy Eating Tips to Support Hormonal Balance
USE of HERBS for PCOS :
Ashwagandha : Popularly known as Indian ginseng or winter cherry. Ashwagandha helps in balancing the cortisol levels. They help in improving stress levels thus indirectly regulating PCOS symptoms
Shatavari : This is an elixir for all (almost) issues related to ‘women’ problems. Shatavari helps in maintaining hormone balance. Not just that, this herb also will avoid development of new cysts & prevent remission of PCOS.
Shatavari greatly helps in regularizing normal blood flow. It will also lead to regular menses cycle.
Regular intake of Shatavari will aid in keeping uterine or ovarian walls healthy.
Pippali : The humble pippali is a strong anti oxidant, carminative. They also rejuvenate our body. Pippali fights damages caused by free radicals & helps in reduction of cyst sizes.
They help in weight management. They also help in balancing hormonal levels & improve insulin resistance.
Kanchanar Guggulu : Kanchanar Guggulu is a mix of various herbs comprising of Kanchanar bark, pepper, long pepper, ginger, Varuna, Cardamom, Cinnamon & Guggulu resin’s in equal proportions.
Available in tablet form, Kanchanar Guggulu addresses thyroid issues & works at regulating menstrual flow & stimulating hormonal balances.
Cinnamon : Cinnamon helps in combating insulin resistance in PCOS. This in turn can help regulate menstrual cycles.
Turmeric : Again Turmeric is another spice that can actively decrease insulin resistance. They are also a powerful anti-inflammatory agent.
Guduchi : A heart shaped leaf considered to be amrit in Ayurveda is a multi tasking herb that boosts your health system, treats PCOS.
Guduchi or Tinospora cordifolia helps weight loss, acts as anti-inflammatory agent, regulates hormonal balance, helps in regularizing menstrual cycle.
Bilva : A poweful herb that reduces the sizes of cysts, Bilva is rich in vital nutrients that helps treat uterine bleedings caused due to PCOS.
RECOMMENDATIONS :
Increase the intake of fruits & vegetables especially raisins, dates, figs, pears & plums.
Include Ragi as part of your regular diet.
Avoid Sugary foods including artificial sweeteners.
Do not take spicy foods or fermented foods.
Avoid salty foods & diary products
Make whole grains part of your regular diet
Include fish & chicken. Avoid red meat.
Junk, junk food, whole purpose flour items & fried snacks.
Do meditations , Yoga and/or aerobics for minimum 45 minutes daily.
Wholesale lifestyle modification is first step in the treatment of PCOS. Diet, lifestyle & exercise play an important role in handling PCOS.