What I Wish I Knew About PCOS Before My 20s

Have you ever sat at your gynecologist's chair staring blankly back at them while you’re being hit with words you’ve never heard of before? Insulin resistance, cysts, fluid sacs, male hormones? Feels confusing and foreign, doesn’t it?  

 

 

According to Hopkins Medicine, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a condition in which the ovaries create an abnormal amount of androgens, male sex hormones that are normally present in only small amounts. The term polycystic ovarian syndrome refers to the ovaries' numerous small cysts (fluid-filled sacs). However, some women with this condition don’t produce cysts and some women without the disorder do. We still don’t know what causes it, but science has narrowed it down to family, so if your sister, aunt, or mother has it, you’re most likely to have it too.  

A lot of women with PCOS are also resistant to insulin. This means that the body can't make good use of insulin, so when insulin levels rise in the body, androgen levels may also go up resulting in excessive facial hair growth, acne, and/or male-pattern scalp hair thinning. Insulin levels can also go up with obesity, and PCOS symptoms can get worse. 

Overall, it’s a lot to understand and deal with, and at many times it can feel very overwhelming – but at the end of the day it comes down to listening to how your body feels. I’m sure you’ve faced countless echo sounds showing the same results, a consistent unchanged body weight causing a lot of self-consciousness and anxiety and listening to a diagnosis you either didn’t understand or didn’t know how to start treating. So, here are some things I wish I knew about PCOS before I entered my 20s that can save you the headache.  

 

1- Your diet affects your symptoms  

 

There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all diet, but doctors do recommend certain foods to avoid and which to consume more of when it comes to addressing PCOS. Instead of sugars and carbs, try eating more protein, vegetables, and healthy fats. 

 

 

Unfortunately, some women who share their feelings with their doctors often are neglected and their symptoms dismissed. They end up leaving their appointments feeling either unheard, wrongly diagnosed, unsure and even more confused.   

 

To avoid that from happening, getting a lab test can testify on your behalf and give you proof of what’s going on. You can order lab tests for androgen, reproductive hormones like FSH and LH, as well as Metabolism and TSH.  

It can be hard to improve something that isn't measured. That’s why it’s critical to have a baseline of your test results so that you can track your progress when treating your symptoms.  

 

You can also carefully select your doctor; preferably, a doctor who advises you on how to manage PCOS symptoms and has competence in treating endocrine system abnormalities or women's reproductive disorders (PCOS falls under both categories). You can learn more about them by researching their name and certifications online where you can usually find their educational history and areas of specialty. Try to get a sense of not only their style of care but also their philosophy on how to manage PCOS when you speak with them on the phone or in their office. Check to see if it matches yours. 

 

 

3- Your mental state should not be ignored 

Some neurotransmitters (chemicals that send signals throughout the brain and nervous system) may be less present in people with PCOS who have anxiety or depression. Neurotransmitters like serotonin, which is a chemical message in the nervous system that makes people feel good, are a big part of depression and anxiety.  

According to womenshealth.org, women with PCOS are approximately three times more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety and depression than women without. Most PCOS-related research has focused on sadness and anxiety, but it may also be linked to an increased risk of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), bipolar disorder, and eating disorders. Your mental health is important to pay attention to when treating PCOS - the more you stress, the more your body physically stresses. So, give yourself a break, remember that mental healing is part of your journey, and it equally deserves a chance to heal too.  

Doing your own research and listening to your body is one of the most important things when you’re on a wellness journey. Remember, your body is not refusing you, it’s just asking you to listen.