It’s called the ‘silent condition’ for a good reason; despite growing awareness of the condition, many women continue to suffer with PCOS symptoms in silence, owing to a lack of knowledge and medical research around the condition.
PCOS is a common hormonal disorder affecting up to 15 percent of women globally, impacting not just reproductive health but also physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Symptoms and early warning signs to look out for include irregular periods, heavy bleeding and cramps during menstruation, excessive hair growth and acne, and infertility which all ultimately lead to emotional and psychological stress.
“There is more attention on PCOS than in previous years, and the medical field is beginning to wake up to the realities of the condition. However, we aren’t doing enough to support the mental health of PCOS sufferers,” says Dr Bradley Wagemaker, Medical Director at Lamelle Pharmaceuticals. “It’s important that women understand how to navigate the emotional toll that this physical condition can have on them.”
Seek help
The first step in regaining power over PCOS is getting a diagnosis. As a PCOS sufferer, you are not being too ‘sensitive’ or ‘dramatic’ when it comes to dealing with the emotional and physical toll that PCOS causes. It’s important to understand that you are not alone, and there’s no reason to suffer in silence.
You can start by joining a PCOS support group in your area. Support groups are a great place to find solace and support in fellow PCOS sufferers because they understand what you’re going through and can help you feel less alone.
Seeking counsel or therapy from a registered psychologist may also help deal with the psychological impact of PCOS, or simply even opening up to a close friend, family member or even a colleague. There is also a growing repository of resources online to help with understanding PCOS, its symptoms, treatments and more.
Healing from the inside out
While it’s understandable that a woman experiencing PCOS symptoms may want nothing more than to inhale a slab of chocolate or a tub of ice cream, certain types of comfort foods may exacerbate PCOS symptoms and only contribute to making patients feel worse by the end of it.
PCOS is a condition that is driven by insulin resistance and the body’s inability to use glucose adequately. The first step will be to make diet changes that allow you to lower your insulin levels. Studies show that up to 70% of PCOS sufferers are insulin resistant, meaning their bodies struggle to convert carbohydrates into usable energy, storing it as fat instead. This is why low-carbohydrate diets are typically recommended for PCOS sufferers, as they can help you lose weight while lowering insulin levels. As hard as it may be, keep cookies, cakes, candy and other processed snacks to no more than one or two servings a week.
This is definitely a condition that is driven by inflammation. Food is not the only driver though. Heart disease is a long-term effect of insulin resistance that causes weight gain to the point where fat cells cannot store the fat and release it into the bloodstream in the form of free fatty acids. This causes abnormal lipid profiles or high cholesterol that the long term will cause heart disease.
As always, exercise – even ‘cosy cardio’ like going for long walks every day – has incredible benefits for the mind and body. Not only does it help lift the spirits with a burst of endorphins that comes with moving your body – the increased endorphins also help to balance hormones, decreasing estrogen and insulin levels.
There are also ovarian health supplements on the market specially formulated to help address the symptoms of PCOS and by extension, help improve mental wellbeing. For women struggling to fall pregnant, regulate their periods or get a handle on PCOS-related weight gain, supplements like Ovaria, which is locally available, have been proven to increase ovulation rates in just 16 weeks, help normalise menstruation cycles and improve insulin resistance to help with managing excess weight gain.
While the mental and emotional toll that PCOS takes is often extremely challenging and understandably frustrating, PCOS survivors are not alone. Seek help from the PCOS community and medical experts, do your research and start making changes to improve your PCOS symptoms today, for a better quality of life tomorrow and beyond.