Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (Stein-Leventhal syndrome)
PCOS is said to affect up to 10 percent of women of reproductive age and up to 90 percent of women with irregular menstrual cycles. This syndrome is defined by infrequent or lack of ovulation with elevated androgenic hormones. PCOS includes a multi system presentation, having its effects on the skin, hair, body weight, endocrine system, and reproductive system including the pancreas, hypothalamus, pituitary gland and adrenal glands. Symptoms can include obesity, acne, excess facial hair and /or increased body hair, and thining of head hair. Blood sugar is generally elevated as well as blood lipids. Infertility is a major complaint of woman suffering with PCOS.
Women with PCOS are also at risk for other health concerns like vascular disease and cancer. Some women have none of the usual symptoms.
Western treatment of polycystic ovary includes drug treatment with birth control pills, if no pregnancy is desired or Clomid and gonadotropins to stimulate ovulation. Glucophage or Metformin are prescribed to regulate the insulin level and encourage ovulation. If drug therapy is not successful when a pregnancy is desired, IVF is usually suggested. However, most women with PCOS don’t respond well to hormonal stimulation that doesn’t address egg quality and the ovary’s endocrine imbalance (follicular development within the ovary is a process that takes about 100 days).
TCM address the entire hormonal imbalance that produces the change’s in the ovaries. Acupuncture increases the circulation and receptivity of the ovaries to normal hormone stimulation and herbal medicine can regulate the endocrine system by normalizing the blood sugar (insulin) levels, balancing the hormones (bringing estrogen, testosterone, LH, and FSH into normal ranges). Anovulatory women should begin to notice signs of ovulation after a couple months of treatment. Women with belated ovulation will often notice that their ovulation comes earlier and earlier in the cycle until they ovulate normally on cycle day fourteen.
Dietary therapy is a crucial part of treatment. Losing weight can reduce the amount of excess estrogen in the system.
The best natural management for insulin resistance and impaired glucose metabolism is to lower the level of sugar intake from the diet, and eliminate the ingestion of any food substance that the body can utilizes as simple sugar. Here are some tips:
- Cut out all forms of refined sugar
- Cut out all forms of refined carbohydrates. The body immediately turns these into sugar. This includes white bread, pasta, potatoes, white rice, most breakfast cereals, rice cakes, popcorn, or any starchy, low fiber food.
- Do not adhere to the fertility diets that advocate massive yam consumption. This can actually delay or prevent ovulation if you have PCOS.
- Avoid soda, fruit juice, and any drink which rapidly raises the blood sugar level.
- Consume adequate amounts of protein, either in vegetarian form or in the form of lean meat which has not been treated hormonally.
- Eat as many fresh vegetables as you wish.
- Eat only complex, whole grains.
- Eat fruits like berries which are not too sweet.
- Avoid milk and dairy products which tend to exacerbate the condition of internal dampness.
- Limit alcohol and caffeine.
- Increase your dietary fiber intake.
- Exercise.
