Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or PCOS affects nearly 4-10% of women of reproductive age. It crosses all racial and nationality boundaries. Sometimes PCOS is also referred to as Polycystic Ovarian Disease, though this is a very inaccurate name as that PCOS is in fact a syndrome and not a disease. A disease is an impairment of the normal state of the body that interrupts vital functions within in response to environmental agents reacting to clear cut infective agents attacking congenital defects of the body or a combination of these factors. A syndrome is simply a group of symptoms that happen together and are indicative of a particular abnormality.

PCOS is the most common of endocrine disorders in women. It is the leading cause of infertility. The characteristics of this syndrome include but are not limited to an absence of or abnormal menstruation, infertility, exorbitant amounts of body hair, and excessive abdominal weight. Upon medical examination it is also found that these women have multiple ovarian cysts and elevated androgen and are resistant to insulin.

You need to know that having PCOS puts you at a greater risk for other health problems such as uterine cancer, high blood pressure, Type II diabetes and heart disease. There have been studies done that imply women that suffer from PCOS are also at a higher risk of miscarriage and have a more difficult time conceiving. Do not loose hope; a normal pregnancy is viable with the aid of medication and diet.

Alternative Treatments

There are many different treatments available to those that suffer from PCOS. The treatment that you use is going to depend on what aspect of PCOS you have and or want to improve. A simple lifestyle change can be the best treatment for you. Beginning and maintaining and exercise regimen is probably the most beneficial treatment. Exercise will help you reduce your weight and regulate menstruation as well as decreasing your risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Diet is another alternative treatment that PCOS sufferers need to address. Woman with PCOS are particularly sensitive to carbohydrates. A low glycemic index diet, which means low carbohydrates and low animal product with an increase in fiber intake is the best diet to follow. This will reduce weight and regulate insulin levels by controlling your blood sugar.

Nutritional therapy is going to be more specific to your symptoms and what you are trying to improve. There is a variety of therapies that can be used to help regulate blood sugar, improve ovarian function, fertility, and so on. One such treatment is the use of DCI or D-chiro-inositol has been a very effective and well tolerated supplement. It has been shown to decrease many of the symptoms of PCOS. There are no known side effects and it is a naturally occurring human metabolite that is involved in the metabolism of insulin.

Acupuncture has been shown to be very effective in helping regulate the menstrual cycle for women with PCOS. There are also herbal treatments available to you. Saw Palmetto as an example will help with thinning hair. It also decreases ovarian enlargement and improve sexual activity. Juniper berries promote menstruation as does black cohosh. Blue flag helps decrease obesity as that it curbs appetite and food cravings.

You are not limited to traditional medicine. Alternative treatments can be more beneficial then western medicine as often has fewer side effects. You may want to use a combination of both. Know that while there is no cure for PCOS there are treatments that can help you improve symptoms.

By MiShaun Taylor