what is pcos

What is PCOS? Polycystic Ovary (Ovarian) Syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal disorder. Sometimes PCOS is described as an ‘endocrine’ disorder, it’s the same thing. Overseas research suggests its affects between 5 and 10% of all women of childbearing age regardless of race or nationality. However a Melbourne study published in February 2005 suggests the figure could be much higher, at 12-18% of Australian women or one in eight women. This equates to around half a million Australian women and teenagers!
It’s an unfortunately named syndrome, as people often think of large grapefruit-sized cysts when they hear the term ‘polycystic ovaries’. In the case of PCOS, the cysts are tiny. Using an ultrasound, they look like black dots on an ovary. These cysts are eggs that have failed to properly mature and release from the ovary.
PCOS symptoms usually present themselves during puberty but may also begin in the early to mid 20s. Certain symptoms are life-long, others will cease at menopause.o
Syndrome m eans this is a condition that has a number of diagnostic sy mpto ms with no simple hard and fast diagnostic test. Each woman presents with a different number of symptoms and together they make PCOS. It’s rare that two women share exactly the same symptoms. The following is a list of some of the possible symptoms:
Hirsuitism (excessive hair growth on the face, chest, abdomen, etc.) Hair loss (androgenic alopecia, in a classic "male baldness" pattern) Acne Polycystic ovaries (seen on ultrasound) Obesity Infertility or reduced fertility Irregular or absent menstrual periods
In addition, women with PCOS appear to be at increased risk of developing the following health problems during their lives:
Insulin resistance Diabetes Cholesterol and blood fat abnormalities Cardiovascular disease (heart disease, heart attacks and stroke)
Endometrial carcinoma (cancer) Although polycystic ovaries can be one of the symptoms, they aren't present in all sufferers, making the most common name of the syndrome confusing. In addition many women without PCOS have polycystic ovaries but none of the other symptoms and there for it is important to understand the difference between the syndrome and having only polycystic ovaries.
PCOS develops when the ovaries overproduce androgens – male hormones, like testosterone. The overproduction of Androgen usually triggers overproduction of LH (lutenizing hormone), which is produced by the pituitary gland.

Research suggests the cause of the overproduction of testosterone by the ovaries is due by a woman’s inability to process insulin effectively. This is called Insulin Resistance or Hyperinsulinemia (both pre-diabetic conditions). When insulin levels in the blood are too high, the ovary reacts by producing more testosterone. This triggers a cascading effect of other conditions like excess hair growth, scalp hair loss and acne. The inability of the woman to process this excess insulin can also lead to obesity. But not all PCOS are obese –even though in the past being excessively overweight was considered a diagnostic symptom. Research over the past 10 years has found that PCOS can affect women who are underweight and of normal weight. These so called "thin" sufferers can also have impaired insulin processing.

When Karen Smith first began trying to get pregnant, she was 23 years old and menopause was the last thing on her mind. "I figured I wouldn't have a problem because I was in my fertile prime," she said. After a few months of trying, Karen went to see her ob-gyn, who gave her a clean bill of health, even after Karen told him that ovulation predictor kits showed that she was ovulating every few months. "The doctor told me to just keep trying," she recalls. Finally, after three years of trying, Karen went to see a reproductive endocrinologist. The endocrinologist did some tests and found that Karen had the estrogen levels of a menopausal woman. "It turns out that infertility is often the only sign of early menopause. I didn't have hot flashes or any other symptoms; my estrogen was just extremely low," Karen says. Karen was given hormone injections and intrauterine insemination (IUI), but after three procedures, the physician told her that her only options for pregnancy were adoption or IVF with donor eggs. "I figured I wouldn't have a problem because I was in my fertile prime." "It was a really tough decision," Karen says today. "On the one hand, we could adopt. It might be difficult and take a long time, but at the end of the road we could be pretty sure of having a child. If we tried donor eggs and IVF, it might not work. And it costs so much money!" After a lot of soul searching, Karen decided that she wanted the experience of carrying and bearing a child, so she went ahead with IVF using donor eggs. She and her husband had to take out a loan to be able to afford it. She recalls, "I had to sit down and write a $23,000 check to the hospital." They were lucky because donated eggs became available relatively quickly. But the process was still daunting. "They want to make sure you understand that the whole thing might not work," Karen explains. "They reiterate that again and again, so the whole time, I was sure it wasn't going to happen. It wasn't until the day of the procedure that the doctor told me, 'This is going to work.' That was the first time I felt a little hopeful." After the procedure, Karen had to wait two weeks to have a pregnancy test. "We went home after the test and played video games, just waiting for the phone to ring," says Karen. "Finally, it rang, and the nurse said, 'Congratulations,' and I gave my husband the thumbs-up. We just couldn't believe it." Audrey was born at just 35 weeks, small but robust. After her birth, Karen didn't use birth control, convinced that she'd never get pregnant without intervention. But eight months after Audrey was born, Karen discovered she was pregnant again. "I was shocked, amazed, and happy," she says. "My reproductive endocrinologist told us that a pregnancy will sometimes reset your system and normalize your hormones. That seems to be what happened to me." Karen advises women who are going through infertility to try to avoid making pregnancy their entire focus. "If you can, find something else to concentrate on," she says. "You need to have another hobby or interest besides getting pregnant. I should have followed that advice, but it was all I could think about and it was terrible -- it took over our lives." As for what surprises her the most about motherhood, Karen says, "You just don't realize how fun it will be and how much you'll laugh

horomonal threphy to get preganant

. Herbal Therapies

There are many herbs that have been traditionally used to help support fallopian tube health. Below are actions that herbal therapies may have and below that is a section on herbs that have been found to have those actions. We are looking at 4 key actions which work to reduce infection, inflammation, promote healthy circulation and work to support hormonal balance.

Antibiotic: The antibiotic acting herbs help to clear out any infection that may exist in the reproductive system or fallopian tubes. Supporting immune function with antibiotic herbs may be important if there is a history of PID, STD’s, abdominal surgery, or endometriosis.

Anti-inflammatory: Anti-inflammatory herbs help to reduce inflammation, which in turn reduces pain and works to reduce further scar tissue production. If inflammation persists in or around the fallopian tubes, scar tissue may form.

Circulatory: There are herbs that help to increase blood flow through the reproductive organs. Healthy circulation to the reproductive organs is vital to healing the fallopian tubes. This is because fresh healthy blood will bring in vital nutrients, enzymes and oxygen for healing cells. Once the cells have used up what they need and have renewed or have replaced old damaged or unhealthy cells, the metabolic waste (damaged tissues) is removed from the body.

Hormone Balancing: Remember that hormonal balance is essential for proper fallopian tube function. When working to support fallopian tube health, we always want to include some herbs that support hormonal balance.

-Goldenseal root (Hydrastis canadensis): This herb is extremely antibiotic, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory. It works to heal any infection in the reproductive system, while also reducing pain and inflammation from foreign tissue growth. Reduction in inflammation may help to prevent scar tissue and adhesion. Goldenseal may help to protect the fallopian tubes from damage due to an infection. Also supports health of mucous membranes.

-Ginger Root (Zingiber officinalis): A wonderful herb used to increase circulation and promote blood flow to the reproductive organs. The increased circulation also helps to reduce inflammation of the uterus, ovaries or fallopian tubes.


-Dong Quai root (Angelica sinensis): One of the best herbs for promoting circulation to the reproductive organs. Dong Quai acts on the circulatory system and lymphatic system reducing tissue congestion. It has both pain reducing and anti-inflammatory properties.

-Hawthorn (Crataegus officinale): Works to reduce abdominal congestion. Hawthorn is extremely high in antioxidants, improves the integrity of blood vessel wall, aids the body in proper oxygen use and improves blood flow.

-Peony Root (Paeonia officinalis): Peony has been found to aid in increasing progesterone levels, lower testosterone and balance estrogen. Overall this herb has excellent hormone balancing support. It also aids in pain reduction and relaxation.

-Wild Yam root (Dioscorea villosa): Helps to promote normal hormone levels and overall balance within the reproductive system.

-Uva Ursi (Arctostaphylos uva ursi): One of the best herbs to reduce fluid retention and congestion. This herb has been shown to be effective for combating vaginitis, due to its antimicrobial activity. Uva Ursi aids the body in removal of excess fluids for proper daily detoxification.
All of these herbs can be foun

pcos myths

PCOS Myths & truths Some common myths surrounding Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS):

Myth 1: All women with PCOS have polycystic ovaries Fact: 25% of the female population has polycystic ovaries on ultrasound, yet only half of them are diagnosed with PCOS symptoms. And some PCOS patients don’t have any cysts at all. Most doctors will check if you have polycystic ovaries as part of their investigation into PCOS. But even if they aren't present you may still have the syndrome.
PCOS is diagnosed using symptoms and blood tests, but an ultrasound is not always necessary, as the presence or absence of polycystic ovaries does not matter for diagnosis.

Myth 2: You will never have children This is wrong, wrong, wrong. Don’t believe the doctor who tells you this. Many women are incorrectly told they’ll never have children because PCOS causes infertility. Some patients use the information as their only form of contraception, and have found out it is wrong! Some women with PCOS do fall pregnant naturally and others will need medical assistance to get pregnant. If you aren't planning on having children just yet, still use some form of contraception as there is a chance that you may fall pregnant.


Myth 3: All women with PCOS are fat/obese Many women with PCOS do have an excess weight problem but there are also quite a few who don't. Even countries with traditionally slim people, like Asian countries, experience PCOS. Most studies have been done with women who are obese and therefore the focus has been on that group of women with PCOS. This misconception can even be held by your doctor who may not initially consider a diagnosis of PCOS if you don't have a weight problem.

Myth 4: Lose weight and everything will be better Obesity can cause fertility problems but telling a woman with PCOS to ‘lose weight and all will be better’ is simply not enough. For women with PCOS, losing some weight, as little as 5% helps balance hormone levels, improve symptoms and may help restore or boost their fertility. Losing weight with PCOS is not a simple thing and many women with PCOS find it extremely hard to lose weight on traditional diets as a result of their condition.

Myth 5: Low fat/high carbohydrate diets are the way to go In the past when PCOS patients were told to lose weight, they were given a low fat/high carb diet. All this did was made the PCOS patient gain more weight. Research over the past decade has shown the most likely underlying cause of PCOS is an impairment of the woman's body to process insulin. Therefore a diet like those prescribed to a diabetic patient – that focuses on foods with low glycemic indexes, is likely to be more helpful than the traditional low fat/high carb diet.

In 2004, Professor Jennie Brand-Miller and Sydney dietitian Kate Marsh together with Professor Nadir R Farid published a book called “The New Glucose Revolution: Managing PCOS”. This book, published by Hodder, has become a bible for many PCOS women. However, there is still not enough research about which sort of diet is best for women with PCOS. At the moment, the studies show that any calorie-controlled, healthy diet will help women lose weight and improve their symptoms (e.g., low GI, low fat, etc).

Myth 6: PCOS is a great syndrome to have... This is absolute rubbish. An endocrinologist told one POSAA member that: “if she (the patient) had to pick a disorder to have, PCOS was actually a pretty good one to have". Trivialising the disorder is not in the patient’s best interests. Some women might envy the fact that PCOS women sometimes have very few periods. But this is due to their lack of ovulation and this is a very important process for every woman.

PCOS is associated with a number of significant health risks and unpleasant symptoms. No woman who has PCOS would choose to have a syndrome which increases their chances of heart disease, increases their chances of developing diabetes, impairs their fertility and increases their chances of developing uterine cancer.

Myth 7: My aunt had a cyst on her ovary and had 8 children There are many different types of cysts that ovaries can have and because someone may have a relative that had a certain type of cyst and went on to have many children doesn't mean that the aunt had anything like PCOS. If a woman with PCOS has cysts (and they aren't compulsory) then they are follicular cysts from unreleased eggs. Other women (and even those with PCOS) can experience other types of cysts which may not affect their fertility.

chemical pregancy understanding

Chemical Pregnancy A chemical pregnancy happens when a fertilized egg does not attach itself to the uterine wall. This is also known as a very early miscarriage. According to ACOG, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, chemical pregnancies account for 50-75% of

all miscarriages. Unlike miscarriages, which typically occur before the 20 th week of gestation, chemical pregnancies occur just after implantation. In cases where the woman is not expecting to become pregnant, she may not realize she was since menstruation bleeding usually occurs around the same time. If she is expecting and takes a test, it could lead to false positive pregnancy test results. In the past, sensitive pregnancy tests were administered by doctors via blood tests. Nowadays, there are several over-the-counter products that are able to detect pregnancies almost a week before menstruation is due. This could be why so many women are realizing they are pregnant, only to learn the pregnancy resulted in a chemical pregnancy or early miscarriage. Research has shown up to 70% of all conceptions end in miscarriage. Health care providers do not clinically confirm a pregnancy until it is detected on an ultrasound. First ultrasounds are typically given between the 4 th and 6 th weeks of gestation.

Signs and Symptoms of a Chemical Pregnancy

In most cases, women have no symptoms of a chemical pregnancy. In actuality, most women do not know they were ever pregnant. Some women report mild abdominal cramping and mild spotting a week before their period is due, but there are usually no pregnancy symptoms such as fatigue or nausea, since the fertilized egg did not implant itself to the uterine wall. Vaginal bleeding will occur after a positive pregnancy test and blood tests may reveal low hCG levels that decrease instead of increase. Menstruation cycles are typically on time or a couple days late.

What Causes a Chemical Pregnancy?


Experts have no conclusive evidence stating what causes a chemical pregnancy. However, most experts believe it happens for the same reasons why other miscarriages happen- abnormal chromosomes in the developing embryo. Abnormal chromosomes can be the result of many factors such as poor quality of the sperm or egg, genetic abnormalities of the mother or father, or an abnormal cell division of the fetus. Experts believe half of all chemical pregnancies are due to some form of chromosomal abnormality. Additional potential causes may include the following:

Infections such as toxoplasmosis, chlamydia, genital herpes, or syphilis Systemic illnesses such as untreated thyroid disease Uterine abnormalities (congenital and acquired) Abnormal hormone levels Luteal phase defect Inadequate uterine lining

Treating and Preventing Chemical Pregnancies

Unfortunately, chemical pregnancies can not be prevented, nor is there a specific type of treatment method. Women who experience a chemical pregnancy are encouraged to follow-up with tests to ensure their hCG levels return to normal. There is no evidence suggesting chemical pregnancies will affect future pregnancies, as many women go on to have healthy pregnancies, labors and deliveries. For some couples, treatment may involve treating the emotional side of a chemical pregnancy, especially for those who are hopeful to conceive. Seeking counseling can help you cope with the pregnancy loss. Treatment for recurrent chemical pregnancies may include the following:
Progesterone cream Vitamin B6 (minimum 50mg per day) Baby aspirin Antibiotics may be prescribed if an infection is present Genetic counseling for those who experience several early miscarriages
If you are anxious to ‘try again,’ it is recommended that you wait at least one regular menstrual cycle. Talk with your doctor or midwife about an appropriate treatment plan for you.

> ionfs Ovulation Predictors Saliva hFertOvulation MicroscopeInstructions Saliva Ovulation Predictors (Saliva Fertility Tests) When a woman is about to ovulate, her saliva begins to form a distinct fern-like pattern due to an increase in the level of salt and estrogen. This visible ferning pattern begins to appear around 3 to 4 days prior to ovulation. Ovulation microscopes - or saliva fertility tests - allow you to predict ovulation by viewing the changes in the make up of your saliva prior ovulation With the saliva-based ovulation fertility tests, just add a drop of saliva to the lens and let the sample dry. In five minutes, view the sample through the microscope. Note for new users: Remember that you need to press the LED light button and focus by turning the eyepiece othe microscope. If you are ovulating - or about to ovulate - a ferning, crystal-like pattern can be identified when examined under the power of the microscope, helping you predict fertile or infertile times in your cycle. Image 3 indicates peak fertility. Compact and easy to use, ovulation microscopes are reusable and allow women to see a unique pattern in their saliva called "ferning" (due to the fact that the crystal patterns look like ferns leaves). Based on the increase or decrease of the hormone estrogen, this ferning pattern looks like frost on a windowpane (see image). This pattern develops in saliva around the time of ovulation. A woman simply places a drop of saliva onto the microscope lens, allows it to dry, and reads the result. Kathleen Fry, M.D., president of the American Holistic Medical Association states: "This new and exciting system works." And Christiane Northrup, M.D., gynecologist and the author of the best-selling book "Women's Wisdom, Women's Bodies," reports, "This simple and empowering tool allows women to learn about and take charge of their own fertility. I recommend it highly." Fertility expert Amos Grunebaum, MD, also endorses the ovulation microscope as an instrumental tool to augment fertility and bbt charting. Saliva Ovulation Fertility Predictor Instructions: #1 Test first thing in the morning. Never test after eating, drinking, smoking, or brushing teeth. Tip #2 Clean the lens before using the test. Place a drop of saliva from under your t on the lens surface. Leave it to dry for at least five minutes. Tip #3 Remember to take off your glasses when viewing the test - and remember the lens can be focused by rotating the eye-piece.

- Carefully remove the lens by pulling it out of the casing. 2 - Place a drop of saliva on the surface of the lens. Avoid creating air bubbles. 3 - Allow the saliva sample to dry for at least five minutes and replace the lens into the housing. The saliva must be dry before viewing. 4 - Look into the lens and push the light button to observe the test result. Rotate the lens while bringing it close to the eye (remember to remove eyeglasses). Adjust the eyepiece to focus and push the light to observe test results. 5 - Clean the lens after every use (with a clean soft cloth or lens cleaner). Advantages of Ovulation Microscopes According to research studies, saliva ovulation predictor tests are 98% accurate. Other advantages of saliva fertility tests? They are reusable, discreet, and easy-to-use. Testing takes about five to ten minutes and reading results is just a focus away. Questions and Answers about the Ovulation Microscope How do Ovulation Microscopes work? Ovulation microscopes detect hormone changes that occur prior to and during ovulation. As estrogen increases, "ferning" or crystal patterns can be viewed in dried samples to


saliva (seen through the saliva fertility test). These patterns will indicate that ovulation is about to take place - or taking place. The duration of your most fertile time lasts from several days before ovulation to 24 or so hours after ovulation. When do I begin testing with the Saliva Ovulation Predictor? It is recommended to use the saliva ovulation test on a daily basis and record results on your fertility chart. Ovulite includes a Saliva Ovulation Tester Card for monitoring results and determining fertility patterns. When and how do I test for ovulation? Test first thing in the morning - but never after eating, drinking, or brushing your teeth. to to


activites may interfere with results. Are Saliva Fertility Tests accurate? When instructions are followed, ovulation microscopes are 98% accurate for predicting ovulation. Can Ovulation Microscopes be used as a contraceptive device? While other sites advertise saliva fertility tests as a means of contraception, Early-Pregnancy-Tests.com does not advocate the use of any ovulation test as an effective contraceptive. Ovulation microscopes should not be used in this context. See your doctor if you have any questions. > For more information on ovulation testing, microscopes, and fertility, please click here. > To visit our fertility monitor page, click here.