PCOS- What It Is And How To Handle It!

Step two is to recoginize the main reason for my infertility; PCOS which is short for Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome.

What is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)?

Polycystic ovary syndrome (say "pah-lee-SIS-tik OH-vuh-ree SIN-drohm") is a problem in which a woman’s hormones are out of balance. It can cause problems with your periods and make it difficult to get pregnant. PCOS may also cause unwanted changes in the way you look. If it is not treated, over time it can lead to serious health problems, such as diabetes and heart disease.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (or PCOS) is common, affecting as many as 1 out of 15 women. Often the symptoms begin in the teen years. Treatment can help control the symptoms and prevent long-term problems.

What are hormones, and what happens in PCOS?

Hormones are chemical messengers that trigger many different processes, including growth and energy production. Often, the job of one hormone is to signal the release of another hormone.
For reasons that are not well understood, in PCOS the hormones get out of balance. One hormone change triggers another, which changes another. For example:

• The sex hormones get out of balance. Normally, the ovaries make a tiny amount of male sex hormones (androgens). In PCOS, they start making slightly more androgens. This may cause you to stop ovulating, get acne, and grow extra facial and body hair.
• The body may have a problem using insulin, called insulin resistance. When the body doesn't use insulin well, blood sugar levels go up. Over time, this increases your chance of getting diabetes.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms tend to be mild at first. You may have only a few symptoms or a lot of them. The most common symptoms are:

• Acne.
• Weight gain and trouble losing weight.
• Extra hair on the face and body. Often women get thicker and darker facial hair and more hair on the chest, belly, and back.
• Thinning hair on the scalp.
• Irregular periods. Often women with PCOS have fewer than nine periods a year. Some women have no periods. Others have very heavy bleeding.
• Fertility problems. Many women who have PCOS have trouble getting pregnant (infertility).
• Depression.

Most women with PCOS grow many small cysts on their ovaries. That is why it is called polycystic ovary syndrome. The cysts are not harmful but lead to hormone imbalances.

What causes PCOS?

The symptoms of PCOS are caused by changes in hormone levels. There may be one or more causes for the hormone level changes.
PCOS seems to run in families, so your chance of having it is higher if other women in your family have PCOS, irregular periods, or diabetes. PCOS can be passed down from either your mother's or father's side.

Insulin Resistance

• The body's natural response to eating is to produce a certain amount of insulin. In women with PCOS and insulin resistance, the body's response to the insulin is impaired, causing more insulin to be produced than is necessary. This raises the blood sugar, and eventually the body's cells become less receptive to insulin. This cycle, which triggers cravings for carbohydrates and food, often leads to weight gain.

Medical Treatment

• Since PCOS has no cure, treatment addresses the symptoms. Use of drugs such as Glucophage or Fortamet (metformin hcl) can sensitize the body to insulin again, which helps to regulate the insulin response. These drugs are effectively used in treatment for diabetics. Side effects of metformin can include weight loss and stomach upset. Helping regulate the body's insulin with metformin can lead to more effective fuel consumption, and the cravings for carbohydrates may subsides. 

Carbohydrates and Insulin Resistance

• A diet rich in processed foods, including refined sugar and flour, can contribute to the insulin resistance and lead to weight gain. These foods trigger an insulin response from the body. They raise the blood sugar and begin a cycle of cravings that can be difficult to escape. Eliminating foods such as processed sugars, white flour, and white rice can help regulate this response and end the cravings.

Substitutions

• Carbohydrates are a necessary part of any diet, and eliminating them entirely is difficult or impossible and may pose health risks. Substituting high fiber foods provides a necessary energy boost without causing the blood sugar to spiral uncontrollably. Whole wheat flour, brown rice and sweet potatoes can be substituted for refined and processed counterparts. The fiber in these foods help to mitigate the body's response and cause less insulin production. Focusing on these substitutions as well as increasing the intake of fruits, vegetables and lean protein can promote weight loss.

Fitness

• Part of a successful weight loss program is exercise, especially for women with PCOS. Combined with a low-carb diet, exercise helps increase lean muscle tissue and may retrain the body to burn fat more effectively, even when at rest. For women with PCOS, this is essential. Increasing activity, even in slow increments, can have an overall beneficial effect. While women with PCOS may have difficulty losing weight, the right combination of diet, exercise and medication may overcome those obstacles and lead to a healthier lifestyle

Read more: PCOS & Weight Loss | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5348796_pcos-weight-loss.html#ixzz2RUMyN3UO