PCOS or polycystic ovary syndrome, is the most common hormonal condition in women, affecting an estimated 10-15% of all women or 7 million women in the USA alone. I talked with Chicago Woman Magazine to help their audience learn which are the important symptoms to look out for.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex condition that affects many systems in the body including the metabolism, hormones, fertility, the brain and the immune system. It’s got genetic origins, and certain environmental and dietary factors can make it worse. The name PCOS is somewhat misleading as cysts aren’t present in many women – and for this reason experts are considering a name change to reflect the overall nature of its far reaching and lifelong effects.
The symptoms of PCOS can vary from woman to woman, and this is probably why 50% of women with PCOS are unaware that they have it. In fact, many women don’t realize they have PCOS until they try to have children and experience difficulty, however, symptoms are usually present for a woman’s entire life, and can be dismissed by medical professionals, or masked by oral contraceptive pills which are the first line treatment for the effects of PCOS on the female cycle. Read More…