Polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS affects millions of women worldwide but it rarely shows up the same way twice. For some women it’s acne and irregular cycles. For others it’s thinning hair, fatigue and stubborn weight gain.
Despite the variability of symptoms, most women suffering from PCOS share the same feelings of frustration. Especially when they begin treating PCOS symptoms.
Many women are told to ‘just lose weight’ or are given birth control to reduce symptoms.
However treating PCOS symptoms needs to go deeper than a quick and surface level fix. To bring true balance and healing to the body, a root cause approach is crucial. That’s why we’ll go through:
- Why root cause matters when treating PCOS symptoms
- Hormones, inflammation and insulin resistance when treating PCOS symptoms
- When to see a hormone expert
We also go through the details of how to treat PCOS symptoms and lifestyle changes you can make. Treating PCOS symptoms may feel like an impossible task. But once you start to understand what’s going on underneath, you’ll be able to make changes that heal your body from the inside.
Why Root Cause Matters When Treating PCOS Symptoms
If you’ve been struggling with PCOS for a while then you’ve probably tried to reduce your discomfort. You may have started hormonal birth control, acne treatments or tried to lose weight.
But while these Band-aid fixes may reduce some symptoms for a short amount of time, they don’t cure or heal your body in the long term. That’s why symptoms often come back. When treating PCOS symptoms, you may have experienced:
- Irregular, infrequent or absent periods
- Hair loss or excess facial hair
- Unexplained weight gain
- Fertility issues
- Mood swings, anxiety, depression
- Fatigue
Dealing with the root cause and treating PCOS symptoms on a deeper level can give you that long term relief. Let’s look at some of the root causes of PCOS and how to bring your body back into balance.
PCOS and Insulin Resistance
A high number of women dealing with PCOS and treating PCOS symptoms have some degree of insulin resistance.
This means that your cells aren’t responding properly to insulin. As a result, your pancreas starts to produce more of it. But high insulin doesn’t just affect your blood sugar levels, it pushes your ovaries to produce more testosterone which can lead to irregular cycles, acne and facial hair growth.
If you’re struggling with treating PCOS symptoms and have noticed sugar cravings, fatigue after meals or stubborn weight gain, it’s not a random coincidence. It’s your body telling you that it needs insulin resistance support.
Treating Insulin Resistance
Treating PCOS symptoms like insulin resistance can start at home. If you suspect that insulin resistance may be the culprit, here’s what you can do to support your healing:
- Eat 30g of protein with each meal
- Swap out refined carbohydrates for quinoa, lentils or sweet potato
- Go for a 10 minute walk after meals
By treating insulin resistance, you start to address one of the root causes of PCOS and are one step closer to treating your PCOS symptoms.
PCOS and Chronic Inflammation
Another common root cause of PCOS is chronic inflammation. Testing your biomarkers with an integrative health clinic is an easy way to confirm this. If you’re experiencing bloating, joint pain or skin flare ups, this might indicate your body is stuck in defense mode.
Chronic inflammation can disrupt ovulation and also works with insulin resistance to aggravate your other symptoms.
Treating Chronic Inflammation
When treating PCOS symptoms like chronic inflammation, it’s important to focus on a low inflammation lifestyle and diet. Some everyday and practical tips to incorporate into your routine can include:
- Eating whole and unprocessed foods
- Including omega-3 foods in your diet such as salmon, walnuts and chia seeds
- Reducing sugar, refined oils and eating anti-inflammatory foods such as turmeric
PCOS and Hormone Imbalances
A hormone imbalance can often be the most visible part of living with PCOS and treating PCOS symptoms. High testosterone can cause excess facial hair and acne while high levels of estrogen can create heavy periods and mood swings.
These hormonal imbalances are often an extra symptom of insulin resistance and chronic inflammation. That’s a sign that you need to dig deeper or speak to an integrative health expert that is familiar with hormone imbalances.
Hormone Imbalances Treatment
Instead of only targeting hormones with medication, an integrative and holistic approach helps to highlight why your hormones may be out of balance in the first place.
Checking your hormone levels through comprehensive testing with Synergy Integrative Health and Wellness can help to pinpoint the root cause of your hormone imbalance.
Additionally, going back to basics can help to support your healing journey when treating PCOS symptoms. Try prioritizing:
- Sleep and rest
- Low impact exercise such as yoga, pilates and walking
- Avoid hormone disruptors and toxins including BPA plastics, synthetic fragrances and PFAS homewares
PCOS and Stress
When it comes to overall health, stress and high cortisol levels are often an underlooked culprit but can have a huge and negative impact on PCOS and treating PCOS symptoms.
Elevated levels of cortisol can worsen insulin resistance and disrupt the hormonal balance in your body. Other symptoms may also flare up as a result of stress.
Managing Stress
Stress management is crucial when healing PCOS and treating PCOS symptoms. If you lead a high stress life, some of these practical tools may help to reduce your level of stress:
- Breathwork and meditation, especially at the start and end of the day
- Spending time in nature, away from screens and noise
- Gentle activities like yoga, stretching and walking
When to See a Hormone Specialist for Treating PCOS Symptoms
Seeking professional help can feel like a big step. But speaking to a hormone health expert can help to simplify what feels like a complex and frustrating health issue.
When treating PCOS symptoms, comprehensive testing and a complete health analysis are the best way to start your healing journey.
Lifestyle changes can also make a big difference and our hormone expert at Synergy Integrative Health and Wellness can guide you through addressing your root cause. This may include:
- Healing your insulin resistance
- Reducing chronic inflammation
- Improving your gut health
- Balancing your hormones
- Managing stress levels
Treating PCOS Symptoms in Oak Park
Treating PCOS symptoms can be a challenge because symptoms rarely look the same twice. That means there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to treating PCOS.
Some women benefit from supplements, while others see a big difference when they change their diet and lifestyle.
The key is personalization and integrative and functional health and nutritional counseling can help you find the best health solution for you. Whether you want to treat PCOS symptoms naturally or find a medication that truly helps, we’re here for you.
At Synergy Integrative Health and Wellness, you can finally stop chasing each symptom separately. Instead we can help you address the foundation so your health can start to improve as a whole. Book a discovery call with our hormone expert and start treating PCOS symptoms today!