What’s Going On With My Periods?
Do you struggle to lose weight? Are you growing hair in strange places, but noticing it tinning on top? Do you feel tired, stressed and anxious all the time? Do you have acne and painful, prolonged, infrequent or irregular periods? You, like 1 in 10 women in New Zealand maybe suffering from Polycystic ovarian syndrome commonly known as PCOS.
PCOS basically means multiple cysts in the ovaries, it is a hormonal disorder common among women of reproductive age. When left untreated it can lead to Infertility, weight gain (especially around the belly and thighs) type 2 Diabetes, Depression and heart disease.
Early diagnosis and treatment along with weight loss and hormonal regulation reduce the risk of long-term complications. The exact cause of PCOS is multifactorial. Certain factors such as excess insulin, chronic inflammation, excess androgen production and a family history of PCOS are common indicators.
Not all people present with all the symptoms of PCOS, so Naturopathic PCOS treatment focuses on managing your individual concerns, such as infertility, hirsutism (facial hair), anxiety, acne or weight gain. Specific treatment involves dietary and lifestyle changes and tailored supplementation, unlike the treatments you could be provided by your doctor that just focus on medicating your symptoms.
What you can do prior to your appointment with your Naturopath
- List all the symptoms you’ve been having, and for how long, and any relevant family history
- List all medications, vitamins, and supplements you take, including the doses
- List key personal and medical information, including other conditions, recent life changes and stressors
- Keep an exercise and diet journal
- Prepare questions to ask your Naturopath
- Keep a record of your menstrual cycles
- Certain tests will be recommended depending on your presentation so please be prepared for this. Also if any recent relevant testing has been done please email or print copies to take to your appointment.
All you have to do now is book an appointment with one of our registered Naturopaths, and fill in the Health profile and return it to us so we can get stuck in to your case. We look forward on your journey back to better health – Naturally.
