A Brief Overview

Women’s ovaries release multiple matured follicles to be fertilized every month. But in the case of PCOS the ovulation process does not occur regularly and it is the most common cause of ovulatory infertility. Along with that PCOS also causes higher production of luteinizing hormones that hampers the ovulation process. High levels of androgens like testosterone can affect the menstrual cycle of a woman and can prevent ovulation. Even if the ovaries do produce mature follicles they don’t get released when you have PCOS and instead turn into cysts.

What Is PCOS?

PCOS is a disease caused by hormonal imbalance, occurring in women who are between the ages of 15–44 years. When women have PCOS their body releases more than what is considered a normal amount of androgens, like testosterone which causes a hormonal imbalance in the body. This imbalance can lead to other physical disparities like acne, excess hair growth, scalp hair loss, etc. A more alarming situation is that these hormonal imbalances cause irregular periods and affect their fertility.

A woman can get PCOS due to various reasons like heredity, poor lifestyle choices, wrong diet choices, extreme stress and anxiety, unhealthy sleep cycle or lack of sleep, bad habits and even obesity.

Common Signs and Symptoms

There are many symptoms of PCOS and some of them are so unheard of that women experiencing them often misdiagnose themselves and ignore these signs. But some symptoms are popular and easily detectable like infertility, obesity, a higher level of androgens in the body, high level of insulin, hair loss, sleep disturbance, infrequent periods or prolonged periods causing PCOS heavy bleeding and clotting are some symptoms.

Its Impact on Irregular Periods

About 7% of the world’s population already have PCOS, about 25% of young fertile women and over 50% of women with irregular periods have PCOS. Most women with irregular menstrual cycles will turn out to have PCOS.

Although irregular periods are a common symptom of PCOS, not every woman with PCOS will have irregular periods. So it is important to also look for other signs of PCOS such as weight gain, insulin resistance and elevated levels of male hormones.

Common Challenges Women With PCOS May Experience During Menstruation

1. Consistently irregular periods: Periods themselves are a lot to deal with because of the discomfort, cramps and mood swings, but to have irregular periods that are almost impossible to predict or keep track of is a whole new level of difficulty. The menstrual cycle of an average woman lasts for 28 days but anything between 21 and 35 days is considered within the normal range. But anything less or alarmingly more, that cycle is irregular and can indicate PCOS.
2. No periods at all: Terrified to know about irregular periods, well hear this out some women with PCOS experience an absence of periods for three or more consecutive cycles. This is a physical condition called amenorrhoea, and it’s one of the major causes of infertility in women with PCOS. But it is important to keep track of the last day of your period because even though you miss out on it for months your doctor will need to know gap time for assessing your condition better.
3. Very heavy periods: Most people think that PCOS only means missed or irregular periods but in some cases, women with PCOS can also experience extremely heavy periods in their menstrual cycles. This physical condition is called menorrhagia, and it’s caused by low levels of progesterone associated with PCOS. The bleeding can last for more than 7 days and it can be severe. Since heavy periods are considered to be normal by most people this particular symptom of PCOS often goes outside the radar.
4. PCOS Painful Periods: Dysmenorrhea is the medical term for period cramps and it goes hand-in-hand with heavy periods. For some women, the pain is tolerable after applying a hot water bag, but for others, cramps can be debilitating and they even require pain medication. So if you are experiencing pelvic pain during your period or between your periods it is better to see a doctor.

Does PCOS Affect Your Monthly Cycle?

Being a hormonal problem PCOS causes hormonal fluctuations in a woman’s body throughout the month. The irregular periods or missed periods are an indication that you don’t have a regular menstruation phase (bleeding) every month. Although PCOS does not have much effect on the follicular, ovulation or luteal phase of your menstrual that scenario changes if you have infertility triggered by PCOS.

Treatment Options

Some common ways to treat or regulate irregular periods caused by PCOS are:

1. Weight loss is a major step toward regularising your periods. Even losing 5% to 10% of your total body weight can improve menstrual regularity and fertility in PCOS.
2. A healthy lifestyle is the best and the most effective way to restore the period cycle. When you correct the hormonal imbalances, you can automatically regularise your period and ovulation cycle
3. Birth control pills are often recommended by doctors for women with PCOS, these pills lower the testosterone levels in their bodies and help with the ovulation process.
4. Medications like metformin, which is an insulin-sensitizing drug also help with regularising periods. Metformin helps by reducing insulin resistance which helps lower insulin levels and thus supports a regular period cycle.
5. Myo-inositol supplements also help with regularising periods as they reduce testosterone and aid in ovulation.

Ayurveda and Natural Remedies To Promote Regular Periods

Ayurveda or natural remedies in itself is not a proven way to regulate your cycle. It can be used as a complementary therapy but you need to continue making lifestyle changes and take medications where needed.

Aloe Vera:

Consuming the healthy concoction of aloe vera gel mixed with manjistha is considered one of the best ways for treating PCOS symptoms and helps in restoring the health of the uterus, according to Ayurveda.

Niranjan phal:

Niranjan phal is also known as china fruit and it helps in regularising menstrual cycles and controlling heavy bleeding. Although consumption of this fruit can cause extreme weakness and Anaemia leading to many health issues. The best way to have Niranjan phal is by mixing its pulp in water and soaking it overnight before consumption.

Phala Ghrita:

Phala Ghrita is an Ayurvedic concoction made by using cow milk and ghee and it is extremely useful for many gynaecological problems from irregular periods to pregnancy complications.

Cumin:

Another great way to regularise periods is by soaking two tablespoons of cumin seeds in water and drinking that water in the morning. Or you can roast the cumin seeds and chew on them.

Unripe papaya:

Often when your periods get blocked for months eating an unripe papaya helps a lot in regulating menstrual flow as it contracts the muscle fibres in the uterus. You can either drink the juice or eat it raw.

Talk to a Professional with Drwealthify

PCOS and the journey with it is different for every woman. While there are many common symptoms, what works for others might not work for you and in rare cases could affect you adversely. Experts at drwealthify Health believe that the best way to regularise your periods is to manage your PCOS and manage your symptoms.