PCOS(Polycystic Ovary Syndrome)
PCOS is a condition in which the ovaries produce an abnormal amount of male sex hormones(androgens) that are usually only present in women in smaller amounts. It is basically a metabolic disorder with hormonal imbalances. With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome there are typically numerous small cysts(fluid-filled sacs) that form in the ovaries. This can occur when a women doesn’t make enough of the hormones needed to ovulate, so the fluid filled sacs are unable to release an egg and due to a lack of ovulation small cysts develop. These small cysts also make androgen hormones. In patients with PCOS, the androgen hormones, (testosterone, DHEA) tend to be higher than in women without PCOS, as are insulin levels. Women with PCOS tend to be more prone to insulin resistance which puts them on a pathway to developing pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes. They also frequently experience infrequent or absent periods and can have fertility issues. In this circumstance the woman may be having anovulatory periods, which means there may be bleeding but there is not ovulation to produce an egg which would allow for pregnancy. Another common complaint is facial hair or even thinning hair due to the imbalances in the androgen(male) hormone levels. PCOS typically affects females between the ages of 14 and 44 and may have a genetic component as it can run in families, although, no specific genes have yet been identified.
The Functional Medicine approach is to determine, through comprehensive testing, what contributing factors such as deficiencies, imbalances, and/or toxicities may be causing a patient’s PCOS and then design a plan specific to that patient’s unique test results to address these factors.