PCOS is an endocrine disorder that can be managed naturally with Ayurvedic PCOS treatment
Polycystic ovarian syndrome is an endocrine disorder that affects 4%–20% of women of reproductive age worldwide. As modern health science is still struggling to find the actual causes that lead to this endocrine disorder, the current PCOS treatment is focused on managing the symptoms.
PCOS never shows up alone, it is always followed by various other health problems like obesity and insulin resistance which lead to prediabetes. Therefore, untreated PCOS can call for various other problems that can further degrade your health
But, how should one deal with PCOS? Is there a natural PCOS cure?
Let’s find out.
PCOS diagnosis
PCOS diagnosis is based on the occurrence of at least 2 of the following three criteria:
- Chronic anovulation (ovaries fail to produce eggs)
- Hyperandrogenism (excessive male sex hormone, testosterone)
- Polycystic ovaries (numerous small collections of fluid — called follicles)
Despite its name, the presence of ovarian cysts is not a prerequisite for the diagnosis of PCOS. In fact, you can still have PCOS without ovarian cysts.
Early PCOS symptoms
Your first wake-up call is generally when you identify a cluster of symptoms that are commonly seen in most PCOS cases.
Menstrual
- Irregular periods
- Heavy or scanty periods
- Spotting
- Skipped periods
- Inability to conceive
Weight
- Trouble losing weight
- Unexpected weight gain
- Obesity
- Mood swings
Other Symptoms
- Male pattern balding
- Oily skin
- Excessive body or facial hair, hirsutism
- Persistent acne
- Dark skin patches
The severity of these symptoms can vary from person to person and a clinical diagnosis is required to confirm PCOS.
Top 5 PCOS medications & their side effects
PCOS is rendered incurable by modern medicine, therefore, there are various drugs in the market that aim towards treating PCOS symptoms. But there are several adverse effects of taking these medications because they end up disturbing your body’s natural balance.
The common medications used to cure PCOS are followed by some of the ugliest side effects which indicate that your body’s natural health strays further away.
Some of the allopathy medicines used for PCOS treatment and their side effects are:
Metformin
Metformin is an effective treatment medicine for anovulatory infertility in women with PCOS. It also helps in improving insulin sensitivity which is commonly found in women with PCOS.
Metformin dosage causes serum vitamin B12 deficiency, which leads to dizziness, mental impairment, inflammation of the mouth and tongue.
Some other common side effects of metformin include
- nausea
- stomach pain
- gas
- bloating
- loss of appetite
- diarrhoea
Clomid (clomiphene citrate)
It is a nonsteroidal ovulatory stimulant that is used to regulate healthy ovulation in polycystic ovarian syndrome.
Some side effects of clomiphene include-
- abnormal menstruation
- breast tenderness or discomfort,
- headache,
- nausea,
- vomiting,
- diarrhoea,
- flushing,
- blurred vision, or other sight problems
- enlargement of ovaries
- multiple childbirths
Eflornithine
It is used for treating unwanted PCOS facial hair or hirsutism. When applied to the skin it interferes with the chemical in the hair follicles and prevents hair growth.
Some side effects of eflornithine are-
- Severe irritation
- Crusting around hair follicles
- Redress, rash, burning, stinging
- Acne or red bumps
- Skin dryness
- Red bumps on the skin
Oral contraceptives
These are taken to regulate the predictable monthly cycle and reduce luteinizing hormone secretion that helps in lowering ovarian androgen production.
Oral contraceptives are also used to inhibit pregnancy by causing hormonal alterations. They use synthetic versions of oestrogen and progesterone.
Based on studies, it has been found that oral contraceptives usage is linked with breast and cervical cancer.
Other side effects of oral contraceptives are
- Nausea
- Headache
- Spotting
- Thrombophlebitis
- Deep venous thrombosis
Spironolactone
An antiandrogenic agent, it is also used to reduce the risks of heart problems and high blood pressure. It is beneficial in hirsutism and menstrual irregularities.
Common side effects of spironolactone are:
- Breast tenderness
- Diarrhoea and abdominal cramping.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- High potassium levels.
- Leg cramps.
- Headache.
- Dizziness
PCOS from the Ayurvedic perspective
Some basics of Ayurveda, so you can understand how ayurvedic PCOS treatment helps you manage PCOS holistically and conceive naturally.
Your body functions are run by the three bodily energies–
- Vata (bodily air, movement, thoughts, emotions)
- Pitta (bodily fire, digestion, transformation)
- Kapha (bodily water/fluid, formation, healing, structure)
From the ayurvedic view, in the case of PCOS,
- Weakened Kapha leads to the bad quality of Shukra/eggs and decreased reproductive power which leads to weakened fertility or infertility. Ayurvedic PCOS treatment can help women with PCOS conceive and have healthy childbirth.
- Vata, responsible for movement, is vitiated and leads to obstruction of fallopian tubes, irregular ovulation, and menstruation. This happens due to aggravated Kapha, and these energies keep influencing each other, which are visible in the form of physiological changes.
- Pitta dosha is mainly responsible for any metabolic & hormonal changes in the body.
The efficacy of Ayurveda in treating artava kshaya (loss of menstrual fluid) has been clinically proven, in multiple studies and is free from all sorts of side effects.
How is Ayurveda the best treatment for PCOS?
The common fertility treatment protocol in Ayurveda is:
- Your doshic constitution is examined by a vaidya to understand what is the underlying cause.
- You are put on a dosha-specific diet that helps you pacify your doshas.
- The accumulated body toxins are removed with the technique of virechana/purification.
- Different types of herbal oils and medicines are used to improve reproductive health.
- These medicines are all-natural and do not lead to any side effects like in the case of allopathic treatment.
- Taking different parameters into accounts like dosha, rasa, etc., Ayurvedic science uses therapies like Shodhana (Purification) and Shamana (mitigation) to cure hormonal disturbances.
- Different PCOS yoga asanas are recommended to strengthen the reproductive organs that provide relief in cramps and other related health complications.
Therefore, Ayurvedic treatment for PCOS rejuvenates and revitalises your whole body and mind, which results in proper hormonal secretion and a regular menstrual cycle.
Moreover, it renews your body’s natural ability to heal itself, by balancing Kapha dosha.
In this way, Ayurveda PCOS treatment follows a holistic approach without any adverse side effects.
Why Healmeright for PCOS treatment?
- At Healmeright, our treatment approach works in a holistic way that focuses on identifying and curing the underlying causes and not just the symptoms.
- You get a consultation from ayurvedic experts who provide you with a highly personalised treatment plan for PCOS, based on your dosha constitution.
- A dosha specific diet is highly important for the recovery from PCOS, with us you get to customise your diet charts and enjoy the taste with health.
- You get yoga sessions from our experienced yoga practitioners, that you can avail yourself at your own pace and flexible timings.
- That’s not it, we also have health coaches who will be in contact with you to monitor your progress.
Conclusion
PCOS is very common among women these days. Its allopathic treatment is focused on managing the symptoms with the help of pills and tablets, which result in ugly side effects with no guaranteed success rates. It has been clinically proven that PCOS hormonal problems and symptoms can be well managed through Ayurvedic PCOS treatment without any adverse effects.
FAQs
Yes, multiple studies have shown that PCOS can be cured with the help of Ayurveda. It focuses on restoring your body’s natural hormonal balance by detoxification and with the right diet & lifestyle routine.
Different ayurvedic treatments are used for PCOS at some point, the most common ones are virechana (porification/detoxification), vaman kriya (vomiting), Uttara Vasti and Samprapti Vighatana Kriya.
The potent anti-stress benefits of Withania Somnifera or Ashwagandha have been clinically tested and proved. Ashwagandha is also good for regulating better functioning of the endocrine system.
So, if your meds contain ashwagandha it is good as it helps in decreasing LH, testosterone in rats, according to a study. It has also been found to increase insulin secretion and improve insulin sensitivity and eliminate body cholesterol.
So, it is safe in small quantities as prescribed by your doctor that must be familiar with your health condition in detail.
Both ayurvedic and allopathic treatments are used to manage PCOS. Allopathy focuses on the symptoms while Ayurveda aims at rectifying the underlying root cause. Also, allopathic treatment has many side effects due to the heavy drug dosage, whereas, ayurvedic treatment for PCOS is free from side effects. There is a possibility of a permanent cure for PCOS in ayurveda.
