by Olwen Anderson

Created on: January 26, 2009

Help! I've been diagnosed with PCOD. Why? How can I stop it? Can I still have babies? Yes, there are answers to all these questions.

HOW CAN I TELL IF I HAVE PCOD?

There are several variations of PCOD, but here are some major flags that all is not well with your ovaries. You might have one, some, or even all of them.

- You've been trying to get pregnant without success

- You are growing hair in all the wrong places; on your face, your tummy, your chest, even your toes.

- You have acne that is stubbornly resistant to every lotion on the shelf

- Your periods are irregular or don't happen at all

- You can put on weight all too easily, but its almost impossible to lose it again.

- You experience energy 'slumps', especially mid afternoon.

HOW CAN I FIND OUT FOR SURE?

- First, visit your doctor. He or she will arrange for blood tests that measure your levels of androgen hormones. Women with PCOD often have levels of this male hormone far, far higher than women without PCOD.

- Your doctor may also arrange for an ultrasound of your ovaries, as 'polycystic ovaries' literally means 'many cysts on your ovaries'

WHAT CAN I DO TO TREAT PCOD?

Natural and nutritional therapies can offer you many effective treatment options for PCOD which will reduce your symptoms and increase your fertility.

1. Improve your fitness. This will automatically improve your poor blood sugar regulation, a core feature of PCOD. You will most likely have to do moderate to heavy exercise for at least one hour every day. An aerobics class is ideal, as is running. A lower proportion of fat and higher proportion of muscle reduces PCOD.

2. Change your diet. Less fat, less sugar, less carbohydrates. Aim for a diet rich in legumes, vegetables, animal protein and fruit. Avoid dairy (fat), alcohol (sugar) and restrict your intake of grain based carbohydrates like bread and pasta.

3. Eat more fibre from legumes and starchy vegetables. This will increase your levels of sex hormone binding globulin, which automatically reduces your androgen levels.

4. Take herbs which act as anti-androgens. Some herbs, particularly licorice and saw palmetto, actively block the action of androgen hormones on your hair follicles. See your local herbalist for an effective herb dose and combination. Self-prescribing herbs is frankly ineffective and sometimes dangerous, particularly if you are planning pregnancy.

5. Use homoeopathic remedies to balance your hormones if you suffer from PCOD-induced acne. Your naturopath can prescribe the best combination for you.

6. Take nutritional supplements to reduce your insulin resistance. See your local accredited nutritionist-naturopath.

7. Use hair removal strategies if you have hair in all the wrong places. Even when your androgen levels drop and you become fertile again, your hair follicles are still overly sensitive to androgen hormones. You must remove them permanently through IPL or electrolysis to stop them. Your self esteem will soar as your excess hair is removed.

Here's some really good news for you: YES PCOD can be reversed, YES you can restore your ovaries to fertility. But you must exercise more, alter your diet, and make the most of natural remedies available to you. Expect to undergo treatment for several months before you expect to see a result; hormones tend to shift slowly!

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