What Is The Main Cause Of PCOS? Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

Do you have difficulties losing weight, irregular periods and excessive hair growth? These are some of the most common signs of PCOS, but what causes PCOS, you may wonder?

The main cause of PCOS might be linked to genetics, insulin resistance, chronic inflammation and stress and hormonal imbalance. Symptoms include weight gain, irregular periods, excessive hair growth around the body, oily skin and acne. Insulin resistance, inflammation and hormonal imbalance make it difficult to lose weight – however, through lifestyle changes, you can reduce PCOS symptoms tremendously.

In order to address the main cause of PCOS, we’ll also talk about symptoms, weight loss resistance and treatment options.

What Are The 4 Most Common Causes Of PCOS?

If you’ve been wondering what the main cause of PCOS is, it’s actually a much more common condition than you think. Research shows that one in every ten women around the world is diagnosed with PCOS.

Polycystic ovary syndrome is categorized as a hormone-, genetic-, reproductive-, and metabolic condition that primarily affects your reproductive organs. This means it affects the ovaries, which produce progesterone and estrogen — the hormones vital for regulating your menstrual cycle.

But what exactly is the root cause of PCOS? It’s not entirely understood what causes PCOS, but some clear indications are genetic factors, insulin resistance, chronic inflammation and hormonal imbalances.

Insulin resistance is one of the main contributors to PCOS. When the cells in your body are unable to utilize insulin effectively and become less responsive to its actions, the demand for insulin within the body further increases.

To compensate for the demand, the pancreas starts creating more insulin, leading to an excessive level of insulin in your blood.

Unfortunately, this surge triggers your ovaries to produce more androgens, which are male reproductive hormones.

According to the research, about 70 percent of women with PCOS experience insulin resistance.

There’s a correlation between the level of androgen and PCOS. Studies have suggested that women with PCOS have much higher androgen levels as compared to the ones without it.

The ovaries produce androgens but in very small quantities. When their level rises more than what is considered usual, it can lead to symptoms like excessive hair growth and acne.

Increased androgen levels disrupt your entire menstrual cycle, contributing to irregular periods, which is commonly experienced by women with PCOS.

Another possible reason for PCOS is chronic inflammation. According to a study, women that have higher inflammation levels in their bodies are more likely to have PCOS.

Furthermore, research also suggests that genetics play a significant role in PCOS as the tendency might run in the family.

Even though it is not fully understood what specific gene causes it, myriad research has identified several genetic factors that contribute to the development of PCOS.

So, if you’ve already considered that you may have PCOS, which symptoms do you have to be aware of?

Symptoms Of PCOS

The symptoms of PCOS and their severity differ from woman to woman. While some may begin to notice the symptoms when they get their first periods, others get to know later in their life that they have PCOS, after experiencing noticeable symptoms like significant weight gain or difficulties while conceiving.

Some of the most common symptoms of PCOS include:

You may experience irregular periods because PCOS prevents ovulation. As a result, your uterine lining does not shed every month. Some women experience less than eight periods in an entire year, while others experience none at all.
Most women with PCOS experience hirsutism, an excessive growth of hair, on their body and face — including unusual places such as the chest, belly and back.
Due to an increase in androgens, your skin gets oiler leading to acne and breakouts, especially on the face, upper back and chest.
The hair on your head begins to get thinner, and there is an increase in hair loss.
More than 80 percent of the women with this condition experienced weight gain or obesity.

It is important to note that out of all the symptoms, weight gain is most likely experienced by all women with this condition.

For women with PCOS it can be challenging to lose weight due to a few factors affecting hormone levels and the metabolism.

Why Is It Hard To Lose Weight With PCOS?

Do you find yourself having a hard time losing weight despite your efforts of shifting towards a healthy lifestyle?

If your answer is yes, you are not alone. Losing weight with PCOS is not necessarily easy.

– Why is it so difficult for you to lose weight with PCOS? There might be a few different reasons contributing to this difficulty.

One possible reason for this is insulin resistance. Insulin helps to utilize sugar as energy and to store it as fat in the body.

In PCOS, increased insulin level leads to excessive fat storage, resulting in weight gain. Moreover, research shows that insulin resistance can lead to obesity and type 2 diabetes. This may make it much more difficult for women to lose weight.

Hormonal imbalance is another reason why it may be challenging to lose weight with PCOS. An imbalance in hormone levels during PCOS leads to slower metabolism, hindering weight loss.

If you want to regulate hormone balance in your body, you can seek guidance with the help of my 6-step eBook, Kickstart To Hormonal Balance. You’ll get all the steps to changing your habits, lifestyle and diet.

Additionally, inflammation may contribute to the difficulty of losing weight. Inflammation, coupled with weight gain, weakens the production of leptin – a crucial hormone that controls appetite and regulates metabolism.

Lower levels of leptin can slow down metabolism and increase hunger, creating a barrier to weight control.

So, if you’ve already confirmed that you may have PCOS, you may wonder how you can treat it.

PCOS Treatment

If you’ve found your main cause of PCOS – you may want to find a way of treating your symptoms or even get rid of PCOS.

While medical interventions can be helpful in treating PCOS, incorporating natural treatments work just as well (or maybe even better) for managing its symptoms.

Regular exercise can do wonders for women with PCOS. Physical exercise can not only improve insulin resistance but also help in reducing inflammation levels.

Some kinds of regular exercise include:

Swimming
Power walking
Resistance training
Dancing
Yoga
Pilates

According to the research, if you want to lower the complications of PCOS, you should do a minimum of 120 minutes of exercise per week.

Stress management techniques can help in lowering the effect of stress on PCOS symptoms.

Yoga, deep breathing exercises, medication or any other relaxation techniques can be useful in relieving stress. Getting a good amount of sleep and seeking support from loved ones also help in stress reduction.

Incorporating nutritional supplements into your daily routine can lower the risk of PCOS complications.

However, I would recommend you to consult a healthcare professional or coach before starting natural supplements.

Some of the most commonly recommended nutritional supplements for PCOS include:

Vitamin D
Chromium
Omega-3 fatty acids
Zinc
Coenzyme Q10
N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC)
Magnesium
Inositol

Another effective natural approach to treating PCOS is through diet, particularly by following an anti-inflammatory diet.

There is a certain food that helps in reducing inflammation. It is usually recommended to have a diet rich in nutrients, antioxidants, minerals and amino acids.

Also, try avoiding food that causes inflammation such as refined carbohydrates, sugary beverages, snacks, junk food and alcohol.

Finding a diet plan suited to your hormone type – and that supports the PCOS condition may be tricky.

However, through my FREE Hormone Type Quiz, you can find your hormone body type and how you can support your body the best possible way to lose weight and balance your hormones.