PCOS or Poly cystic ovarian syndrome is a condition that affects approximately ten percent of the female population, the symptoms vary from woman to woman but generally the main symptoms are:

• Infertility due to lack of ovulation
• Acne and oily skin
• Infrequent menstrual periods or no menstrual periods or irregular bleeding
• Increased hair growth on face, chest, stomach, back, thumbs and toes
• Weight gain
• High cholesterol
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Thinning hair
• Mood swings and irritability
• Sleep apnea
• Patches of dark skin
• High blood pressure

There is no cure for PCOS, but each of the symptoms can be managed individually.

Birth control pills can be used to regulate the menstrual cycle in woman that do not wish to become pregnant. They will also help reduce the male hormone levels and reduce acne. All symptoms will return when the pill is stopped.

Diabetes medication can be prescribed to control the type 2 diabetes, namely Metformin. Metformin will reduce the amount of male hormones produced which will help slow down the excessive hair growth and can also help with ovulation.

Fertility treatment can be used to stimulate ovulation for woman that wish to become pregnant, although by using these medications there is a risk of multiple births. IVF is another option.

Laser hair removal and electrolysis are two non medical ways to remove unwanted excess hair. Other options are Spironolactone, which is a blood pressure medicine but it has been shown to decrease the male hormones effect on hair, or Propecia.

To relieve symptoms of PCOS it is important to keep healthy. Exercise and a healthy diet will help the body to lower glucose levels and to use insulin more efficiently. Even a small loss in body weight can help to regulate the menstrual cycle.

To help induce ovulation, surgery is an option, although it is not recommended as a first course of treatment. Ovarian drilling is performed by the surgeon by making a small incision above or below the navel and inserting a small instrument that acts like a telescope into the abdomen. The doctor then punctures the ovary with a small needle carrying an electric current to destroy a small portion of the ovary. These effects may only last a few months and it is possible that the surgery can create scar tissue on the ovaries. This treatment doesn’t help with increased hair growth and loss of scalp hair but it will help to lower male hormone levels and induce ovulation.

About the author:
Lucy Bartlett is a proud contributing author. Find more articles here. For more info visit PCOS or PCOS Treatment

Sheryl’s comment:
Please explore fitness and nutrition options prior to ovarian drilling or IVF. These drastic options may address the symptoms but not the cause. Check out this site for lots of information on PCOS including natural remedies. Or read Positive Options for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

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Health insurance for infertility treatment can be a complicated – and touchy – subject. It affects a lot of people – approximately 6 million women experience the pain of infertility each year in the United States. The health insurance laws in the state you live in may have a lot do with the extent of your coverage; for example whether your employer is required to provide infertility insurance or not.

One reason that infertility insurance is so expensive and hard to come by is because the procedures are so complicated – an in-vitro fertilization procedure can cost $10,000 or more. Not surprisingly, many insurance companies simply don’t provide – or provide very limited – insurance coverage for infertility.

There are some things you can do if you aren’t covered for infertility treatment under your health insurance. First, make sure you read and fully understand your insurance policy – some policies exclude actual treatments only, some exclude diagnosis too.

Determine whether you live in a state that has mandatory infertility insurance coverage – New York, for example is one of several such states. Under the mandate, your state must ensure that insurers provide fertility insurance as part of a standard plan, or as an option to purchase for a reasonable price.

If you are shopping around for health insurance, never mention that you are looking specifically for fertility insurance, or that this may later be a concern. As this coverage is so costly, insurance companies have the right by law to turn down your application for insurance – without giving you a reason.

If you are denied coverage, it is also possible to appeal to your insurance company on the grounds that the fertility coverage is a legitimate and necessary medical procedure. To appeal any decision successfully, always obtain legal advice, and you may need the support of your doctor.

And if your insurance company just won’t cover it, the good news is that infertility treatment, like most medical procedures are tax-deductible. This includes the actual procedures as well as general physician’s visits, drug costs, etc.

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Many women are dealing with fertility and conception problems, one suggestion to help relieve the stresses faced when failing to become pregnant is to find a friend to share in your experiences. Bonding with another person in the same situation can help both of you, and perhaps one or both of you will successfully become pregnant.

The friend who you turn to during this time can be another woman who relates to the challenges of apparent infertility (or a couple if your partner is involved).Someone who has never been in this position, experiencing failure to conceive, can’t be as supportive as someone who has had this life experience.

One suggestion of a highly suitable friend for your fertility support is someone who has overcome their own conception and fertility issues. They can be a great source of advice, moral support for the times when failure occurs, and a person to share your dreams.

As with everything, there are advantages and disadvantages, it can be heart breaking if only one of you becomes pregnant while the other continues to face the uncertainty. This is perhaps the biggest reason to choose a supportive person who has already overcome their own fertility problems.

If you don’t know anyone close by, or live in less populated areas, don’t forget to turn to the internet for support. Online discussion groups and chat rooms dealing with fertility problems such as fertilityfriend.com may be better suited. They are also great for men who may not be able to access similar services aimed toward women in their own local area. Of course, in larger cities, there are support groups where you can share your experiences, strengths and dreams as well as discuss new research and treatments. Often in these groups, you could meet a person to develop a friendship bond with to share your successes and sorrows.

We all need love and support from friends, especially in times of stress. A close relationship allows a healthy outlet for venting, mentoring and discussion. It also encourages the feeling that you are not going through this with only your partner, or completely alone if you do not have a partner.

Having a healthy outlet to share you experience, gives you perspective on your situation, you will be less likely to obsess over the failures. Sometimes, just this stress release outlet can be all that is needed for a couple to have a happy, healthy and successful pregnancy.

About the author:
Learn more fertility help and tips plus how to find a fertility friend

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Sometimes a woman’s temperature does not rise with ovulation, or there are other difficulties with using the basal temperature method of predicting ovulation. If you find yourself in this condition, there are a variety of products available from the drug store which can help you predict your ovulation but they can be a costly alternative.

What’s included in an ovulation prediction kit, and how does it work? Actually there are several types of ovulation predictors. One of the choices is a battery operated device that tests your saliva for the presence of hormones which indicate ovulation. These testers are reusable and are about the size of a lipstick. Using one requires you to put a drop of saliva on the lens. When it dries, you have an eyepiece through which the dried saliva is magnified forty times. If increased estrogen is presence, the saliva will have dried in a fern-like design. Such a device can cost around $40, but it doesn’t require additional purchases. Brand names include Ovulite and Fertile Focus.

Another option is a kit that requires you to collect your urine in a cup and test it with a test strip to determine the presence of hormones. Most of them test for luteinizing hormone, a substance that increases prior to ovulation. There are a variety of these kits on the market. Some have as few as 7 test strips included and others have 20 or more. For women with irregular periods, seven test strips might not be enough. One of these kits will probably cost between $15 and $30. If you need to buy one several months in a row, it could prove costly. However, they are helpful and somewhat less trouble than charting basal temperatures, although many women do both at the same time. Brands include Answer and Clear Blue.

If money is not an object and you like high tech gadgets, you might want to check into an electric fertility monitor with a digital read-out. For $200 you can get a small device that will tell you when to test your urine, based on the first day of your period. The monitor also reads your test sticks for both luteinizing hormone and estrogen. One such device is made by Clear Blue. If pregnancy doesn’t happen within a few months, you will have to buy additional test strips to use with it.

Clear Blue also makes a tester that has a digital readout that is very easy to interpret, unlike some other kits. It costs about $40, can test urine seven times, and is not reusable – which makes it too costly for a lot of people.

About the author:
Stacey Woods – ConceiveEasy Ovulation Prediction Kits

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If you’re thinking about getting pregnant, or trying to get pregnant already, taking care of your health is a top priority for your fertility. To help your body achieve it’s maximum fertility, take the following steps:

- Take 400 micrograms (or 0.4 mg) of folic acid daily. Focus on eating foods fortified with folic acid, take a multivitamin, or take a folic acid pill to get your daily dose. Taking a folic acid supplement is the best way to be sure you’re getting enough. Including 0.4 mg of folic acid (or folate) in your diet before you get pregnant and in the first three months of pregnancy can help prevent some birth defects. If you don’t get enough folic acid, your baby’s spine may not form correctly. This is called spina bifida. Another reason why your baby needs folic acid to is to develop a healthy brain. Many doctors will prescribe a multi-vitamin that contains folic acid. You can also buy folic acid pills at drug stores, supermarkets or online.

Foods that are rich in folate include: leafy green vegetables, kidney beans, orange juice and other citrus fruits, peanuts, broccoli, asparagus, peas, lentils, and whole-grain products. Folic acid is also sometimes added to foods like enriched breads, pastas, rice and cereals.

- Be more aware of what you eat. Start stacking your diet with fruits, vegetables, and whole-grains (such as whole-wheat breads or crackers). Be sure to eat plenty of calcium-rich foods such as non-fat or low-fat yogurt, milk and broccoli. Your baby needs a lot of calcium for strong bones and teeth. When fruits and vegetables aren’t in season, frozen vegetables are a good option. Avoid eating a lot of fatty foods (such as butter and fatty meats). Choose leaner foods when you can (such as skim milk, chicken and turkey without the skin and fish). Avoid farm raised fish as they contain high levels of mercury. Opt instead for Wild Alaskan salmon that is certified mercury free. It is imperative that you maintain this policy throughout your pregnancy.

- Bite the bullet. If you smoke or use alcohol or drugs you have to quit. Quitting is hard, but your fertility (and your fetus) will suffer if you don’t. You can do it. Ask your doctor for help.

- Get plenty of sleep. Try to get seven to nine hours every night.

- Do everything you can to control the stress in your life. When it comes to work and family, figure out what you can and can not do. Set firm limits with yourself and others. Don’t be afraid to say “NO” to requests for your time and energy. You may not realize it, but high stress can lower your fertility more any other factor.

- Don’t forget to move your body. Once you get pregnant, you can’t increase your exercise routine by much. So it’s best to start a routine before the baby is on its way.

- If you have existing health problems take steps to get them under control. Talk to your doctor about how your health problems might affect you and your baby. If you suffer from diabetes, carefully monitor your blood sugar levels. If you have high blood pressure, monitor these levels as well. If you are overweight, set an appointment with your doctor and talk about how to reach a healthy weight.

- Find out what health problems run in your family. Tell these to your doctor. You can get tested for health problems that run in families before getting pregnant (genetic testing).

- Make sure you have had all of your immunization shots, especially for Rubella (German measles). If you haven’t had chickenpox or rubella already, get the shots at least three months before getting pregnant. Having either of these diseases after childhood can render you infertile.*

- Get checked for hepatitis B and C, sexually transmitted diseases, and HIV. These infections can be harmful to you and your baby. Tell your doctor if you or your sex partners have ever had an STD or HIV.

- To protect your fertility go over all of the medicines you take with your doctor, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter, and herbal medicine. Make sure they are safe to take while you’re trying to get pregnant or are pregnant.

Taking each of the steps will help you to get your body ready for maximum fertility, and eliminate things that could possibly cause infertility. Check them off one at a time and get ready for baby.

About the author:
Helene Kvist makes it easy to understand what to do to make your body highly fertile and more likely to conceive and become pregnant. Learn the essential keys to high fertility and a
successful pregnancy. To receive the Powerful Pregnancy Report visit: http://www.my-fertility.com/

Sheryl’s comment:
I do not advocate getting vaccinated for anything as a way to get pregnant (in fact we feel the opposite is true). I also feel very strongly about avoiding flu shots, Rh shots or anything else that involves a needle while pregnant. Vaccinations, Pitocin and other shots can contain a variety of toxic substances (the nature of vaccinations) and potentially thimerosol (which as we know has a very strong link to autism). Wild horses could not drag me to let anyone, ever insert a needle in my body while pregnant or trying to become pregnant, no way, no how.

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Clomid is the name of the “wonder” medication that helps infertile couples achieve pregnancy. Infertility is the condition that is understood as the inability to conceive normally. To provide much awaited relief to women suffering from this medical condition, the drug known as Clomid came to this world.

This infertility medication is chemically known as Clomiphene citrate. It is a hormone used to induce ovulation, to correct irregular ovulation, to increase egg production and to correct a condition known as luteal phase deficiency. Normal recommended dose is 59 mg to 200 mg, and taken for 5-9 days. This medication is among the most inexpensive fertility drugs.

This fertility medication is easily taken orally rather than by injection and is the first line drug used for ovulation induction in patients with PCOS and other ovulatory disorders. This medication is widely used for patients with luteal phase defect. It can also be used to assess ovarian reserve (the likelihood that a woman’s ovaries can still produce viable eggs). Clomid is not useful for women whose ovaries have reached the end of their working life.

Clomid is a capable and complicated medication. This medication reacts with all of the tissues in the body that have estrogen receptors, such as the hypothalamus, pituitary, ovary, endometrium, vagina, and cervix. This fertility medication influences the way that the four hormones required for ovulation, GnRH, FSH, LH and estradiol, relate and interrelate.

How does clomid work? Up unti now no one has been able to understand the mechanisms by which this drug works. It appears that Clomid fools the body into believing that the estrogen levels are low. This altered feedback information causes the hypothalamus (an important part the brain) to make and release more gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) which in turn causes the pituitary to make and release more FSH and LH. More follicle stimulating hormone and more luteinizing hormone should result in the release of one or more mature eggs – ovulation.

Just as women’s bodies are different from one another, their reactions to Clomid vary tremendously. It was observed that some women have virtually no side effects. Others do, but they are more frequently related to emotions. Possible side effects of Clomid may include mood swings, hot flashes, breast tenderness, and thinning of the uterine lining. About 10 percent of those who use Clomid will have a multiple pregnancy (twins). Clomid can cause hostile fertile mucous and thins the uterine lining in over 30 percent of the women who use it. The hostile mucus kills sperm, and the thin uterine can prevent implantation or cause an early miscarriage.

I am sure information shared here about one of the most talked subjects relating to female infertility and ovulation problems will definitely answer some of your questions about the subject. Come and enjoy your life with sweet memories of becoming mother in company of Clomid.

About the author:
Saurabh Verma is working as Sr. Web Content Developer for leading pharmacy web-site a1dietpill.com.

Sheryl’s comment:
Please note that I provide articles on all aspects of fertility. It does not mean that I endorse or recommend the use of Clomid or other fertility enhancing drugs. I strongly recommend that if you are interested in conceiving, that you explore all options available to you, including the use of gentle, natural methods prior to utilizing expensive, invasive, and/or dangerous medical procedures and medications.

The ancient Chinese believed that energy-forces called meridians ran through the body. Blockages along these meridians could lead to sickness and other ailments, including infertility. Chinese acupuncture practitioners treat these blockages by painlessly inserting slender needles at different points along the meridians.

Today many health professionals believe that acupuncture stimulates nerves and causes the body to release chemicals that help it to heal itself. So how could this impact your fertility?

The use of acupuncture for fertility is just beginning to be explored by modern fertility experts. Studies are already showing that women who choose acupuncture along with other fertility boosting strategies have a higher rate of conception.

It is possible that acupuncture stimulates the brain to produce more endorphins, which help relax the body and make you more open to conception. Relaxation and stress relief have long been proven to help women conceive.

Acupuncture may also stimulate the nervous system and allow it to function more effectively. When this occurs your body receives all the signals that it needs. These signals range from the already mentioned cue to produce more endorphins to signals that tell your reproductive organs to function.

Your body needs clear and open nerve channels to interpret signals to produce the hormones that help to make your body open to conception. It is also vital that it get all signals to produce the hormones that will sustain your baby once conception has occurred.

It has also been suggested that acupuncture may help to improve blood flow to the body, including to the vital ovaries, where your eggs are stored and ripen each month. Increased blood flow to the uterus allows a thick and nourishing lining to build up in preparation for your newly conceived baby.

Research is pointing to acupuncture as a viable and cost effective way to improving fertility and overall health. Acupuncture practitioners also study herbs and use them in tandem with acupuncture techniques. A trained acupuncturist will be able to advise you on herbs to boost your fertility along with your acupuncture treatment.

About the author:
Kristen Hart owns http://www.getting-pregnant.com a website devoted to bringing women and men information on natural fertility. Visit the site to learn more about natural fertility and to subscribe to Getting-Pregnant.com’s full natural fertility article series.
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Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) August 3, 2006 — “Too many women of childbearing age are led to believe by their gynecologists or internists that the presence of uterine fibroids will prevent pregnancy,” said world-renowned gynecologic surgery pioneer Thomas L. Lyons, MD, of the Center for Women’s Care & Reproductive Surgery in Atlanta. “That’s a myth. If they’re not bothering you, you don’t need to bother with them.”

Numerous patients inquire about whether they should have fibroids removed in order to “clean themselves up” to enhance their chances of pregnancy, Dr. Lyons explained. “Unfortunately, many surgeons will go along with a patient’s wishes to have fibroids removed, even though evidence shows that fibroids do not really prevent pregnancy, and that women with fibroids do not have a higher risk of a bad pregnancy,” he said.

“The obvious corollary to this is that their physicians want to perform the surgery or the procedure whether it’s really necessary for the patient or not,” said Dr. Lyons. “With in-office diagnostics like ultrasound, an accurate and relatively inexpensive method of ruling out ovarian abnormalities, and hysteroscopy, which can also be a treatment, we can tell what’s happening with fibroids and whether they might present any problems.”

In addition to offering leading therapies and procedures for fibroid detection and removal, Dr. Lyons developed the Laparoscopic Supracervical Hysterectomy (LSH) in 1990 and has performed thousands of them successfully.

Renowned as the global “go-to guy” on LSH, he has donated his time over nearly two decades to train hundreds of surgeons on this and other minimally invasive procedures he has developed.

Debunking the Myth
According to statistics cited on eHealthMD, only about six percent of women who are infertile have fibroids, and these are usually not the source of the infertility. Fibroids cause the problem in only 2- 3% of cases.

The real, but rare issue of fibroids causing infertility may include fibroids blocking sperm passage into one or both fallopian tubes, which may prevent the egg’s fertilization. Additionally, if fibroids fill the uterine cavity, they may block implantation of the fertilized egg.

Other rare issues include the possibility of premature labor or miscarriage due to fibroids in the uterine cavity, or an increased chance that the baby is not positioned to be born headfirst, necessitating cesarean section.

Since all these possibilities are so minimal, Dr. Lyons is shocked at the prevalent notion among women who want to bear children that they must be “fibroid-free” in order to conceive. “Their own gynecologists often will not debunk this notion. It’s up to the patient now to research her options,” he said.

Do research and know your options. Discerning patients who aren’t willing to settle for one opinion or “the way it’s always been done” find Dr. Lyons on the Internet and come from as far as Tokyo, Rome, Madrid, Australia and Buenos Aires, seeking him as a second or third opinion.

They discuss numerous options including laparoscopic myomectomy,removal of the fibroids only, or drug therapy. Often, where other physicians will recommend a major surgery, Lyons suggests either a ‘wait and see’ approach or an easy, in-office procedure such as hysteroscopy.

“It’s especially important that patients choose a surgeon who is experienced in working with lasers and laparoscopy. The minimally invasive procedures we perform require more skill than open abdominal procedures. They’re easier on the patient, but more challenging for the surgeon,” explained Dr. Lyons.

Many surgeons will attempt a laparoscopic procedure and feel it necessary to convert to an open surgery with a long incision during the procedure. Make sure to ask your surgeon about his or her conversion ratio. Dr. Lyons’ conversion ratio is less than one percent. www.thomasllyons.com

Sheryl’s Comment
While this information is certainly a step in the right direction, if you have been diagnosed with uterine fibroids please research all of your options thoroughly prior to making any medical decisions regarding your body even in the hopes of achieving pregnancy faster.

There are many wonderful books on how to combat fibroids through diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes. Some recommended changes include emphasizing organic fruits and vegetables in your diet while avoiding red meat and simple carbohydrates. As you probably already know, this simple prescription will cure or improve the health of almost anyone regardless of what ails them but the xenoestrogens in animal products and pesticides have been specifically implicated in fibroid development.

Emotional health is another causative factor so fertility yoga and meditation or deep breathing exercises may be helpful to you.

Please consider the alternatives before allowing a surgeon to butcher, maim and disfigure you to their financial gain when you could have made some fairly simple lifestyle changes.
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Whether you have been trying to conceive for years or are just now considering preconception care, then you probably want to do everything you can to conceive quickly and maximize the health of your fetus. Your morning cup of coffee can be exceptionally difficult to give up, however. Of all the vices people have, coffee is often considered one of the more benign. So is it really necessary to give it up if you are trying to conceive?

The coffee/fertility studies appear to be mixed. One study done in 2003 showed women who consumed less than 300 mg of caffeine a day (appx 2-3 cups of coffee) a day did not experience reduced fertility. Another study showed that women who drank 300 mg or more a day did take somewhat longer to conceive. Yet another study of over 1000 women in CT found the risk of not conceiving to go up with each additional cup of coffee, where even one cup reduced a woman’s ability to conceive.

The results are mixed for men as well. One study showed that sperm count, motility and abnormalities increased with the number of cups of coffee drank in a day – while another Brazilian study showed increased motility for mild to heavy coffee drinkers.

Is it the coffee? Is it the caffeine? Is it the tannic acid in coffee and black tea? Is it really hurting or is it sometimes helping? Here’s a thought. It is quite likely not the coffee but the chemicals that the coffee is swimming in, that may have a detrimental impact on fertility. Decaffeinated coffee has even more chemicals and you should only drink organic decaf (if you can find it) whether you are trying to conceive or not. One study showed that drinking three cups of decaf a day was increased a woman’s risk of spontaneous abortion.

You have a couple of options if you want to give up the chemicals but not the brew. In addition to buying coffee that isn’t loaded with chemicals, try to make your coffee without paper filters as they are also loaded with chemicals. Three ways to drink a healthier brew according to coffeereview.com are:

1. Buy a traditional coffee, grown as coffee was grown from its inception, before agricultural chemicals were invented. All Yemen, almost all Ethiopia, and most Sumatra Mandheling coffees are grown in such a state of innocence, and all are among the world’s finest.

2. Buy a certified organic coffee. Certified organic coffees are coffees whose growing conditions and processing have been thoroughly monitored by independent agencies and found to be free of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, chemical fertilizers, and other potentially harmful chemicals. The monitoring agencies visit the farm and verify that no chemicals have been used on the farm for several years, and then follow every step of the processing, preparing, transporting, storage, and roasting. Such careful monitoring is of course expensive, which is one reason certified organic coffees cost more than similar uncertified coffees. Many such certified organic coffees are the product of socially and environmentally progressive cooperatives.

3. Buy a coffee labeled “sustainable.” At this writing sustainable is a rather loose term meaning that, in the view of the importer or roaster, designated farmers are doing everything within reason to avoid the use of agricultural chemicals and to pursue enlightened environmental and socially progressive practices in the growing and processing of their coffees.

Another possible healthier option is to drink green tea for your caffeine fix. A study done by the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program in Oakland, California showed that women who drank at least 1/2 cup of green tea containing caffeine a day had twice the conception rates. This is an often quoted study but the results are inconclusive with the results possibly linked to the fact that green tea drinkers sometimes live a healthier lifestyle. We will probably never see a large study completed on the possible correlation between fertility and tea consumption because tea cannot be patented so there are no huge profits to be made from such a study.

What we do know however is that our reproductive system does not exist in a vacuum. The systems of our bodies are all connected and affect one another. Just because our reproductive system can be pinpointed in an anatomy book does not mean that other diseases, disorders or conditions will not have a contributing effect on infertility.

The benefits of drinking green tea are well publicized and is almost integral to any wellness program. Perhaps switching out your traditional coffee for something that can reduce cancer, arthritis, infection, cardiovascular disease, tooth decay, food poisoning, diabetes and stress hormones and can improve your cholesterol levels, immune function, metabolism and mental alertness could also give your fertility a boost by association.

Do not hinge your hopes of conceiving on switching from coffee to organic coffee or tea. It can’t hurt and it will probably improve your state of mind and overall wellness which certainly cannot hurt. As a woman in my late 30s, I can guarantee you that if the day comes that I am going to try for another one, I will absolutely substitute green tea for coffee at least three months before I start to try and hopefully it is a habit I can keep up for life.

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