What Every Woman and Girl needs to Know about PCOS and Why
Author: Ashley Levinson
PCOS Awareness Advocate Ashley Levinson, after over ten years of service to the PCOS Community is aggressively campaigning for more awareness, exposure and education for PCOS( Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) For Ashley who was diagnosed with PCOS in 1999, PCOS Awareness has been played a key role in helping her learn to live and deal with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Ashley says, "PCOS Awareness has to happen now to ensure women and girls do not have to go through another day, month or year of silent suffering." Up to 10% of women and girls worldwide have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a complex hormonal disorder for which there is no cure. However, with proper education, diagnosis and treatment, effective management is possible. For many, like Ms. Levinson Polycystic Ovary Syndrome means having to face daily battles with a range of symptoms that can vary from woman to woman such as infertility, dark skin patches, obesity, acne, hair loss, excess facial and body hair and skin tags.
PCOS is a physical and emotional drain on many individuals with the syndrome due to the devastating external manifestations and hormonal imbalances produced as a result of this syndrome?, says Ms. Levinson. Many women with PCOS are insulin resistant, a condition that raises the level of insulin circulating in the body and in many cases causes women with PCOS to become overweight or obese. If left untreated PCOS can be a precursor to many life threatening conditions including type II diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke and kidney problems. This means PCOS contributes to some of the leading causes of death and disability in women today! Ashley plans to incite, inspire and empower the PCOS Community to speak very openly about their struggles, symptoms, and trials to overcome the illness, to help other women and girls understand the syndrome and seek the proper resources to help them manage their lives with PCOS. She hopes to be a driving force in changing the way the public, media and government views PCOS education, treatment and coverage for medical procedures and treatments, as a result of PCOS. " I find it very unsettling that male impotence medications are covered by most insurance companies but, women who have a legitimate endocrine disorder that requires the care of a doctor and specific medications have to struggle come up with money so they can receive the proper treatment!", says Ms. Levinson.
Ashley's desire to spread awareness stems from what she and many other women with PCOS have gone through, years without the proper diagnosis and not knowing what was truly wrong. Thousands of women from around the country have experienced the same lack of response from the medical community with little understanding of PCOS and the best way to treat it. Many medical professionals still view the syndrome as a gynecological problem and only address the syndrome when issues of infertility arise. As a result, single women, older women and those not trying to get pregnant often still have little chance of being diagnosed. Prior to a few years ago, PCOS had been largely misunderstood and rarely diagnosed. "The information to make a proper diagnosis just wasn't there," said Ashley. "Your concerns, in many cases, would have been dismissed. Now the medical community is realizing it is more than menstrual irregularities, it's a lifelong condition that can take years off of your life", says Ashley. Part of the problem, then and now, is that the PCOS symptoms manifest themselves in different ways. In fact, not all affected women have polycystic ovaries. Women with PCOS can have any combination of symptoms of varying severity. As a result, researchers, doctors and women themselves look at the symptoms individually rather than collectively. "It Is my personal goal to ensure every medical professional makes the proper diagnosis. Furthermore, I think girls who are coming of age should learn about PCOS when they are learning about sex education in school ", said Ms. Levinson, who continues to dedicate her life to PCOS Awareness and Advocacy.
Ms. Levinson has be taking the first step in making this happen by sharing her story through various media outletsincluding:
June 2005 -The Gloucester County Times
Sept. 2005 - Ashley personal journey Featured on Discovery Health Channel Mystery Diagnosis
October 2005 - personal story in Woman's World Magazine
Fall 2005 - Article featured in NY Trend
Fall 2006- Pocono Record - Journey with PCOS
Spring 2007 - Top Ten finalist in Glamour Magazine's Woman of the Year for PCOS Advocacy
October 2010 - Glamour Magazine featured article about PCOS and Endometriosis
February 2014 - Shorty Award Nominee for PCOS Activism
PCOS is a physical and emotional drain on many individuals with the syndrome due to the devastating external manifestations and hormonal imbalances produced as a result of this syndrome?, says Ms. Levinson. Many women with PCOS are insulin resistant, a condition that raises the level of insulin circulating in the body and in many cases causes women with PCOS to become overweight or obese. If left untreated PCOS can be a precursor to many life threatening conditions including type II diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke and kidney problems. This means PCOS contributes to some of the leading causes of death and disability in women today! Ashley plans to incite, inspire and empower the PCOS Community to speak very openly about their struggles, symptoms, and trials to overcome the illness, to help other women and girls understand the syndrome and seek the proper resources to help them manage their lives with PCOS. She hopes to be a driving force in changing the way the public, media and government views PCOS education, treatment and coverage for medical procedures and treatments, as a result of PCOS. " I find it very unsettling that male impotence medications are covered by most insurance companies but, women who have a legitimate endocrine disorder that requires the care of a doctor and specific medications have to struggle come up with money so they can receive the proper treatment!", says Ms. Levinson.
Ashley's desire to spread awareness stems from what she and many other women with PCOS have gone through, years without the proper diagnosis and not knowing what was truly wrong. Thousands of women from around the country have experienced the same lack of response from the medical community with little understanding of PCOS and the best way to treat it. Many medical professionals still view the syndrome as a gynecological problem and only address the syndrome when issues of infertility arise. As a result, single women, older women and those not trying to get pregnant often still have little chance of being diagnosed. Prior to a few years ago, PCOS had been largely misunderstood and rarely diagnosed. "The information to make a proper diagnosis just wasn't there," said Ashley. "Your concerns, in many cases, would have been dismissed. Now the medical community is realizing it is more than menstrual irregularities, it's a lifelong condition that can take years off of your life", says Ashley. Part of the problem, then and now, is that the PCOS symptoms manifest themselves in different ways. In fact, not all affected women have polycystic ovaries. Women with PCOS can have any combination of symptoms of varying severity. As a result, researchers, doctors and women themselves look at the symptoms individually rather than collectively. "It Is my personal goal to ensure every medical professional makes the proper diagnosis. Furthermore, I think girls who are coming of age should learn about PCOS when they are learning about sex education in school ", said Ms. Levinson, who continues to dedicate her life to PCOS Awareness and Advocacy.
Ms. Levinson has be taking the first step in making this happen by sharing her story through various media outletsincluding:
June 2005 -The Gloucester County Times
Sept. 2005 - Ashley personal journey Featured on Discovery Health Channel Mystery Diagnosis
October 2005 - personal story in Woman's World Magazine
Fall 2005 - Article featured in NY Trend
Fall 2006- Pocono Record - Journey with PCOS
Spring 2007 - Top Ten finalist in Glamour Magazine's Woman of the Year for PCOS Advocacy
October 2010 - Glamour Magazine featured article about PCOS and Endometriosis
February 2014 - Shorty Award Nominee for PCOS Activism
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition that affects a woman's hormone levels. Women with PCOS produce higher-than-normal amounts of male hormones. This hormone imbalance causes them to skip menstrual periods and makes it harder for them to get pregnant.But with Agbara Herbal Cleanser, This Pcos will be cured and it will regulate and balance your Hormones and You will get Pregnant very easy, Use Agbara Herbal Cleanser , Cure your Pcos and get pregnant very fast. The cysts are not harmful, but they can lead to an imbalance in hormone levels. Women with PCOS may also experience menstrual cycle abnormalities, increased androgen (sex hormone) levels, excess hair growth, acne, and obesity…
ReplyDeleteMost ovarian cysts are small and don't cause symptoms. If a cyst does cause symptoms, you may have pressure, bloating, swelling, or pain in the lower abdomen on the side of the cyst. This pain may be sharp or dull and may come and go. If a cyst ruptures, it can cause sudden, severe pain., To avoid all this pains and cure it completely, Just use Agbara Herbal Deep Cleanser, and everything will be clear and you can get pregnant without any problem. drcureherbalhome@gmail.com.
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