The twenty-first-century women get subjected to immense stress and pressure both in the office and at home. The current trend of living a fast-paced, hyperconnected life, despite being a status symbol, takes a toll on health. Women often complain of inflammation, reduced immunity, anxiety, irregular menstrual cycles, and hormonal imbalance.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal imbalance problem and affects around one in ten women. It affects a woman’s appearance and overall health but can be treated with time. The imbalance in hormones could create problems in ovaries and be responsible for infertility.
In normal circumstances, ovaries release eggs every month, and menstruation begins.
However, in PCOS, the egg may not develop or release, thereby resulting in irregular periods. In some cases, there could be cysts development in ovaries too. PCOS remedies in Ayurveda can help drastically improve all your problems.
Major Symptoms of PCOS
Here are a few common symptoms of PCOS that women may experience.
- Acne: Hormonal imbalance in PCOS causes breakouts on the face, neck, chest, and even back.
- Irregular or no periods: As the ovaries do not regularly release eggs, women usually get fewer periods. Sometimes, they may get less than eight periods in a year.
- Weight gain: The majority of women suffering from PCOS have weight gain issues.
- Unwanted hair: Also termed hirsutism, some women may experience hair growth on their back, face, arms, abdomen, and chest.
- Sleep issues: Some of them may have trouble sleeping or insomnia.
- Infertility: PCOS is one of the major causes of infertility in women.
- Insulin resistance: The metabolic disturbance in PCOS could raise insulin levels, causing other health issues.
Techniques to control PCOS as per Ayurveda
There are various ways to manage PCOS in Ayurveda that have proved to be effective in curing PCOS in women to an extent. Some of them include:
- Nasya is the administration of drugs through the nasal cavity. Herbal juices and medicated oils help deal with the endocrine disorders to abolish imbalances and maintain equilibrium.
- Virechana is a detoxification method and an effective PCOS controlling technique in Ayurveda. It is effective to treat PCOS symptoms, including hormonal imbalances, irregular periods, and weight gain, to name a few.
- Uttarbasti includes a blend of herbs, medicinal ghee, kashaya, and oil decoction to sustain the reproductive system, boost fertility, and enhance natural conception. The method is known to be one of the effective ways to treat PCOS as it is customized based on the specific symptoms.
- Shirodhara is an ancient ayurvedic method to control PCOS that involves Shiro (head) and dhara (flow) that restores and calms nerves, purifies the mind, releases emotions, and harmonizes the vata constitutions. All of these maintain hormonal balance and treat PCOS.
Besides the above methods to control Pcos, Ayurveda also recommends bringing healthy changes in lifestyle and diet to solve PCOS symptoms. Including the right ingredients in the regular diet, indulging in yoga, and other changes can bring a hormonal balance.
Here are a few healthy changes recommended as PCOS controlling techniques in Ayurveda.
- Herbs: As per Ayurveda, certain herbs and their blend strengthen the reproductive system, facilitate balanced hormones, and treat PCOS. Some of those include Shatavari or Asparagus Racemosus, ashwagandha or Withania Somnifera, shilajit (purified Asphaltum), neem (Azadirachta Indica), cinnamon, and turmeric.
- Ayurvedic diet: Adopting certain dietary aspects in the daily lifestyle such as reducing sugary stuff, reducing salt and dairy consumption, consuming vegetables, and fruits, and eliminating fried food helps balance the hormones and treats PCOS.
Also, adding super foods such as ginger, dates, fenugreek, and whole grains improves overall health and strengthens the body’s internal organs.
Reducing non-vegetarian food items balance the hormones and blood glucose levels.
- Yoga asanas/mudras: Regular breathing exercises and performing yoga asanas such as vajrasana, uttanpadasana, vrikshasana, dhanurasana, ushtrasana, and baddha konasana help in reducing stress, promote calmness and make your mind and body healthy. All these are recommended to treat PCOS as per Ayurveda.
- Others: Some other lifestyle recommendations in Ayurveda to treat PCOS include managing stress levels, practicing pranayama, drinking adequate amounts of water, and indulging in calm and healthy activities to help in treating doshas and bringing a balance in hormones.
Do not worry if you have PCOS. It has become common these days with hectic schedules and pressure on the mind and body. Ayurveda methods to control PCOS can reduce the symptoms and maintain a hormonal balance in your body. However, you should note that it takes time for Ayurveda to settle in and give you results. Make sure you add these techniques in your routine life and do them regularly without giving a miss.
________________________
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3215317/
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334029331_AN_EFFORT_TO_UNDERSTAND_PCOS_IN_AYURVEDA_CONTEXT
http://impactfactor.org/PDF/IJPPR/9/IJPPR,Vol9,Issue10,Article12.pdf
