Thrive Naturopathics

Would you consider your menstrual flow to be normal or heavy?

It's possible you may think you have a normal flow when actually your menstrual blood loss is higher than normal, or vice versa

it can be tricky to determine, so here are some characteristics to help self-identification of heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB)

if you have HMB, it should not be left untreated because
1. you don't need to suffer through heavy bleeding and pain every month. It's not normal
2. it is likely you'll have anemia and this can cause other problems like fatigue and shortness of breath. there are blood tests to check for this
3. there will be an underlying cause or medical condition for HMB and the sooner you get it checked the better

I hope this was helpful, be sure to save this for later reference and share with your menstruating people 🫶

References:
PMID: 29201425
PMID: 38378571
https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina59050874

In fact, you could be diagnosed without an ultrasound!

PCOS is a hormonal condition characterised by high androgens ("male hormones"). If you don't have high androgens, then it's not PCOS - even if you have polycystic ovaries (high amount of follicles)

Diagnostic criteria for PCOS includes 1 + 2 or 3 or all 3 below:

1) hyperandrogenism - high levels of testosterones, either biochemically (shown on a blood test) or clinically (visible with hirsutism, acne, hair loss).
2) oligo-anovulation - longer, irregular cycles and ovulation dysfunction
3) polycystic ovarian morphology - >20 follicles (egg sacs) per ovary, larger in size than normal

There are also other reasons why you could have androgen excess which should be ruled out first before PCOS is considered

So, if you have been told you have PCOS purely from an ultrasound and no other diagnostic criteria, it could be good to get a second opinion. Incorrect diagnosis can be harmful in many ways, especially when you google treatment for PCOS...

Conversely, if you've been told you don't have PCOS because your ovaries look normal, but you have the other two symptoms... I also recommend you get a second opinion

Has this happened to you or someone you know? what is your experience with PCOS diagnosis?

Let me know in the comments 🌸

March is Endometriosis Awareness Month 💛

1 in 10 women in NZ will have endometriosis so it's likely someone in your friends or whānau will be affected. I, myself am one of them

It's a complicated disease without a cure that can be incredibly debilitating for some

Throughout the month, I will be posting more about endo including treatment and management options, testing, and other factors to consider with endo so keep an eye out for that

If you're unfamiliar with the disease, there's a lot of information here about it so have a read-through and feel free to post any questions or comments or DM me if you'd prefer