Tracking PCOS Symptoms
Tracking PCOS Symptoms
What symptoms should I track?
Hello everyone,
Happy Sunday! I am in beautiful Brighton this weekend. The sea makes me so happy. I spent 15 min in stillness in front of it and I felt so much peace. Peace with myself, the world and what’s to come.
Today’s newsletter discusses tracking your PCOS Symptoms. I would love to know what symptoms you currently track and how. I am currently running research on how women with PCOS manage this condition. If you’d be up for a 30-minute chat with me, I would be grateful. Kindly book a slot that works for you here.
This newsletter has been predominately written by Registered Nutritionist, Yancy Jensen, who is an absolute star.
In today's digital age, technology allows us to track various aspects of our health effortlessly.
Numerous trackers out there provide us with metrics that prompt us to lead healthier lifestyles. By keeping track of our food intake, physical activity levels, and sleep patterns, we can identify which activities help us improve our health. These trackers can also monitor health markers such as heart rate and blood pressure which helps us understand our progress and which areas we need to work on.
Most recently there has been an upsurge in interest in tools such as continuous blood glucose monitors (CGMs). We explored the potential of CGM in managing PCOS in this article. While CGMs are useful they only address one aspect of PCOS management.
The complexity of PCOS requires a holistic approach that includes monitoring a variety of symptoms that no wearable technology can track. Understanding the symptoms of PCOS and how they impact daily life is important as ultimately there isn’t a cure for this condition - the only way to manage this condition is to gain control of the symptoms in a way that can help improve our health and quality of life.
Why should you track?
Recent evidence from PCOS experts recommends the importance of tracking various PCOS symptoms. A recent study concluded that tracking is seen as reliable and credible by healthcare providers and can help foster communications between healthcare providers and the patient. Unfortunately, we know that going to a doctor’s office is always scary. What should I ask? Will they judge me? Will I get an answer on what is going on?
The truth is, we need to take control of our health. There is a huge shift from leaving your health in the heads of doctors to taking control of your own health and advocating for it. We have to do it.
Tracking our symptoms can help you make informed decisions about our treatment and our health. The bottom line is - the better you understand your body the better you can advocate for yourself - after all, who knows you better than yourself?
What should I be tracking?
Tracking the most important thing is key: menstrual cycles. Irregular periods are a hallmark of PCOS, and understanding their patterns can provide you with information about hormonal fluctuations. However, I know how hard is to track things when it only comes once every 4-5 months. Track what? my non-existent period?
This is where other changes in our body can offer us insights into what is happening with our hormones. These are things like water retention, weight fluctuations, mood, productivity levels, anxiety etc. I am building a symptom tracker specifically for PCOS. I would love to chat with you about it and learn more about what you’d like to track. If you would be up to help us build the product, please book a 30-minute research chat here.
Key symptoms to track:
Acne throughout your cycle
Hair growth and where on the body you notice them
Hair loss
Dark patches on skin
Weight fluctuations
Mood
Energy levels
Pain (and where it’s located)
Anything else that you are experiencing
Measuring if your efforts are working
We know that lifestyle changes including dietary changes and getting into a good exercise routine can help with PCOS symptoms and improve overall health.
However, we also know that adhering to these changes can be challenging, particularly if you’re facing unpredictable symptoms. By tracking symptoms we can identify what it’s working and making a difference. It can also help us stick to changes and identify what is stopping us from making these changes. Equipped with data means you can put in strategies to build habits around the changes and incorporate them in your life for the long run.
How long should I track my symptoms for?
While there's no definitive answer for how long one should track their symptoms, people who are planning to conceive may benefit from continuous tracking. This can provide them with valuable information for fertility planning. For others, tracking over an extended period can help identify trends and better understand the nuances of how PCOS is manifesting for you.
Ultimately, the duration of tracking should be tailored to your needs and goals. It’s important to consider your previous experiences with tracking. If you have a tendency to get fixated on the numbers or if you find yourself starting to track your symptoms and find it’s not working for you, then perhaps you might consider pausing, starting slowly or consider working with a health professional who specialises in this area.
Monitoring and understanding your symptoms plays a crucial role in managing PCOS. Understanding our condition and how it impacts our day-to-day lives can help us make informed choices that will improve our health and quality of life.
That’s it.
I hope you found this useful and I will speak to you all next week.
References
Hohmann-Marriott, B. E., Williams, T. A., & Girling, J. E. (2023). The role of menstrual apps in healthcare: provider and patient perspectives. The New Zealand Medical Journal, 136(1570), 42–53. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36796318/
Teede, H. J., Tay, C. T., Laven, J. J. E., Dokras, A., Moran, L. J., Piltonen, T. T., Costello, M. F., Boivin, J., Redman, L. M., Boyle, J. A., Norman, R. J., Mousa, A., & Joham, A. E. (2023). Recommendations from the 2023 International Evidence-based guideline for the assessment and management of polycystic ovary syndrome. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 108(10), 2447–2469. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgad463