subject: How To Be Your Own Health Advocate With Pcos [print this page] Many health professionals are overwhelmed with patients, diagnosing and treating conditions, and tending to everyone who needs help. So often we rely on doctors and other health practitioners to be and do everything in regards to our conditions and personal health situations. In order to achieve true optimal health, personal responsibility is critical for your health.
Personal responsibility means taking action instead of waiting for someone to tell you what to do. Being proactive is more effective than being reactive in any situation. Especially concerning women's health conditions like polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), as so many of them are hard to diagnose or discover the root issue, we must be vigilant of our own health. This includes scheduling doctor's visits, requesting specific blood work be performed, journaling symptoms, including severity of pain and duration, and seeking solutions. The "seeking solutions" part of personal responsibility is the action most women find difficult to take outside of their primary physician's advice. Our doctors, as wonderful as they can be, are not responsible for our health as much as we are; we must seek solutions for our conditions on our own, exploring the many different options for treatment, even if they are outside of the conventional prescription for our condition.
1. Be in tune with your body. Make sure you are always present and aware of how you are feeling. Journal any major pain or symptoms that concern you; you likely won't remember to mention them to your doc at a later time. Notice how certain foods make you feel and anything that seems abnormal. You should know your body like the back of your hand, in the sense that if your lower abdomen is suddenly and consistently swollen, take note. Many women have discovered serious conditions this way, and often times caught them early enough to properly treat them.
2. Do some research. If you have chronic pain in any one area, start doing some research. It's not your doctor's responsibility to do extensive research on your symptoms. They only have a certain amount of time with you, so if you do go see your doc, you should know more about what's paining you.
3. Find the right practitioner. When I used to deal with chronic neck pain, I sought treatment from an acupuncturist. When I thought I had hypothyroidism (which turned out to be PCOS), I requested blood work from an endocrinologist. Of course, my MD thought I was in good shape since my blood work came back normal, but I insisted (personal responsibility) on seeing the endo. After paying attention to your body and pinpointing the source of the pain (if you can), be sure to see the right practitioner for your needs. Sometimes an MD is not the best person to see, but you may need to ask your primary doctor to recommend a specialist.
4. Discover your best solution path. The buck does not stop at seeing the doctor or holistic practitioner and taking their advice as final answer. YOU are in charge of your health, your body and your life. No one but you suffers if there is better, more effective information and solutions available than what your practitioner recommends. Once receiving a diagnosis or an answer that fits your symptoms, start researching all of the different options to treat your condition.
When being diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), the conventional treatment is birth control pills and so many other medications. If you wish to take synthetic medications for the remainder of your life, so be it. However, if you wish to explore the alternative and effective options to combat PCOS, you must take matters into your own hands.
Being your own health advocate is not only important to achieve optimal health, it can dramatically change your life. Take action and seek your own solutions for your health condition. You'll thank your lucky stars when you find the right answer.
Insulite Laboratories, a Boulder, Colorado USA based company, is committed to reversing Insulin Resistance a potentially dangerous imbalance of blood glucose and insulin. Scientific research has revealed that this disorder can be a primary cause of excess weight gain and obesity, plus Pre-Diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes. Insulin Resistance can also underlie the cluster of increased risk factors for cardiovascular damage called Metabolic Syndrome (Syndrome X) as well as PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome).
Recognizing that there are millions of people who need help, Insulite Labs has designed what is considered the most effective systematic approach to reversing Insulin Resistance and these associated disorders. Insulite Laboratories is recognized world-wide for developing systems to address the underlying causes of Metabolic Syndrome, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), excess weight/obesity, pre-diabetes, and Type 2 Diabetes.
