If you have PCOS, you have likely already seen the newer term PMOS, or Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome, appearing on social media, in health publications or in conversations about women’s health.
While the name has changed, in many ways it is simply catching up with what we as naturopaths have understood for a long time. PCOS has never been just about ovarian cysts. It is a condition that can involve multiple systems of the body, including hormones, metabolism, blood sugar regulation, ovulation, fertility, inflammation, mood and overall wellbeing.
For women experiencing PCOS or fertility issues in Perth, the name change is an important reminder that treatment should look beyond the ovaries alone.
Why Has PCOS Been Renamed PMOS?
The term Polycystic Ovary Syndrome has always been somewhat misleading.
Despite the name, you do not necessarily need to have ovarian cysts to be diagnosed with PCOS. Some women have irregular or absent ovulation and signs of excess androgen activity without polycystic ovaries on ultrasound.
Likewise, having polycystic-looking ovaries does not automatically mean you have the syndrome.
The newer term Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome better describes a condition that can involve several hormonal and metabolic pathways at once.
What Are the Symptoms of PCOS or PMOS?
PMOS can look very different from one woman to another. Common signs can include:
- irregular, infrequent or absent periods
- difficulty ovulating
- difficulty falling pregnant
- acne or oily skin
- excess facial or body hair
- thinning hair on the scalp
- weight gain or difficulty managing weight
- insulin resistance or changes in blood glucose
- changes in cholesterol
- fatigue
- sleep problems
- low mood, anxiety or changes in body confidence.
These symptoms can seem unrelated, but they often point to different parts of the same bigger picture.
Irregular periods and fertility difficulties may reflect changes in ovulation and reproductive hormones.
Acne, facial hair and scalp hair thinning can be associated with androgen hormones.
Weight changes and blood sugar issues can point to the metabolic and insulin-regulating systems.
Fatigue, sleep disturbance and changes in mood can also be part of the overall experience of living with PMOS.
This is why simply treating one symptom, such as acne, irregular periods or weight changes, may not address what is happening underneath.
How Can PMOS Affect Fertility?
For many women, PCOS or PMOS is first identified when they begin trying to conceive.
If ovulation is irregular, there may be fewer opportunities to conceive each year. Hormonal and metabolic factors can also affect the environment needed for healthy ovulation and pregnancy.
However, a diagnosis of PMOS does not mean that you cannot fall pregnant.
Supporting ovulation, metabolic health, nutritional status and general wellbeing can all form part of a broader fertility plan.
At PNMC, we often work with women seeking natural fertility support in Perth, including those preparing for pregnancy, trying to regulate their cycle or working alongside fertility specialists.
A Naturopathic Approach to PCOS and PMOS
There is no single treatment plan that suits every woman with PMOS.
A naturopathic approach starts by looking at your individual pattern of symptoms, rather than treating the diagnosis as though it looks the same in everyone.
Depending on your needs, this may include looking at:
- menstrual cycle and ovulation
- blood glucose and insulin regulation
- hormone testing
- iron, vitamin D and other nutritional markers
- diet and meal patterns
- stress and sleep
- digestive health
- exercise and movement
- herbal medicine
- nutritional supplementation
- fertility and preconception support.
For one woman, treatment may focus heavily on improving blood sugar regulation and metabolic health.
For another, the priority may be restoring regular ovulation.
For someone trying to conceive, we may focus on fertility, cycle tracking, nutrient status and preconception health.
For another woman, acne, unwanted hair growth or irregular periods may be the main concern.
The important part is understanding your presentation of PMOS.
PCOS Was Never Just About the Ovaries
The change from PCOS to PMOS gives us better language for something we have understood for a long time in naturopathic medicine: the body does not operate as a collection of separate parts.
Your ovaries are influenced by your endocrine system.
Your hormones interact with your metabolism.
Blood sugar regulation can influence reproductive hormones.
Sleep, nutrition, stress and lifestyle can all affect how these systems function.
For women living with PMOS, this broader view can help shift the focus from simply controlling symptoms towards understanding what may be contributing to them.
If you are experiencing PCOS, irregular cycles or fertility concerns in Perth, our naturopaths Randa Majrouh and Lesley Oakes at Perth Natural Medical Clinic can work with you to develop an individualised plan based on your symptoms, health history, pathology, lifestyle and fertility goals.
A diagnosis is useful, but understanding how that diagnosis is expressing itself in your body is where meaningful treatment begins.