Primary Ovarian Insufficiency
Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) is a condition that causes your ovaries to stop working as well as they should before age 40. As a result, your body doesn’t produce a normal amount of the hormone estrogen, causing your periods to become irregular or stop. Your body also may not release eggs regularly, which can lead to infertility or difficulty becoming pregnant.
What are the symptoms?
If you have POI, you may suffer from symptoms that are very similar to peri-menopause or menopause. Fertility problems are common with POI, because the disorder can significantly reduce your body’s ability to produce and release eggs.
Symptoms include:
Irregular periods
Difficulty getting pregnant
Hot flashes
Night sweats
Difficulty staying focused
Lower sex drive
Vaginal dryness
Dry eyes
Painful intercourse
Insomnia
Causes
Around 1 in every 100 women will develop POI. Genetic variations in your chromosomes, exposure to environmental toxins and autoimmunity are common causes. The possibility increases if you already have an autoimmune disorder. Researchers estimate that autoimmune conditions are present in 4 to 30 percent of POI cases.
Diagnosis
The symptoms can be caused by a number of conditions, so your G.P will want to rule out other causes before diagnosing you with POI. Understanding the hormonal activity in your body can help your doctor rule out other conditions, especially follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), which is the hormone that stimulates your follicles to develop and release an egg, and prolactin, the hormone that causes you to produce milk. Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels may be checked as well to assess your egg count.
How it is treated conventionally?
Treatments may vary on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the severity of your symptoms and how many eggs you may have left. A POI diagnosis may be very emotional if you are trying to conceive but there are treatment options available to help you, like hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and counselling. Treatments can help raise your hormone levels to relieve some of your symptoms.
How does Surrey Centre for Nutrition work with Primary Ovarian Insufficiency?
By tackling the root cause of hormonal imbalance, the Functional Medicine approach to POI works to assess hormone levels and determine the root cause to ensure that all avenues are covered to improve symptoms where possible. Our Fertility specialist can provide support if you are trying to conceive.
Managing POI requires a multi-targeted approach:
Optimising Diet and using supplements and herbs to support hormone balance
Minimising Stress with lifestyle improvements
Supporting Gut Health to reduce inflammation and improve absorption
Assess and manage Autoimmune risk
Blood Sugar Balancing to improve insulin sensitivity
Toxic load reduction to support the liver
The goal is to get your hormones back into balance and to reduce inflammation and pain.
Are you ready to work with us to reach your health goals?
If you or someone you know is suffering from the symptoms or conditions listed above, Surrey Centre for Nutrition may be able to help. We typically work with clients for 3-6 months depending on your health concerns. Are you interested in working with us?
Book a discovery call to see how the Surrey Centre for Nutrition can help
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